![]() ![]() Nationalists were not always happy with the established borders that served to maintain the balance of power rather than unifying a given group that shared the same language and culture. The Congress brilliantly established long-term stability in Europe. The Congress was successfully able to stop potentially explosive issues from getting out of hand: the Poland issue could have led to war or further hostility, but it was handled with extreme care by a group of very capable diplomats. France was allowed to keep her traditional, pre-Revolution boundaries. For all the trouble France had caused, the Congress was remarkably lenient towards her. With Russia satisfied, Prussia lost its ally and only was able to get a small piece of Saxony. In the end, the Congress of Vienna created a small Poland ('Congress Poland') with Alexander installed as the king. To combat the Russian-Prussian alliance, on January 3, 1815, Metternich, Castlereagh, and Talleyrand signed a secret treaty agreeing to oppose the Prussians and Russians. Metternich, however, feared that Russia would become too powerful in this deal. The Prussians entered an agreement with Russia, under which Russia would support Prussia's bid for Saxony and Prussia would support Russia's bid for Poland in addition, Prussia would hand over its share of Poland to Russia. Alexander had desired the territory for years, but Austria and Prussia both had parts of the old Polish kingdom. The future of Napoleon's Polish Grand Duchy of Warsaw remained the most problematic issue. However, no unified Germany would emerge. Instead, the relatively large kingdoms of Bavaria, Wurttemberg, and Saxony remained as Napoleon created them. Restoring Germany to its previous status as the chaotic, fragmented Holy Roman Empire served no one's purposes. ![]() In Naples, Murat was actually allowed to keep his throne (until the 'Hundred Days), and the Bourbons were restored in Spain. Prussia got the left bank of the Rhine, while Austria took territory in northern Italy, including Tuscany and Milan. The Netherlands and the Italian Kingdom of Piedmont were created to this end. Specifically, the members of the Congress were all afraid of a strong France, so they created strong border states. Die-hard Conservatives might have deluded themselves that the clock could simply be turned back to the ancien regime, but most realized the effects of the French Revolution and Napoleon had obviously been too profound. Meanwhile the powers of Europe met to decide the future political shape of the Continent at the Congress of Vienna, which opened in September 1814 and lasted until June 1815, with a brief hiatus during Napoleon's return. Saying, "I want to live from now on like a justice of the peace," Napoleon actually worked hard to improve Elba, and to all observers, it seemed as though Napoleon was content to a life of relative retirement. Perhaps cruelly, the treaty allowed him to retain the title "Emperor." On May 4, 1814, Napoleon, now 45 years old, arrived at Elba's capital, Portoferraio. Napoleon would be allowed to rule Elba, which had 12,000 inhabitants. HelenaĮxiled on Elba, Napoleon's empire was reduced to a small island off the coast of Italy. Timeline: The Congress of Vienna, the Hundred Days, and Napoleon's Exile on St. ![]()
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