ABSTRACT

The Congress of Vienna, which redrew the map of Europe in the aftermath of Napoleon’s final defeat, did not undo all of the changes wrought by the French Revolution, Napoleon and 25 years of war. The rulers of Austria, Prussia and Russia united in the Holy Alliance to oppose any recurrence of revolutionary ideals and aspirations, and from time to time the great powers deployed their military might to suppress revolution and nationalist uprisings. They continued to eye each other warily, but they also sought to maintain a balance between themselves. Napoleon had treated his defeated opponents harshly. What stands out in the agreement reached at Vienna, and in the way that it was carried through over the next few years, was how differently the victorious allies treated France. Of course some of this was due to the fact that the Bourbon monarchy was restored, some was due to the shrewd diplomacy of Talleyrand, formerly foreign minister to Napoleon and now working for the restored monarchy. But much was also due to a recognition by the allies that, even although it was reduced to almost the frontiers of 1789, France remained, potentially, a great power with considerable economic and manpower resources.