Which of the following best explains the Vienna settlement of 1815, fear, compromise or greed? The European powers feared the resurgence of French aggression hence the territorial re-adjustments designed to achieve a balance of power among European states. France lost most of the conquests it had made during the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. This was meant to prevent it from remaining too powerful so that it could once again disturb the peace as it had it done for close to 20 years. It lost Belgium, Holland and its Italian conquests among others. Belgium was merged with Holland to create a bigger state which was supposed to be capable of defending itself against France or any other state. The victorious Austrians won back control of Italy, were given control of the newly created German Bund while Prussia got the Rhineland and two-fifths of Saxony. It was most certainly fear of French aggression that inspired the final territorial terms of the Vienna Settlement because France was punished more harshly only after the country gave overwhelming support to Napoleon during his ‘100 days’ return from Elba. It could not have been greed that was uppermost in the minds of the European powers because in the initial settlement they had treated France with great leniency by reducing it to its 1792 boundaries thus allowing it to keep a large chunk of its earlier conquests. Napoleon was allowed to retain his title as emperor and was even given the island of Elba and an annual income of two hundred thousand pounds. Fear then set in when the French decided to support Napoleon when he escaped from Elba in 1814 while the congress was in session in Vienna. Only then did the powers push France back to its 1790 boundaries and send an army of occupation until it had paid reparations. The European powers even feared that apart from France, anyone of them could be future aggressors and that is why even some of the victors lost territory and others did not get as much as they would have wanted in order to create a balance of power. Victorious Sweden gave up Finland to Russia and Pomerania to Prussia while Prussia gave up some of its Polish territory to Russia. Austria did not get back Belgium which was given to Holland. Prussia did not receive all of Saxony and was forced to settle for only two-fifths while Russia was not allowed as much leeway to expand in Eastern Europe as it would have wanted. The rest of the powers combined even with France to thwart Russian and Prussian territorial ambitions. They even threatened war. Therefore it was not a simple case of victors just grabbing what they desired-achieving a balance of power was top priority. The fear of losing their own empires caused the European powers particularly Austria and Russia to agree on the suppression of nationalist and liberal principles. These ideals were the off-spring of the French Revolution and were therefore a threat to monarchical rule and European peace. As far as the congress of Vienna was concerned, these ideas were disruptive because they encouraged the break-up of multi-national empires such as Austria and Russia into nation-states as well as people to overthrow monarchs and aspire to political power. The congress re-stated dynastic heredity as the criterion of political power and guarantee for peace rather than the liberal ‘careers open to talent’ principle. This also explains why they restored those kings that had been displaced. The Tsar Alexander I of Russia went so far as to suggest a ‘Holy Alliance’ of all Christian European monarchs who would act together to defend their ‘divine right’ to rule against liberal and nationalist upstarts. That alliance was agreed to by all except Britain, the papacy and Turkey which was not Christian anyway. Apart from fear of French aggression, the European diplomats also feared the liberal ideas brought by the French Revolution and Napoleon that they everything possible to restore those monarchical governments that had been displaced between 1792 and 1814. This was done out of the belief that the monarchies were best placed to defend the old order based on authoritarian rule and religious values as opposed to the political and civil liberties being advocated by liberals after the French Revolution. The restoration of the monarchies was also logical in guarding against possible French aggression considering that Napoleonic France had been defeated by a coalition of European monarchs. In France where it had all started, the Bourbons were restored. Restoration was also effected in Spain, Portugal and in the Italian states among others. The fear of future wars also influenced the European powers’ decision to hold periodic congresses in order to discuss and peacefully resolve issues that might arise to threaten the general peace. This decision resulted in the birth of the ‘congress system’. This was a genuine attempt by monarchs to develop a unity of purpose and it was also a logical step considering that it was unity that had enabled them to defeat Napoleon. Congresses would indeed be held at Aix la Chapelle (1818), Troppau (1820), Laibach (1821) and Verona (1822) respectively. The fear of future French aggression also motivated the powers’ decision to secretly renew the Quadruple Alliance to fight France if necessary. Britain also feared French competition in colonies and trade hence the congress’ decision to award it France’s overseas colonies. Britain’s economy was based to a large extent on the acquisition of colonies which served as sources of raw materials for its industries and provided markets for its manufactured goods. France had started to threaten Britain’s colonial dominance and hence taking its colonies was designed to restore British supremacy. Britain gained Mauritius, Guiana, Malta and Heligoland from France in addition to the Cape and Ceylon which were obtained from Holland. In conclusion, it is clear that fear best explains the Vienna Settlement of 1815. The European powers had so much to fear from France, from liberal ideas and from the political system that had been ushered in by the French Revolution and Napoleon.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 10:34:36 +0000
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