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Dear Delegates,

My name is Tina Soroudi, and I am excited to be serving as your Assistant Directors for the Concert of Europe. This is my first year at UCI, and some of my interests include Biology and Math. In the future, I hope to enter the healthcare field and join an international organization providing aid. This is my first year as a member of UCI Model United Nations and my fifth year in MUN, which has been an extremely rewarding experience so far. This my first year working with the UCI Conference Team, and I am also a member of the UCIMUN Travel Team. Outside of MUN, I am in several service clubs at UCI. In my free time, I enjoy playing the piano, traveling, and watching movies. Our committee will focus on the Concert of Europe, and look into many of the problems that the concert faced from June 1871 to around 1914. The issues that the Concert of Europe covers are multifaceted, and I look forward to hearing your different perspectives on these topics. Delegates are expected to enter the committee with a thorough understanding of the topics and have a firm grasp of their country policy. I hope that you can use the topic synopsis as a starting point for further research and thought. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the Concert of Europe, we encourage you to research pertinent sub-topics and relevant details outside of the synopsis. From this committee, you will be able to understand the structure, policies, and frameworks of the Concert of Europe. Addressing issues within the Concert can help delegates adapt improved systems for composing solutions regarding modern topics for future committees. I look forward to meeting everyone and hearing your unique take on how nations would react to and adequately address issues relating to the , the “Sick Man of Europe” and political tensions due to disputes like the Franco-Prussian War. I am excited to observe your collaboration and learn from you all during this committee. Good luck researching and preparing for the conference. I hope you are able to have an enriching experience at UCIMUN and participate in intellectual discussion. Hopefully, we can all step away from this committee to better understand how the past influences the present. If this is one of your first MUN conferences, I highly encourage that you participate and feel comfortable doing so as UCI MUN is a safe place to practice and grow. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns of any kind. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in April. Good luck with your preparatory work!

Sincerely, Tina Soroudi, Assistant Director, Concert of Europe [email protected]

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Details on How Crisis will Function

The topic synopsis describes in full the abstract of committee mechanisms; however, to help facilitate the crisis, we wanted to explain how the crisis system will work.

First, each delegate will be issued a portfolio through google documents (shared) several days prior to committee. The portfolio will contain vital information about your given state, with a categorical strength for each variable (that is, you will not see the numerical conversion to perverse a sense of realism and to prevent rigging). For example, if you are in the United

Kingdom, you may have a “strong” naval presence in Northern Europe (near the British Isles).

From the crisis perspective, when you initiate an action or react to another delegate’s action, we roll a dice based on your converted score for those variables affected by the crisis check (so, if we assume to be using a D-20 die, and we convert ‘strong’ to a 15, and any roll 1 - 15 means you succeed the crisis check). If you survive the crisis check, then an effect score is rolled, using the same process, to determine the relative success (sinking the entire Danish navy vs merely routing most of them back to Denmark). Without giving out too much of our methodology, this system displays a critical point for delegates: very little is left to the crisis staff's subjective decisions.Instead, a delegate’s aggregate policy decisions will be a driving factor behind their success. And more importantly, this should incentivize you as a delegate to use crises that exploit your nation’s strength (or other’s perceived weakness). Below is a simple outline of what your military profile might look like:

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You will also have economic and political metrics that will affect crisis die rolls. It might look like something below:

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Second, delegates will have a crisis page at the bottom of their portfolio powers. When submitting an individual directive, the delegates should: (1) specify the desired action; and (2) the relevant variables (so if you’re attacking Denmark’s capital, you will likely need your

Northern European Navy and Army).

Finally, our committee will have a live, updated map. Without giving away some of the unique regional features, below is a global map. On the day of, you have a primary European map with accessible maps to other theaters, including Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Below is a sample of the world's province divisions in 1871 (grey provinces are often inhabited by

‘unrecognized’ nations that are not formally acknowledged as states).

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Next, the communications with crisis will occur at the bottom of each profile. The crisis communications table will look something similar to below; requested variables will be the specific variable (military, technology, industrial output) you believe are directly involved in the requested action. The action will specify what you want to be done (be very concise). The action response will be the crisis’s response to you. And finally, the affected variables will be those that are significantly affected by the action (you will only see those that change a variable’s status. If it's minor, crisis will note it, but will not comment the response for you).

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Finally, there will be a small ‘crisis update’ section with private and public updates regarding the relative stability of a delegate’s nation. Delegate’s will also be informed if any major status changes occur.

Historical Overview

The 1868 Spanish Revolution and the Franco-Prussian war are two crucial factors contributing to the current state of nations. They exemplify the tumultuous nature of the

European states as well as the interconnections of European countries in this time, as they accurately highlight the geopolitical situation as well as showcase years of contention. They mark the high fragility of the current condition of European nations where our committee will begin.

1868 Spanish Revolution

The 1868 Spanish Revolution, also known as the Glorious Revolution, is an important factor contributing to the current state of Europe. It resulted in the deposition of Queen Isabella

II, and marked the start of the Sexenio Democratico. Queen Isabella's indecision between liberal and conservative policies outraged the progressives, moderates, and many members of the Union

Liberal, as they started to blame her for 's numerous problems. In 1867, following

Leopoldo O'Donnell's death, the Union Liberal began losing supporters to the movement in favor of overthrowing Isabella. Furthermore, the liberal and republican exile agreements at Ostend in

1866 and 1867 set the framework for major uprisings that would eventually overthrow Queen

Isabella. In the Pact of Ostend, the Progressive Party and the Democratic Party, led by and Cristino Martos, agreed to compromise. (The Revolution of 1868 and the Republic of 1873,

1998).

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Prim, joined by Francisco Serrano and Progressive conspirators, would soon lead a group of army oligarchs. Admiral , who was in charge of the Spanish Fleet in

Cadiz, declared opposition against Queen Isabella on September 18th 1868. The next day, Juan

Prim and Francisco Serrano arrived at Cadiz and gained control of two armies. They successfully defeated Manuel Pavia and Lacy’s army, effectively seizing control of the capital and resulting in

Isabella’s government fleeing .

A coalition of liberals, moderates, and republicans were left with the tremendous task of creating a new and more effective government. Following this revolution, Democrats began creating juntas that became Federal Republicans, contributing to a radical democratic element within the military oligarchy. Many generals planned to create a constitutional monarchy, but struggled to select a constitutional monarch. Eventually, a provisional government led by Juan

Prim and Francisco Serrano would be established. Shortly thereafter, the provisional government would vocally support German Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen’s accession of the vacant position, a move strongly opposed by France that would contribute to the altercations that would result in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. (The Revolution of 1868 and the Republic of

1873, 1998).

This overthrow by a monarchist-republican coalition had major repercussions on both

Spain and the diplomacy of Western Europe. It dispelled the obscurity surrounding Spain for the past two centuries. It also contributed to an open position that could potentially be filled by

Leopold of Hohenzollern, which would play a major role in Franco-Prussian relations. (Smith,

1950, pp. 787-793). The political turbulence in Spain had been a concern to the European powers during the previous several years. Additionally, the diplomatic intricacies of the period had drawn the attention of many nations including France, Prussia, England, Italy, Austria, and UCIMUN | 7 MODEL UNITED NATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE UCIMUN 2021 | April 24-25, 2021 | sites.uci.edu/ucimun

Portugal. The Franco-Prussian rivalry was an important factor in European diplomacy, and its relation to the should be noted (Smith, 1951, pp. 130-133). For example,

Napoleon III attempted to play a role in the policy of Spain in order to ensure that Spain’s new government would favor France. However, the Spanish supported Leopold of Hohenzollern for the Spanish throne, causing problems between France and Prussia (Smith 1953, pp. 211).

Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian war, or Franco-German War, is a result of years of tension between

France and Prussia, which were amplified by Prussian victory over Austria in 1866, and German

Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen’s potential accession of the Spanish throne in

1870. With French influence Prince Leopold was convinced to withdraw his candidacy, angering many Prussian leaders. , a Prussian statesman at the time, published the Ems

Dispatch, where he edited a conversation between King Wilhelm and Count Benedetti, a French ambassador to Prussia. Bismarck aimed to provoke a war between Prussia and France.

Bismarck’s edit made it appear that both ambassadors were ridiculing the other-- ultimately angering many and contributing to popular sentiment for war between the two nations

(Halperin,1973, pp. 87-89).

Napoleon III, the French emperor, declared war on July 19th partially because he was advised that a victory would help him improve his declining popularity. Bismarck viewed the war as an opportunity to unify the South German states with the North and build a strong Empire. The French declaration of war enabled Prussia to gather nationalistic sentiments and encourage support from German states. Swift Prussian mobilization facilitated victories in eastern France, resulting in the Siege of Met and the Battle of Sedan (McLean). The battles highlighted the impacts of the modern weaponry at the time, such as the French UCIMUN | 8 MODEL UNITED NATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE UCIMUN 2021 | April 24-25, 2021 | sites.uci.edu/ucimun

Chassepot breech-loading rifle and the Prussian steel breech-loading field guns. These weapons led to smaller formations and new military tactics, which later played a role on the global stage.

Many countries noted and adopted German military innovations such as the universal conscription, detailed mobilization system, and General Staff (Rowe, 2020).

The war resulted in Prussian victory in 1871, and expanded the state's hegemony of the region. The rather swift German victory over the French was unexpected, as many anticipated a long war with opposite results (Halperin,1973, pp. 88).

The Treaty of Frankfurt, a peace treaty, was signed on May 10, 1871-- marking the official end of the Franco-Prussian War. The Treaty of Versailles of 1871, drafted between

January 28th and February 26th, unified the southern states with . The war resulted in the unification of most of Germany, excluding Austria. Under the Treaty of Frankfurt, France relinquished control of most of its traditional German regions and was obliged to pay five billion francs to cover the costs of German occupation, a few proportioned to population. (Rowe, 2020).

The resulting conditions following the Franco-Prussian War contributed to tensions that would later play out in the first World War.

The geo-political outcome of the Franco-Prussian War was immense, as it resulted in the creation of the German Empire, Continental Europe's most powerful state (Halperin,1973, pp.

89-91). The German Annexation of the Alsace-Lorraine resulted in unstable peace, as the French and German imperialistic ambitions played were in contention. The animosity between the two states would play a role in the prolonged fighting on the Western Front during WWI, and leave lasting impacts between the two countries (Dedinger, 2012, pp. 1030-1031).

The events of the Franco-Prussian War and 1868 Spanish Revolution showcase the complexity of the issues facing the Concert of Europe. Countries within the concert have UCIMUN | 9 MODEL UNITED NATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE UCIMUN 2021 | April 24-25, 2021 | sites.uci.edu/ucimun involved histories and goals, which are important to be accounted for during committee. The interconnectedness of the nations in the Concert are a key factor of their interactions and policies.

References

Dedinger, B. (2012). The Franco-German trade puzzle: An analysis of the economic

consequences of the Franco-Prussian war. The Economic History Review, 65(3),

1029-1054. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23271561

Halperin, S. (1973). The Origins of the Franco-Prussian War Revisited: Bismarck and the

Hohenzollern Candidature for the Spanish Throne. The Journal of Modern History, 45(1),

83-91. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1877596.

Smith, W. (1950). The Background of the Spanish Revolution of 1868. The American Historical

Review, 55(4), 787-810. doi:10.2307/1841161.

Smith, W. (1951). The Diplomatic Background of the Spanish Revolution of 1868. The

Historian, 13(2), 130-153. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/24436113.

Smith, W. (1953). The Journal of Modern History. The University of Chicago Press Journal,

25(3). Retrieved March 30, 2021, from

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/237614?journalCode=jmh.

The Revolution of 1868 and the Republic of 1873. Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 1 Oct. 1998,

www.britannica.com/place/Spain/The-Revolution-of-1868-and-the-Republic-of-1873#ref

58775. UCIMUN | 10 MODEL UNITED NATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE UCIMUN 2021 | April 24-25, 2021 | sites.uci.edu/ucimun

Rowe, M. (2020). The Franco-Prussian War 150 years on: A conflict that shaped the modern

state. King's College London. Retrieved April 1, 2021,

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/the-franco-prussian-war-150-years-on.

McLean, John. History of Western Civilization II. Otto Von Bismarck and the Franco-Prussian

War | History of Western Civilization II, Retrieved April 1, 2021, from

courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/otto-von-bismarck-and-the-

franco-prussian-war/.

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