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Congress of Vienna STRUCTURE OF THE COMMITTEE Committee Positions THE FOUR GREAT POWERS OF THE protect is multinational identity, and, along SIXTH COALITION with the emperor, developed his support for the idea of a balance of power in Europe. Prince Klemens von Metternich Metternich then shifted his eye to (Austria) Napoleon’s war against Russia in 1812. He Klemens von advocated for the independence of Austrian Metternich was troops under Prince Karl Schwarzenberg a conservative who were fighting alongside the French. Austrian Though he had the chance to switch his Prince Klemens von statesman Metternich allegiance to Russia in January of 1813, instrumental in Metternich proclaimed Austria’s neutrality restoring Austria to importance in the period to the world. This, however, was simply a before and during the Congress of Vienna. diplomatic ploy to avert attention from the Metternich began his involvement in the Austrian military while it rearmed. Despite contentiousness of the European map in the caveat that Austria would re-enter the 1803, when he became the Austrian minister war if Napoleon refused to acknowledge his in Berlin. Though he was unable to form a terms of peace, he negotiated an armistice military alliance against France with between Austria, Prussia, and Russia, Frederick William III as he had hoped, buying his army even more time. When Metternich spent his ambassadorship Metternich finally did declare war on observing Prussia’s inner conflict, leading France, he promised the Southern German him to predict the nation’s downfall well in states that, if they joined the Allies, they advance. would not forfeit the gains they had made with Napoleon. Thus, Metternich’s main By 1806 Metternich had moved to Paris, goal during the war was not only to achieve where he began reporting on the state of military dominance, but also to set up a Napoleonic government to his home structure of Austrian alliances to country. These reports included encouraging counterbalance Russia and Prussia in the news about Napoleon’s army that ultimately event of Napoleon’s loss. proved to be false, as Austria’s loss in the Battle of Wagram in 1809 suggests. This diplomatic strategy culminated in the Nevertheless, Metternich was still appointed Congress of Vienna, held in Austria largely minister of foreign affairs by Emperor due to the Metternich’s work over the Francis I of Austria. Metternich’s main previous two years. During the conference, achievement in the following two years was he hoped to form two confederations, one to link Napoleon to Austria through with Germany and the other with Italy. He marriage, which perhaps kept the nation also aimed to oppose other European from being the emperor’s prime target. He powers’ plans of eliminating France, also advocated for, but failed to achieve, a working with Lord Castlereagh to preserve reorganization of the Austrian state to its identity to balance Russia’s power. CONGRESS OF VIENNA 17 Metternich also played a key social role as Napoleon’s attack, Castlereagh advocated the Congress’ host, spending much time fiercely for the union and was instrumental entertaining monarchs with the hope that his in its eventual passage. Prime Minister Pitt diplomatic objectives could be achieved then provided Castlereagh with the without their interference. opportunity to serve as the Secretary of State for War for the whole United Kingdom in Baron Johann von Wessenberg (Austria) 1805. After engaging in various government As the deputy to Austrian statesman duties on and off, he became the Secretary Klemens von Metternich, the Baron Johann for Foreign Affairs and the leader of the von Wessenberg served as a diplomat during House of Commons in 1812. the Napoleonic wars and as Austria’s secondary delegate to the Congress of Castlereagh’s main Vienna. Wessenberg’s first involvement in objective at the anti-Napoleon politics occurred in 1808, time was to when he served as the ambassador to the maintain the Prussian court in alliance between Berlin. He intended to Napoleon’s convince Prussian King enemies and he Viscount Frederick William III began to draw up Castlereagh to join the fifth plans for post- coalition against Napoleonic Europe even before the end of France, but the king the war. He secured negotiation rights for had fled to East Prussia the United Kingdom and determined the in response to terms of agreements between the allies Baron Johann von Napoleon’s advances. through a series of treaties before the Wessenberg Wessenberg, unable to Congress of Vienna. The Treaty of fulfill his mission, Paris, the most well known of these returned home and departed on other settlements, restored the Bourbon Monarchy diplomatic travels around Europe – for the and created a separate kingdom out of the two years preceding the Congress of Vienna, Low Countries. With these British policy Wessenberg represented Austria’s interests aims already achieved, Castlereagh was left in London, France and Milan. After to play a particularly unencumbered role at returning home in 1814 to attend the the Congress of Vienna. Thus, Castlereagh Congress of Vienna, the Baron’s main focus hoped to enact his vision of Europe more became Metternich’s vision of creating a generally at the Congress, with a focus on united German confederation with an strengthening central Europe, preventing Austrian core. Russian and Prussian representatives from attempting to obtain unfairly large land Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh settlements, and establishing a tradition of (United Kingdom) regular meetings between large European Known as one of Britain’s most powers. distinguished foreign secretaries, Viscount Castlereagh began his political career in the Duke of Wellington (United Kingdom) Ireland before the passage of the Act of Arthur Wellesley began his career in public Union that joined Ireland to Great Britain. service in the army. He fought in several key Compelled by the growing fear of colonial battles in the late 1790’s and was CONGRESS OF VIENNA 18 knighted and made a Member of Parliament began representing Russia in various upon his return to England. After briefly embassies across Europe. That same year, he serving in the domestic government, he moved to southern Germany, hoping to became commander of British forces on the secretly report to Alexander I about peninsula in 1808. After driving British, Napoleon’s troops as Alexander began to Portuguese, and Spanish forces to a victory question his support of Napoleon. He also against Napoleon, Wellesley was given the collaborated over the Peace of Tilsit in 1811. title of the Duke of Wellington, by which he During the Franco-Russian war in the next is now more commonly known. In his role year, Nesselrode served as the diplomatic as the preeminent English military hero of secretary to several significant Russian the time, he spent a year in the Foreign generals and had been appointed as the Service, during which he attended the minister of foreign affairs by the Congress Congress of Vienna as a representative for of Vienna. During the Congress, Nesselrode the United Kingdom. hoped to assert Russia’s claims on Poland, though Alexander I, who was also present at Karl August von Hardenberg (Prussia) the conference and didn’t work very closely Karl August von Hardenberg was a Prussian with his foreign minister, often subordinated statesman and administrator. After serving him. in a variety of administrative and diplomatic positions, he became prime minister with Alexander I (Russia) full powers in 1810. After Napoleon’s Alexander Pavlovich, also known as campaign in Russia, Hardenberg secretly Emperor Alexander I, was the sole ruler of advocated for an alliance with Russia, which Russia during the Napoleonic wars. Though was solidified in 1813. In his diplomatic he enjoyed some military successes in the negotiations he strove to liberate Prussia early part of his reign, Alexander’s first from French rule and obtain more territory. encounters with Napoleon resulted in devastating losses for Frederick William III (Prussia) Russia. Alexander, trying The king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840, to win over Napoleon Frederick William III led Prussia to its through their mutual defeat in the battle of Jena in 1806 enmity with Britain, immediately after renouncing his isolationist agreed to the Treaty of foreign policy. After losing most of its land Tilsit, though many in the resulting Peace of Tilsit, Frederick Alexander I thought this would lead to William’s ministers carried out reforms to only further battles restore the country to enough strength to between the two emperors. This period of reenter the Napoleonic Wars in 1813. friendship between the two men is thought Frederick William hoped to fight foreign to have relied on Alexander’s acceptance of invaders off of German soil and hoped to Napoleon in a time when many other regain Prussia’s lost territory during the European royals looked down upon the Congress of Vienna. Frenchman for possessing power beyond his birth. After a five-year period of peace, Count Karl Nesselrode (Russia) Napoleon invaded Russia due to rising Karl Nesselrode, a Russian diplomat, and hostilities between the two nations. minister of foreign affairs from 1814 Napoleon claimed that the invasion was onwards, began his career in 1806, when he justified since he planned to liberate the CONGRESS OF VIENNA 19 Russian serfs, which was actually a key Though he served as Napoleon’s foreign domestic policy aim of Alexander’s. The minister, Talleyrand did not agree with campaign did not go as planned for several of the emperor’s strategies. Thinking Napoleon, and Russia’s victory caused the the emperor too aggressive, Talleyrand Russian people to begin to regard Alexander wanted to protect France’s newly attained as divine. Alexander then represented Russia possessions by staying out of conflict with at the Congress of Vienna, leaving less to England and Russia.
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