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 Metternich then shifted his eye to () ’s war against 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 . 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 . Though he was unable to form a terms of peace, he negotiated an armistice against 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.

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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 for War for the whole 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

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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

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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. While in the emperor’s his minister than others and fervently service, though he was eventually dismissed, working on the resolution himself. he communicated secretly with Alexander I and Louis XVIII, who he eventually helped OTHER SIGNATORIES OF THE reestablish to power. TREATY OF PARIS (1814) Louis XVIII (France) Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord The King of France from 1814 to 1824 (France) (though he began to hold the title in 1795), Napoleon’s foreign minister, more often Louis XVIII originally remained in Paris known simply as “Talleyrand,” served under when the Revolution broke out, hoping to nearly every French become a royal candidate, but eventually regime for half a century. fled in 1791. He then fiercely promoted the Talleyrand was notorious royalist cause around Europe, refusing to for his unmatched ability accept compensation payment from to deceive fellow Napoleon in exchange for the renunciation statesmen and seek of his royalty. After Napoleon’s defeats, he bribes, shifting political was received into Paris under a restoration allegiance often and negotiated by Talleyrand. Charles Maurice negotiating in secret with de Talleyrand- public enemies. His Marquis Don Pedro Gómez de Labrador Périgord vision of France involved (Spain) a painless transition from After a long career under various European the old regime to the new coupled with the royals, the Marquis de Labrador was preservation of France’s territorial interests. appointed Spain’s foreign ambassador, despite being well known for his weakness Talleyrand began his career in the Church of character and diplomatic incompetence. and soon gained powerful administrative The Marquis, having positions; however, after using his influence accompanied Pope to advance his own agenda for France’s Pius VI in exile, was future, he was excommunicated from the well versed in Church by Pope Pius VI in 1791. Talleyrand religious matters and then acted as an unofficial envoy to England advocated a special until expelled due to the revolutionary alliance between government’s bad mark against his name; Spain and the Holy however, he returned after the formation of See, though it was the Directory and began to serve on-and-off eventually rejected. as France’s foreign minister for the rest of As Spain’s his career. Marquis de Labrador representative to the Congress of Vienna,

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Gomez hoped to restore the deposed disputed Scandinavian land, such as Bourbons to the thrones of Spain’s Italian Swedish Pomerania and the Duchy of possessions and to regain control over Lauenburg. Spanish colonies in South Americas, some of which had revolted during the Napoleonic Cardinal Ercole Consalvi (Papal States) invasion of Spain. Regarded by many as one of the greatest statesmen to ever serve the papal court, Pedro de Sousa Holstein () Cardinal Ercole Consalvi entered his public Also known as the Duke de Palmela, Pedro career in 1783 by Pope Pius VI. In 1796 he de Sousa Holstein began his career in was made assessor of a military commission Portugal’s foreign service in 1802. He created to prevent the intervention of French commanded Portuguese troops along with revolutionaries. When the French general the Duke of Wellington during Napoleon’s Duphot was killed in Rome, despite a lack peninsular campaign and represented of involvement by the Papal States, the Portugal in various European conferences French army invaded Rome and deprived from the 1802 to the Congress of Vienna, the Pope of his sovereignty. Though which resulted in his future permanent Consalvi was arrested, he returned soon position as Portugal’s minister of foreign after and was made cardinal and Secretary affairs. of State under Pope Pius VII in 1800.

Count Carl Lowenheim (Sweden and Consalvi then Norway) worked to protect Count Lowenheim held both administrative the Pope’s role as and military positions for Sweden during the the head of time of the Napoleonic wars. He was a Christianity in the lieutenant general, but achieved more fame eyes of the due to the paintings he made while abroad than because of any significant military European states, Cardinal Ercole Consalvi accomplishments. Due to the Treaty of Kiel, particularly by in which the King of Denmark-Norway had helping create the ceded Norwegian territory to the King of French Concordat. When Napoleon was Sweden, Lowenheim represented both crowned emperor in 1804, Consalvi was Sweden and Norway at the Congress of blamed for the Pope’s refusal to become a Vienna, advocating for these nations’ vassal under the emperor and was forced to interests in land lost due to various treaties step down by 1806. Later, after refusing to over the prior forty years. assist in the ceremonies for Napoleon’s second marriage, he was deprived of all OTHER REPRESENATIVES property and sent into forced retirement.

Count Niels Rosenkrantz (Denmark) After Napoleon’s abdication, Consalvi was Count Niels Rosenkrantz was a foreign reappointed Secretary of State for the Papal policy advisor to Danish King Frederick VI. States and represented the Pope in Though the King was also present in Vienna negotiations in France, England, and the at the time of the conference, Rosenkrantz Congress of Vienna, where he hoped for the played an important role in negotiations over reinstatement of lost papal territories.

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