HOW JUSTIFIABLE WAS THE VIENNA SETTLEMENT IN MAINTAINING PEACE IN EUROPE.

The Congress of Vienna was held to end a war, not to discuss every national aspiration in Europe
in sympathetic
detail. Its chief intent was to preserve peace in Europe after the Napoleonic Upheaval in a
desperate way. It is
beyond doubt that they had no contemplation of change , or else, wars might be broken out to
coerce Austria into
accepting German unity, to evict the Russians from Poland or the Turks from the Balka.

The Congress of Vienna was dominated by the Big Four‘-England,

Austria, Russia and Prussia. There was no real unity of purpose
among the representatives at the Congress of Vienna. Each
representative was motivated by national greed and ambition,
desiring to gain maximum out of the spoils of the war. There was
mutual suspicion and rivalry among the Big Four‘. Russia and
Prussia, on the one hand, quarreled fiercely with Austria and
England, on the other. Talleyrand held the balance and used it to
the advantage of France. Finally, at the beginning of 1815, the
differences at Vienna became so serious that France, Austria and
England formed a defensive alliance (3 January 1815) to resist the
claims of Russia and Prussia. The point on which the RussoPrussian group was opposed to the
Anglo-Franco-Austrian group
was simple: Prussia desired to annex the whole of Saxony in
exchange for the large amount of Polish territory she was
surrendering to Russia. Tsar Alexander I supported Prussia.
Metternich refused to allow Prussia so large an extension of
territory contiguous to Austria and Castlereagh and ultimately
Talleyrand stood with him. The differences went right up to the
brink of war. Finally, Alexander gave way and Prussia secured only
about half of Saxony.

One of the chief aims of the Congress of

Vienna was to maintain the balance of power in Europe. To secure
the balance of power, the statesmen at Vienna thought it necessary
to have a ring-fence‘ around France. By applying the Principle of
Compensation‘, the Congress of Vienna strengthened the states on
the French frontier to prevent any future French aggression.
Accordingly, by merging Belgium, Holland was strengthened. The
Kingdom of Sardinia was strengthened by restoring Piedmont,
Savoy and Nice and by adding Genoa. Prussia was made strong by
granting her the Rhine Provinces, two-fifths of Saxony, Westphalia,
part of Poland (Posen) and Swedish Pomerania.

Fairness was also done to the Victors for their loss of territories as well as for their contribution to
the stoppage
of war in Europe. All the powers were handsomely compensated. Austria got Lombardy and
Venetia for the loss
of Belgium. Norway was given to Sweden since Finland was given to Russia. yet at this point, it is
interesting to
note that all this moderation towards the great powers were accomplished at the expense of the
small powers.
For example, Poland and Italy were forced to be divided. Posen was given to Prussia, while the
rest was given to
Russia. Austria got Venetia and Lombardy from Italy. The minor states were further sacrificed to
achieve the
encirclement of France. Holland and Belgium were forced to join up together despite their
difference in custom,
language and industrial development, for the sake of having a strong front to the north of France.
These minor
states were thus exploited. The big powers disregarded their national unity or independence. The
settlement
cannot be considered as moderate to them for these were revolts in all of these states, Belgium,
Italy, Poland and
Swiss. Moderate is hitherto said to be practised only in consideration of the big powers.

However, the Vienna settlement was not without flaw. The

Congress of Vienna succeeded in re-drawing the map of Europe
and restoring the Ancient Regime. But while revising the frontiers of
the European countries, the statesmen ignored the realities. The
Congress of Vienna brought unwilling people together while it
separated those people who wished to remain united. Unifications
and disintegrations were brought about most recklessly and
arbitrarily without giving any consideration to the liberal ideas of
nationalism and democracy. Italy was kept divided by breaking it
up into eight states. The people of Northern Italy were brought
under Austrian domination. Norway was handed over to Sweden,
Finland to Russia and Belgium to Holland. Great injustice was done
to Germany by creating the German Confederation of thirty-nine
states. Poland was the most unfortunate country. It was divided
among Austria, Russia and Prussia.

The smaller States of Europe, whether their monarchs were legitimate or not, were generally
treated in a cavalier
fashion by the Great Powers. The Kings of Denmark and Saxony, both indisputably legitimate, lost
territory
through having been too late in deserting Napoleon. None of the Great Powers suffered any net
loss of
territory, and even France was restored to her frontiers of 1790. Their gains were at the expense
of the smaller
States.

The settlement opposed liberalism because it claimed to represent the principle of Legitimacy,
which meant the
restoration of the pre-1789 dynasties. Absolutism was completely restored in Spain, and most of
the German
and Italian States. Constitutions, where they existed, were usually only consultative in character
and
representative of only the wealthier citizens.

The Congress of Vienna suppressed nationalism and democracy.

The System of Metternich‘ that grew out of it openly supported
conservatism and reaction. It upheld the cause of dynastic
monarchies, aristocratic societies, the established Church and
traditionally accepted conventions.

In spite of all these shortcomings, the Congress of Vienna did

achieve considerable success. The problems faced by the
European statesmen following the revolutionary and Napoleonic
wars were manifold. Yet, the statesmen at Vienna, in a surprisingly
short time succeeded in settling their differences and reaching a
peace settlement which lasted longer than any other peace
settlement before or after.

Certain special provisions of the peace settlement at Vienna

reflected the humanitarianism of the eighteenth century. It included
a declaration favouring the abolition of the slave trade, arrangement
for free navigation and addition to international law.