Chapter 21:
The Conservative Order and
the Challenges of Reform
Today…
• Review C of V and intro Ism’s
• Ism’s chart and Document readings
• Finish stuff from yesterday
Tomorrow  finish everything
THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
1814-1815
Purpose and Leading Members
• Reconstruct war-torn Europe after Napoleonic Wars
• Maintain balance of power
• Leaders
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•
•
•
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Prince Metternich (Austria)
Viscount Castlereagh (Britain)
Tsar Alexander I (Russia)
King Frederick William III (Prussia)
Prince Talleyrand (France)
Metternich
• Chief Minister of Austria
• Hated French Rev. ideals
• Directed Congress of Vienna toward
restoring Old Regimes
• Austrian desires • Security through balance of power
• Stop expansion of French, Prussians and Russians
• Stop liberalism & nationalism
• Swap Austrian Netherlands for northern Italy
First Treaty of Paris, 1814
1. Bourbons restored to the throne of France
(Louis XVIII)
2. France made to give up all of its
Conquests after 1792
3. France regained most of its overseas
colonies lost in the wars.
Louis XVIII
4. France was not required to pay war
restitutions
Second Treaty of Paris, 1815
1. Following Napoleon’s final defeat the Allies
imposed a more Severe settlement on France
2. France was reduced to the borders of 1790.
3. French required to pay an
Indemnity of 700 million francs to Allies.
4. Allies occupied 17 French forts for 5 years.
Europe after Congress of Vienna 1815
Quadruple Alliance
Nov. 20, 1815
• Metternich organized it with:
• Austria
• Prussia
• Russia
• Britain
France joined in 1818
Britain left in 1820
• Purposes
• Enforce Vienna settlements
• Suppress revolutions
• Called Concert of Europe
Holy Alliance
Sept. 26, 1815
• Tsar Alexander I organized it with most European
monarchs
• Well-meaning but ineffective
• ‘a loud sounding nothing’ (Metternich)
• ‘a piece of sublime mysticism and nonsense’ (Castlereagh)
• ‘members of one and the same Christian nation’ (Alexander I)
• Dormant Holy Alliance is often confused with
active Quadruple Alliance (Concert of Europe)
Balance of Power & Security
• Fate of France – prevent it from becoming too
powerful again
• Fate of Austrian Netherlands – joined w/ Dutch
Republic & strengthened to be a buffer
• Germany – Germanic Confederation created to
replace the Confederation of the Rhine
• Poland – new kingdom established, but under
control of Prussia, Austria, and mostly Russia
Winners
• Austria
• Dominated Italy & Germany
• Russia
• Dominated Poland
• Gained Finland (1808) & Bessarabia (1812)
• Prussia
• Gained Rhineland, parts of Poland, 60%
Saxony, Swedish Pomerania
• Britain
• Low Countries secure
• Abolition of slave trade
Major Settlements
• Principle of Legitimacy
• Legitimate rulers (monarchs) deposed by
Revolution or Napoleon were restored – to preserve
tradition
• Principle of Compensation
• Nations important to Napoleon’s defeat rewarded
with territory
• Winning nations gave up land but given other land
Major Settlements
•Denial of Democracy
• Political settlements denied people any voice in
selecting their rulers/governments
•Denial of Nationalism
• Groups denied independence
• Groups denied unity
• Russia and Austria were consigned many
different nationalities
THE METTERNICH SYSTEM
• The conservative political policies of
Metternich are referred to as the
Metternich system.
• This returned absolute rule to Europe,
enforced the decisions of the Congress of
Vienna, and specifically wanted to
prevent France from starting other wars.
• The Congress of Vienna was only partially
successful in returning Europe to the way
things were before.
The “ISM’s”
Political Spectrum
Reactionary
Return to previous conditions
Conservative
Maintain existing conditions
Liberal
Gradual, moderate changes
Radical
Rapid, basic changes
Conservatism
• Reaction against terror, violence, social
disorder unleashed by French Revolution
• Aggressive Middle Class is seen as the “new
tyranny”
• Carlsbad Decrees (1819) – required German
states to root out subversive ideas &
investigate & punish liberal organizations
LIBERALISM AND NATIONALISM
Revolts Against the Metternich System
Motivations
• Reformers steadfastly opposed autocracy
• Demanded:
• Democracy (liberalism)
• Independence (nationalism)
• People resorted to revolutions when
deprived of lawful means to attain goals
Liberalism
Characteristics:
• Liberty & individualism
• Freedom of Speech, Press, Assembly
• (Limited) Representative government
• Rights are inalienable, should be protected
by constitution
• Limited universal suffrage
Nationalism
Characteristics:
• Romantic sentiment
• Sovereignty belonged to the people
• Pride and a sense of nation came from like
peoples
Socialism
• System of economic equality planned by the
government
Characteristics:
• Economic planning by government
• Greater economic equality
• State regulation of property
Tasks:
• Read documents and complete questions
• Complete “isms” chart (use outline)
• Finish first semester review if needed (from Tuesday)
Reading Pacing suggestions
By …
1/8 – 705-716
1/12 – 716-734
1/14 – 743-755
1/15 – 755-764
1/16 – 764-775
1/23 – 781-792
1/27 – 792 – 812
2/5 – 815 - 824
2/9 – 824-841
2/12 – 842 - 850