Vienna, << vee EHN uh, >> Congress of, was a series of meetings held in late 1814 and early 1815 to settle the issues arising from almost 25 years of war between France and the rest of Europe. The congress decided how Europe would be ruled after the imminent defeat of the French emperor and military leader Napoleon I. The workable settlements made in Vienna, Austria, won credit for helping avoid any wide European conflict for 100 years afterward. See Napoleon I.
The chief decisions were made by representatives of the victorious Quadruple Alliance—Austria, Prussia, Russia, and the United Kingdom—and of France. The congress restored many European kings and princes who were forced from power by Napoleon or by forces associated with the French Revolution (1789-1799). See French Revolution . The restored rulers included the monarchs of Spain and of what is now southern Italy and the rulers of a number of states in Germany and northern Italy.
The congress also ratified several allied conquests. The United Kingdom retained a number of colonies it had seized during the fighting. Russia kept Finland and Bessarabia and won most of Poland. Austria and Prussia regained control of the remaining parts of Poland.
In addition, the congress attempted to limit the power of France by placing strong countries on France’s borders. For example, the congress created the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the northeastern border of France by joining together Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg. Prussia received German territories that bordered eastern France, and Austria gained major provinces in northern Italy.
The Congress of Vienna was bitterly criticized for many years because it ignored the strong democratic and nationalistic sentiments of many Europeans. These sentiments contributed to democratic revolutions in numerous European countries in 1830 and 1848 and to nationalistic movements in Germany and Italy. But some historians have praised the Congress of Vienna for creating a balance of power in Europe and for not treating defeated France too harshly.
