The Congress of Vienna and its Legacy

Two centuries ago, Europe emerged from one of the greatest crises in its history. In September 1814, the rulers of Europe and their ministers descended upon Vienna to reconstruct Europe after two decades of revolution and war, with the major decisions made by the statesmen of the great powers. The territorial reconstruction of Europe, however, is only a part of this story. It was followed, in the years 1815 to 1822, by a bold experiment in international cooperation and counter-revolution, known as the 'Congress System'. The Congress of Vienna and subsequent Congresses constituted a major turning point - the first genuine attempt to forge an 'international order', to bring long-term peace to a troubled Europe, and to control the pace of political change through international supervision and intervention. In this book, Mark Jarrett argues that the decade of the European Congresses in fact marked the beginning of our modern era, with a profound impact upon the course of subsequent developments. Based upon extensive research, this book provides a fresh look at a pivotal but often neglected period.

Mark Jarrett gained his PhD in History from Stanford University and has had a long career as a lawyer.

PREFACE
PART ONE: WAR
THE EUROPEAN STATE SYSTEM AND THE NAPOLEONIC WARS
The European State System of the Eighteenth Century
The Challenge of the French Revolution
The Rise of Napoleon
The Birth of the Napoleonic Empire and the War of the Third Coalition
The Napoleonic Empire at its Height
The Plans of Czartoryski and Pitt for the Reconstruction of Europe
2. THE COLLAPSE OF THE NAPOLEONIC EMPIRE, 1812-1814
Napoleon's Invasion of Russia and the Fourth Coalition
Castlereagh's Mission to the Continent
Negotiations at Châtillon
The Treaty of Chaumont
The Bourbon Restoration
The First Peace of Paris
PART TWO: PEACE
3. THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA, 1814-1815
The Decision to Convene a Congress
Preliminary Negotiations in Paris and London
The Characters of the Statesmen
Diplomatic Aims on the Eve of the Congress
The Procedural Question
The Social Life of the Congress
The Polish Question and Alexander's Diplomatic Triumph
The Saxon Question and the Secret Treaty of 3 January 1815
The Other Questions at the Congress
The Question of a General Guarantee
Assessments of the Settlement
4. THE BIRTH OF THE CONGRESS SYSTEM, 1815-1818
The Hundred Days
The Second Peace of Paris and the Quadruple Alliance
The Holy Alliance
The Allied Occupation of France
The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle
PART THREE: DIPLOMACY
5. THE ALLIANCE IN OPERATION, 1819-1820
Central Europe and the Carlsbad Decrees
Peterloo and the Six Acts
The Revolution in Spain and Castlereagh's State Paper of 5 May 1820
The Neapolitan Revolution and Metternich's Dilemma
6. RIFT AND REUNION, 1820