The Congress of Vienna and its Legacy

In 1814 the five reigning dynasties of Europe, Alexander I of Russia and ministers such Metternich and Talleyrand, descended upon Vienna. The Vienna Congress marked one of the great turning points in diplomatic history; the first attempt to create an 'international order' to secure peace for the nineteenth century. The blueprint for modern-day global governance models such as the UN, it was a response to Napoleon's expansion across Europe, and sought to build upon the state systems he left behind whilst shoring up the privileges and power of Europe's elite. Here, Mark Jarrett argues that the Congress of Vienna in fact marked the beginning of the end for the Ancien Regime, yet, despite its disintegration following the suicide of Castlereagh, the 'congress system' has had an enormous influence up to the present day. The role of diplomacy as a means to conflict resolution, the workings of multi-lateralism and the emphasis on international organizations to guarantee national sovereignty were all long term by-products of the 'congress system'. A new synthesis of archival material, The Congress System is a fresh exploration of a key event in the history of International Relations and Diplomacy.

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