The Congress of Vienna and Its Legacy: War and Great Power Diplomacy after Napoleon

by Mark Jarrett

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 - Castlereagh, Metternich, Talleyrand, Hardenberg and Emperor Alexander of Russia. 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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, European History, 19th Century

522 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 2007

Reviews

[Cold War Conversations Podcast · Rating 4 out of 5]

The remarkable 19th Century attempt at a United Nations equivalent.

To be honest my knowledge of this period is a bit hazy and I really wasn’t aware of this 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.

Jarrett’s volume is both copious and impressively researched. He lays the ground that led up to the Congress with the wars of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte’s wars for empire from 1801 and 1805, then recounts how his enemies finally came together to defeat him.

A complicated story then follows of diplomacy and interventions from 1815 to 1825 which Jarrett details very clearly finishing with the establishment of a Greek monarchy and a separate Belgian kingdom.

Where I found it particularly strong was in its allusions to present-day events, making the distant early days of the 19th century much easier to understand.

Well worth a look if you want to understand the political aftermath of Waterloo in its 200th anniversary year.

[Cedric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was written in February 2025. I later noticed that I posted it on the wrong book !!

The Congress of Vienna is a series of diplomatic meetings held after the defeat of Napoleon (1815). Deeply exhausted from the Napoleonic wars, the victorious European monarchs were prepared to collaborate in a new world order. Politics at the Congress of Vienna (and other ambassadorial conferences which soon followed) had the primary purpose of containing the liberal revolutions which threatened absolute monarchies and the ruling aristocracy.

The book starts with the historical context required to understand the events of this period. As someone who is not a historian or a history student, I found this part helpful. Historical background is provided for many nations. Additionally, some important events such as the first partition of Poland (1772), the French Revolution (1789) and the Napoleonic wars (1799-1815) have their own sections.

Short biographies of the key players are provided. This includes Talleyrand (France), Metternich (Austria), Hardenberg (Prussia), Castlereagh (United Kingdom) and Alexander I (Russia).

"The Final Act", the main document containing all the separate treaties finalizing the peace in Europe is discussed in depth. This part mostly revolves around the Polish-Saxon question which is a territorial dispute. Jewish emancipation, slavery and nationalism in the German states are also discussed. However, I was more interested in the subsequent diplomatic meetings which attempted to suppress the revolutions.

While the Pentarchy (United Kingdom, France, Austria, Russia, Prussia) agreed that the revolutionary ideologies needed to be suppressed, they never fully agreed on how to implement their new world order. This became evident when revolutions started appearing in Spain, Portugal, Naples and Piedmont where the people created constitutions severely limiting the power of their monarchs.

Fearing that these revolutions would spread, many Great Powers had different solutions:

Alexander I of Russia believed that a multi-national continental army was required to intervene in order to restore a king's legitimate authority after a revolution. It is to note that the book highlights Alexander's vacillating views.

Metternich, in service to the Austrian Empire feared Russia as the most powerful Great Power. His policies were designed to restrain the Tsar and intervene only when it suited Austria's interest.

Castlereagh, foreign minister of the United Kingdom, secretly approved of the Pentarchy suppressing revolutions, but was paralyzed by the Parliament back home. For the most part, the United Kingdom was against intervention due to commercial interests at stake.

Montmorency, a French statesman belligerent to Spain's revolution wanted to restore France's glory through military intervention. This view was not shared by France's Prime Minister Villèle which unwillingly intervened in Spain.

These diverging views and the later deaths of many of these statesmen lead to the collapse of the international system spawned at the Congress of Vienna. Interestingly, after the next two major wars in Europe, similar attempts at diplomacy were created: The League of Nations following WW1 and the United Nations after WW2.

The book is meticulously referenced, well-written and completely covers the Congress of Vienna from the historical context to the aftermath. For the most part, it was an engaging read with some dull moments here and there. I would recommend it to anyone interested in this underappreciated time period.

[Peter A. van Tilburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book. Jarrett offers a very readable book which is easy accessible. The history of the congress is told starting with the years foregoing which places the congress well in its time. The congress itself is very detailed described but is not lost in detail. Each topic e.g. the Polish question is dealt with overlooking all relevant details and then the next topic is chosen. This worked good for me you hop in time for each topic bur this choice makes the issues per topic very clear. The viewpoint from every major participant are well described personal as well as from the point ov view of the country which he represents. Even private life details every now and then pop up. The reasons behind the final ‘fall’ of the Congress system are well described and even lines have been set to the current international organizations. Very worth while.

[Gio · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Congress Of Vienna And Its Legacy: War And Great Power Diplomacy After Napoleon By Mark Jarrett minutely and exhaustively describes the events that have summoned the Congress, the decisions taken there, and how they have affected the world ever since. Informative and insightful, the book is written in an engaging style that won't bore you.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bangers, enough said

Lock in to read this

[WILLEMSENS · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best grandiose book on this event!!!!!!!!!
This book can NEVER be superseeded by another author!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is a book that thrills you from the first page to the last;it needs time to read and reread because the author shows different points of view according the viewpoints of the different players in various moments of their lives and allow many others to infere in their thougts.
MAGISTERIAL

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly well-researched look at the aftermath of Napoleon.