The Congress of Vienna and its Legacy: War and Great Power Diplomacy After Napoleon

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.

Table of Contents:
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