The congress of vienna

1. The Congress of Vienna
This congress began in 1814, as a consequence of a clause of the Treaty of Paris (1814),
which provided for a European congress to be convened to redefine an order of the
Continent, following several wars unleashed by Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon is
finally defeated in the Battle of Waterloo and is exiled, later Louis XVIII is acclaimed
King. The countries that participated were: * Austria * England * Prussia * Russia *
France, Spain, Portugal and Sweden. Just as procedural processes were decided
together. The main substantives were dealt with in the Petit Committee by the big four -
soon after the Pentarquia, formed by Austria, Russia, Prussia, England and, later,
France. Talleyrand's negotiating talent ('Surtout pas trôp de zêle'), giving rise to a well-
known Pentarquia, where decisions are taken as the main ones, which will call into
question the principle of equality of states. Subsequently all are admitted to the
negotiating table, but the Pentarquia continues to dominate. The initiatives have turned
to the future: the principle of balance of powers It will give rise to the European
Concert, a conference system that brings together the countries present at the Vienna
Congress for the work plan. It could be said that it was a system of collective security. *
Principle of nationalities - control of the romantic movement, apologist of the criteria of
race and language and nationalist origin; * Condemnation of the slave trade - proposal
of Great Britain, which marked a whole British foreign policy. This proposal was to be
enabled with ex-colonies of South America in order to control their economies.
Abolition came only later; * Creation of the first international organizations -
Commission of the Rivers and Danube that regulate the navigation of the rivers that
have become international tornados; (European Concert). * Creation of the Holy
Alliance - a conservative alliance between Russia, Russia and Prussia that wanted to
return to the status quo, erase the legacy of the Revolution and detect and suppress any
revolutionary outbreak. This alliance is a counter-strategy and aims at the restoration of
a French monarchy. Innovations in the diplomatic practices of the Congress: *
Formation of committees of technical character, where all participated (more flexibility
with respect to Westphalia). * Abolition of the figure of the mediator (although
Metternich and Talleyrand have a central statue). * Granting to the principle of State
sovereignty. * Territorial adjustments: * Switzerland becomes the Swiss Confederation;
* Portugal loses Olivença and Guyana but recovers the Spaniards Santa Catarina and
Rio Grande do Sul; * France cedes territories to the English - Cape colony and
Seychelles; Territories in Prussia (on the left bank of the Rhine); * Creation of the
German Confederation (Austrian Presidency).