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Congress of Vienna Although it is difficult to judge whether the Congress of Vienna was a failure or success, Ill try to examine all its major achievements in order to make a conclusion. The Congress of Vienna took place in 1814 - 1815. It is generally known that the Congress laid the foundation of peaceful coexistence after destructive Napoleonic Wars. The Congress ended wars of coalitions of European countries with Napoleonic France. All European countries except of Turkey took part in the Congress. The main aims were: restoration of feudal regime that was eliminated during the times of Great French Revolution, restoration of a number of overthrown dynasties, struggle with revolutionary and national liberation movement, administration of firm guarantees that could prevent restoration of Bonaparte regime in France and attempts to conquer Europe (Kann 26), satisfaction of territorial claims of victors by way of repartition of Europe and European colonies, to mention a few.
The Congress gave birth to a number of contradictions and conflicts. England strived for trade and economic supremacy in Europe, strengthening of Prussia in contrast to France and Russia, to ring in France with a barrier of neighboring countries and to keep French and Dutch colonies. Austria made all efforts to prevent strengthening of Russia and Prussia and to assure Austrian hegemony in Germany. Desire to receive Saxony and strategically important Rein territories laid in the basis of Prussian policy. Yet, it contradicted to Austrian and French interests and, therefore, aroused numerous disagreements because France and Austria preferred to see Saxony as an independent land in capacity of buffer near Prussian borders. Russia, in its turn, wanted to create Polish government under Russian aegis (Nicolson 230).
England, Austria and France didnt like the idea and became close friends in opposition to Russia. However, despite all these conflicts, the countries managed to come to an agreement. For the first time in the history the Congress of Vienna developed a system of agreements regulated foreign affairs and fixed borders on European basis as an organic whole. It was followed by creation of the Holy Alliance and the Quadruple Alliance that managed to preserve this alignment of forces, maintaining peace and stability in Europe until 1830.
In such a way, we can come to conclusion that the Congress of Vienna was rather a success than failure because despite of some defects, the Congress solutions were very practical and almost the only possible adequate solutions to achieve a balance of power and to remake Europe after the downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte. Bibliography Kann, Robert A. A History of the Habsburg Empire, 1526 - 1918. University of California Press, 1980. Nicolson, Harold George. The Congress of Vienna: A study in allied unity, 1812 - 1822.
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