Short Essay on the Representatives Nations at the Vienna Congress after Napoleon

The Vienna Congress is considered to be an important diplomatic gathering in which all the powers were represented except Turkey. Prominent rulers, famous statesmen, able diplomats and politicians, generals and eminent scholars of almost all the countries of Europe came to participate in the conference. In the words of C. D. Hazen:

“Never before had there been seen such an assemblage of celebrities. There were the emperors of Austria and Russia, the kings of Prussia, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Denmark, a multitude of lesser princes, and all the diplomats of Europe, of whom Metternich and Talleyrand were the most conspicuous.”

The representatives who influenced most the decisions of the Congress were as under:

Austria :

Austria was represented by the emperor Francis I and its able chancellor, Metternich. As the Congress was convened in the capital of Austria, Francis I spent £ 8, 00,000 on the entertainment of the guests.

Metternich was appointed the Convener of the Congress. He was an able diplomat and the greatest reactionary of his age. The decisions of the Vienna Congress were most influenced by the political ideology of Metternich.

Russia :

Czar Alexander I, the emperor of Russia, along with his ministers, participated in the Vienna Congress.

According to Hazen, “The most powerful monarch at Vienna was Alexander I, emperor of Russia, who, ever since Napoleon’s disastrous invasion of Russia, had loomed large as a liberator of Europe.”

He called himself as the victor of the victor (Napoleon Bonaparte). He, therefore, felt that he should be given his reward.

Prussia :

Frederick William III, the King of Prussia and his minister Hardenberg came to take part in the Congress. Hardenberg was assisted by a specialist named Humboldt.

The delegates of Prussia believed in militarism and extremism. They fixed their attention upon the rich kingdom of Saxony to the south. They wanted to make Prussia a powerful state in Europe.

England :

Lord Castlereagh and the Duke of Wellington were the delegates of England. Lord Castlereagh kept in his mind the colonial interest of his country. England was the most persistent enemy of Napoleon and, therefore, the British delegates were very much eager to find compensation in the form of some new colonies.

Besides this, Lord Castlereagh also played a decisive role in the scheme of reconstruction and regeneration of the political system of Europe.

France:

The delegate of France was Talleyrand. He was a conspicuous diplomat. He took full advantage of the mutual jealousy of the allies. It was due to the able diplomacy of Talleyrand that France, as a result of the changes introduced in the Vienna Congress, was in no way less powerful than any other European power at that time.

Besides the above/many other delegates of almost all the countries of Europe came to participate in the Congress. Cardinal Salvi was the delegate of Rome. In the same way, the representatives of Denmark, Sweden, Bavaria, and Wurttemberg also came to attend this Congress. As regards the nature of the Vienna Congress, an eminent historian remarks:

“The Congress of Vienna was one of the most important diplomatic gatherings in the history of Europe by reason of the number, variety and gravity of the questions presented and settled. The brilliancy of its membership was remarkable even for an age accustomed to the theatrical diplomacy of Napoleon.”