Congress of Vienna

This past week in class, we’ve been discussing the Congress of Vienna, which was the gathering of European rulers to decide what to do with territories after Napoleon was no longer in charge. As a class, we were to answer the question “What should people in power do when their power is threatened?”, using the notes taken in class as well as the documents given to us about what the European rulers sought to accomplish, and also an interactive map to show how they changed the boundary lines.

The European rulers who attended the conference didn't have the interest of their people in mind while they made changes in their varying governments, they cared more about regaining and maintaining the money and power they were raised with. During the congress, they even had Beethoven compose an eleven minute symphony for them. One of the of the attendees’ reactions to the new opportunity of power was The Holy Alliance. It was Initiated by Czar Alexander of Russia, and suggested that monarchs had divine right to rule as they did before Napoleon’s conquest. Also, any revolution was treason against God, and those who participated were punished severely. England is one of the few, if not only country that did not take part. This would ensure that the people would rarely, if not ever revolt against the monarchy. The Congress of Vienna resulted in each of the European countries, besides France, regaining their territory and in most cases even gained land.

I think that with the history of European revolts, the Congress should have given a little more freedom and choice to the people. Had I been a member of the congress, I would have suggested a democracy but would have settled for anything besides divine monarchy. The people need more freedom and opportunity, which they would never get under the rule of a divine monarch.