3. Background: The Congress of Vienna
Organized in 1814
Conference of Ambassadors (meeting informally between 1814 and June 1815)
England
Prussia
Austria
Russia
Goals
Organize a peace to bring stability to Europe (and ensure the maintenance of their own power)
Contain but not punish France
Who was left out?
Ottoman Empire
France
Forced back to borders of 1792
Loss of Netherlands
4. Background: The Congress of Vienna
Organized in 1814
Conference of Ambassadors (meeting informally between 1814 and June 1815)
England
Prussia
Austria
Russia
Goals
Organize a peace to bring stability to Europe (and ensure the maintenance of their own power)
Contain but not punish France
Who was left out?
Ottoman Empire
France
Forced back to borders of 1792
Loss of Netherlands
5. Balance of Power
Resize the ―Great Powers‖ so they could balance each other off and remain at peace.
Argument: if no one kingdom was more powerful than all the others, there would be peace.
Any kingdom that moved to grab more territory would be opposed by the rest.
Maintain the power of monarchs and aristocrats against liberals and nationalists.
System of Balance of Power created by Congress of Vienna lasted until outbreak of WWI in 1914
Leaders:
Klemens Wenzel Furst von Metternich- Austria
Viscount Castlereigh-England
Tsar Alexander I-Russia
Frederick Willhelm I –Prussia
Maurice de Tallyrand-France
Conservatives: maintain the status quo politically against liberalism and nationalism
6. Territorial Borders Set by Congress of
Vienna 1815
In central Europe, Germany and Italy remained
lose confederations of smaller principalities. The
Austrian Empire contained ethnic territories and
diverse cultures and languages. The Hapsburg
Dynasty was ruled by the Hapsburg emperor and
various ethnic princes. The biggest threats to
Hapsburg power were Nationalist movements in
these smaller territories which clamored for
independence.
The Ottoman and Russian empires also
contained many diverse ethnic territories where
nationalist independence movements might
erupt.
All of the great powers hoped to repress
nationalist movements for territorial
independence while at the same time
containing any other Great Power that moved to
gain additional territory and power.
7. The Holy Alliance
Russia, Austrian Empire and Prussia
Signed 26 September 1815
Alexander I primary architect
Purpose
Coalition of Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians
Protect Divine Right of Kings
Promote Christian values
Opposed
Britain
Ottomans
Papal States in Italy
Romantic propaganda designed to portray Ottoman Empire as a dangerous enemy against which peoples in
Russia, Austria and Prussia had to remain united: the Muslim Ottoman rulers repressed Christian minorities in the
Ottoman Empire.
Anti-Muslim sentiment was also used to repress Muslim minorities in the Russian and Austrian Empires
Caucasus Mountains: Chechnya, Dagestan
Balkan Peninsula: Bosnia, Herzegovina
8. Romantic politics: liberty, history, and nation
The Romantic uniqueness of cultures
Johann von Herder (1744–1803)
Civilization arises out of the Volk (common people), not elites
The Volkgeist—spirit or genius of the people
Brothers Grimm
Collected German folktales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rVy3RBJmNo
9. Romantic politics: liberty, history, and nation
Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
Dealt sympathetically with the experience of the common people
Les Miserables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOlKBX7BzpI
François de Chateaubriand (1768–1848)
Religious experiences of the national past are woven into the present
What is a ―Christian Nation‖ or ―Christian Kingdom‖?
Against what is the Christianity of the nation opposed?
Jews, Muslims, Socialists, Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic; Protestant vs. Roman Catholic;
Accent on religious emotion, feeling, and subjectivity
―Christianity is under attack and must be preserved‖
God blesses the ―Christian‖ kingdom or nation
10. The Decline of Ottoman Power and
International Relations
The Crimean War (1853-1856)
Russia invaded Ottoman territories of Moldavia and Walachia (Romania) to protect Russian Orthodox
Christians from Catholics (Issue: who would be supreme Christian authority in Ottoman Empire provinces of
Moldavia and Walachia?).
France, Britain, Ottoman Empire, Sardinia opposed Russia
Austria remained neutral but garrisoned its troops which helped Britain, France and Ottomans
Russia gained upper hand by sinking Ottoman fleet at Sinope
Photo of Ottoman Era postcard of Sinope
by Tsolag K. Dildilian (2010)
11. Moldavia and Walachia
Moldavia & Walachia: Modern
Romania
Provinces of Ottoman Empire in 1853
Also claimed by Ukraine in 16h and
17th centuries.
12. Background
Crimea was a disputed region throughout the 15-20 centuries
Claimants and rulers included Kossaks (Ukraine), Poland, Russia, Ottoman Turks
Right Bank Ukraine
Closer ties to Europe
Left Bank Ukraine
Closer ties to Russia
13. Importance of Crimea to Russia
Strategic location on the Black Sea
Essential to Russian access to a warm water port
14. Russia and Sevastopol
Russia held Sevastopol (where its fleet was harbored) for one year
Russia temporarily lost Sevastopol and had to scuttle most of its fleet there.
Treaty of Paris (March 31, 1856)
Russia returned Moldavia and Wallachia to Ottomans
Control of Sevastopol and Balaclava returned to Russia
Tsar and Sultan agree not to create naval or military arsenals along Black Sea Coast
Treaty of Paris ended in 1871 with French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and Britain could not
enforce the treaty alone.
Russia established military bases in Black Sea
Impact of history on modern Russo- Ukraine conflict?
