Congress of 1814-1815 Vienna

Meanwhile the work of the congress proceeded without the sanction of the main body of plenipotentiaries. The "four" dis cussed the main territorial problems informally amongst them selves. The "eight" assumed the formal direction of the congress; a committee of German states met to draw up a constitution for Germany, and a special committee on Switzerland was appointed by the "four." Talleyrand was thus excluded from the main work of the congress, but his protests on behalf of the smaller Powers grew fainter as he realised that the "four" were not in agreement, Castlereagh and Metternich gradually won his confidence and at last insisted on France being admitted to the "four." The "four" thus became the "five" and it was this committee of five which was the real Congress of Vienna. Between Jan. 7 and Feb. 13 it settled the frontiers of all territories north of the Alps and laid the foundations for the settlement of Italy. In this it was much assisted by a statistical committee which Castlereagh had pro posed. Meanwhile the committee of "eight" dealt with more general matters. The congress as a representative body of all Europe never met.

Poland and Saxony.

The great difficulty which nearly pro duced war was the disposition of Poland and Saxony. By treaties signed in 1813 Alexander had promised that the sovereigns of Prussia and Austria should rule over as many subjects as they had done before they were reduced in size by Napoleon. He had also promised that the duchy of Warsaw, which Napoleon had con stituted out of the Prussian and Austrian shares of the Polish partitions, should be divided between the three Powers. After the battle of Leipzig, however, he claimed practically all Poland for Russia, and suggested that Austria could find compensation in Italy, and Prussia by annexing all Saxony, whose king had been the most faithful of Napoleon's vassals. In this plan he was moved by a sincere wish to give the Poles an opportunity for the ex pression of their nationality; but, of course, he intended to keep Russian sovereignty over all Poland. Metternich was much alarmed, and Hardenberg, while very desirous of Saxony, was not anxious to see Russia's frontier extended so far. Castlereagh was also, as a true disciple of Pitt, afraid of Russian expansion. Ac cordingly Castlereagh encouraged Austria to agree to the sacrifice of Saxony to Prussia so that the three Powers could oppose Russia's demands on Poland. With great difficulty he eventually succeeded in so doing, carrying on himself meanwhile an exceed ingly frank controversy with Alexander. But the plan, which included an offer of constituting an entirely independent Poland, which it was known Alexander must reject, failed because Fred erick William III., who was grateful to the tsar for his help in the overthrow of Napoleon, refused to support Hardenberg when the crisis came. Metternich and Hardenberg were, therefore, es tranged, and the former withdrew his consent to Prussia's ab sorption of all Saxony. Prussia then went altogether on to Russia's side, and a complete deadlock resulted.

Castlereagh's Diplomacy.

Castlereagh had been much cha

grined at the failure of his first plan. Moreover, his cabinet were alarmed at his activity in European matters, and he was warned against going too far. The difficult negotiations with the United States, with whom Britain was still at war, also made caution necessary. Nevertheless, Castlereagh saw that if a European war broke out both France and Britain would certainly be involved before it was over. He had already prepared the way with Talley rand, and in December both he and Metternich promised Talley rand that the Bourbon house should be re-established in Naples instead of Murat. Secure of Talleyrand's support they insisted that France should be admitted to the committee of the "four." When Hardenberg threatened war, Castlereagh drew up a secret treaty of defensive alliance which Talleyrand and Metternich signed on Jan. 3, 1815. For a few days the issue was doubtful, but the tsar, who had already obtained most of Russia's demands, inclined to peace, and eventually Prussia gave way. With Castle reagh acting as mediator, a compromise was arranged on the question of Saxony, and then the rest of the territorial settlement was comparatively easy, especially as Castlereagh reduced the demands of both Hanover and the Netherlands, whose policy was ultimately controlled by Britain.

Decisions of the Congress.—Alexander gave back Galicia to Austria, Thorn and a region round it to Prussia, while Cracow was made a free town. The rest of the duchy of Warsaw was incorporated as a separate kingdom under the tsar's sovereignty. Prussia got two-fifths of Saxony, and was compensated by ex tensive additions in Westphalia and on the left bank of the Rhine. It was Castlereagh who insisted on her accepting this latter terri tory, with which it was suggested the king of Saxony should be compensated, for he wanted Prussia to guard the Rhine against France and act as a buttress to the new kingdom of the Nether lands, which Holland had formed by incorporating Belgium. Austria was compensated by Lombardy and Venice. She also got back most of the Tyrol. The South German States on the whole did well. Hanover was also enlarged. The outline of a con stitution, a loose confederation, was drawn up for Germany. It was a triumph for Metternich and a defeat for Stein. Denmark lost Norway to Sweden but got Lauenberg, while Swedish Pom erania went to Prussia. In Italy, Piedmont absorbed Genoa; Tuscany and Modena went to an Austrian archduke ; Parma was given to Marie Louise, though the young Napoleon's claims to succeed failed to win British and French approval. The papal territory was restored to the pope. Murat's fate was decided even before his rash attempt after Napoleon's return from Elba, and the Sicilian Bourbons restored to Naples. Switzerland was given a new constitution. Valuable articles were included on the free navigation of international rivers and diplomatic precedence. (See DIPLOMACY.) Castlereagh's great efforts on behalf of the abolition of the slave trade were only rewarded by a pious declaration.