VIENNA, TREATIES, ETC., OF. This capital, from its central position, and from the prominent part which Austria has always taken in the wars of modern Europe, has been oftener selected than any other city (Paris perhaps excepted) as the meeting-p.ace of the representatives of the various European nations. The first treaty of Vienna (April 30, 1725) was a mutual guaranty of their dominions by the emperor Charles VI. and Philip V. of Spain; besides which, the former agreed to aid in the recovery of Gibraltar from Britain, and to aid the pretender in supplanting George I., in consideration of the ;atter guaranteeing the pragmatic sanction. The second treaty (Mar. 16, 1731) was a joint guaranty of the pragmatic sanction by George II. of Britain' and the states of Holland. The third (Nov. 18, 1738) was a similar guaranty by Louis XV. of France in consideration of the reversion of Lorraine and Bar (to be given meantime to Stanislas, the of Poland), as well as a settlement of the Polish succession dispute, and a re-arrangement of the possessions of Austria, Spain, and Sardinia, in Italy. The fourth treaty (Oct. 14, 1809) was concluded between France and Austria, after the battle of Wagram, and the armistice of Znaim, by which the latter agreed to resign some districts on the western border of the archduchy to Bavaria; Goritz, Friuli, Trieste, Carniola, and parts of Croatia, Carinthia, and Dalmatia, to France, these provinces to be formed into the government-general of Illyria; some districts of upper Lusatia to the king of Saxony; western Galicia, with Cracow and Zamocz, and a share in the salt mines of Wielicza, to the grand duchy of Warsaw; and the eastern, corner of Galicia to Russia; a total loss to Austria of 58.170 sq.m., with a pop. of 3,500,000, and all her sea-ports.
The next, and by far the most important meeting of the representatives of European. nations, was the congress of Vienna, which was held here after the first treaty of Paris, for the general settlement of the affairs of Europe. The congress, which first met on. Sept. 30'7. 1814, was composed of the czar Alexander I., of Russia, with count Nes selrode ; the king of Prussia, with Hardenberg; lord Castlereagh, and afterward the duke of Wellington, as representatives of Britain; prince Metternich for Austria; count Talleyrand for France; as well as representatives of Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Rome, Germany, and all the other minor powers, who were interested personally in the delibera tions; the total number of those who assisted at the congress being about 500. But the representatives of the minor states, who had expected a species of European parliament, to which all would be admitted, were sadly disappointed by the preliminary resolution. of the great powers to constitute two committees, one of which would deliberate on the affairs of Germany; and the other, composed only of the representatives of Austria, Prus sia, Russia and Britain, would discuss the affairs of Europe generally, decide respecting the partition of the conquered districts (formerly belonging to France and her allies), and the frontier of each European sovereignty. To this latter council, Talleyrand, by the influence of Castlereagh, who early saw the necessity of a counterpoise to the influence of Russia and her follower, Prussia, in the conferences, was admitted (Oct. 5); and three days after, it was increased by the representatives of Spain, Sweden, and Portu gal. The first resolution of the European committee, to rearrange Europe so as to leave the parties directly interested nothing more to do than give their adhesion to the arrange ments made for them, being an arrogation of sovereignty over all Europe, was loudly exclaimed against; but the congress was one of rulers and their representatives, and not of the nations and their representatives, so the indignant clamor which rose on all sides was quite unheeded. The points which were at once and unanimously settled were—
the constitution o Belgium and Holland into one kingdom (the kingdom of the Nether lands); the annexation of Norway to Sweden; the restoration of Hanover, with a large slice of Westphalia, to the king of Great Britain; of Lombardy to Austria; and of Savoy to Piedmont. But the question as to the disposal of Poland, Saxony, and Geuot, were not so easily settled. Russia and Prussia, overweeningly vain of the prominent share they had had in crushing Napoleon, were bent on aggrandizement of the most extravagant sort; the former loudly insisting on obtaining the whole of the grand duchy of Warsaw (see POLAND); while nothing less than the whole of Saxony, and some of the trans-Rhenish provinces of Westphalia would satisfy the latter; and both significantly hinted at the proximity of their colossal armies, with the view of awing the other powers into compliance. But Castlereagh was not the man to be so influenced; and while steadily refusing to yield an iota to such preposterous pretensions, he joined with Metternich and Talleyrand in a secret treaty, offensive and defensive, Feb. 3, 1815; which was cordially acceded to by Hanover, Sardinia, Holland, and Bavaria. The news of this agreement soon leaked out, and produced a considerable modification in the preten sions of the northern powers. At last it was agreed that Prussia should obtain a portion of Saxony (now Prussian Saxony), Posen, Cleves, Berg, the greater part of the left bank of the Rhine as far as the Saar, and Swedish -Pomerania; and cede East Friesland, Hildesheim, etc., to Hanover, Anspach and Baireuth to Bavaria, and Lauenburg to Den mark; while with the exception of Posen, Thorn, and those parts of the &and duchy which had been (1809) taken from Austria, Poland was to be erected into a kingdom separate from Russia, but under the rule of the czar. Austria recovered the cessions which she was forced to make in 1809, obtaining also the Valteline from Switzerland, and the establishment of collateral Hapsburg lines in Tuscany and Piombino; while Maria Louisa obtained Parma. The pope was replaced in his former position as a tem poral sovereign; the ancient constitution of Switzerland re-established; and Genoa— despite the strongly expressed aversion of its inhabitants—incorporated with Sardinia. The news of Napoleon's return from Elba somewhat hurried the conclusion of these multifarious arrangements, yet the negotiations were not interrupted; Metternieh's scheme for a new confederation of the German states (the same which has continued till 1866) was unanimously agreed to, the question of mutual indemnities, rectifications of frontier, etc., being subsequently settled (July 20, 1819) at Frankfurt, by a territorial commission composed of representatives of the four great powers. The questions of the slave trade and of the free navigation of the Rhine and its tributaries, were brought up by England, and also satisfactorily settled. Finally, a formal treaty (the fifth treaty of Vienna) was drawn up and signed, June 9, 1815. /