VIENNA, Congress of, a congress of powers assembled after the first overthrow of Napoleon to reorganize the political system of Europe, disturbed by the conquests of France. The congress assembled on 1 Nov. 1814. The principal powers represented in it were Austria, Russia, Prussia, England and France. Spain, Portugal, Sweden and other minor powers were also consulted on matters more nearly concern ing them. The emperors of Austria and Russia, the king of Prussia and many other German princes were present in_person. The leading territorial adjustments effected by the congress were the following: Austria recovered Lom bardy and Venetia, while Tuscany and Modena were conferred on collateral brandies of the imperial house. The Infanta Maria Louisa, queen of Etruria, received the duchy of Lucca zn exchange for Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, which were 'given with the title of empress to voL. 28 — 6 Maria Louisa, ex-empress of France. The le gations, Benevento and Polite Corvo, were re storcd to the Pope. The king of Sardinia re covered Piedmont and Savoy, with the addition of Genoa. Murat retained Naples. Holland and Belgium were erected into a kingdom for the Prince of Orange, William I. Hanover, with the title of king, returned to the king of England, and the Ionian Isles were as a republic placed under the protectorate of Great Britain, which also retained Malta, Heligoland and sev eral conquered colonies. A federative consti
tution, with a diet at Frankfort, was established for Germany. The kings of Denmark and the Netherlands were admitted in virtue of their German possessions to the diet. Bavaria was reinstated in her Palatine possessions with Wiirzburg, Aschaffenburg and Rhenish Ba varia, in return for her restorations to Austria. The demands of Prussia caused a dispute which nearly broke up the congress, but she was finally satisfied with the duchy of Posen, the Rhine Province and a part of Saxony. The con gress was suddenly broken up by the restoration of Napoleon; but its acts were signed by the powers interested on 9 June 1815.
The Congress of Vienna showed a disposi tion also to interfere in American affairs, and an attempt was made to introduce monarchy in the South American countries then engaged in liberating themselves from the Spanish yoke, by the establishment of a French prince as sov ereign over the Argentine provinces. The peo ple of Argentina rejected the proposition. These and other meditated European aggres sions, encouraged by the hostile attitude toward republican institutions of most of the powers represented at Vienna, led to the declaration of principle known as the Monroe Doctrine, which for.a time put a quietus on monarchical plots against American republics. Consult Hazen, 'Europe Since 1815' (New York 1910).