Bourgeois, revolutionary, and rebellious, the XIX century in Europe was a period of intense change; in it, the political and social structure of the continent was fundamentally altered. However, a number of efforts to ‘restore’ the situation in Europe were made; among them is the most considerable one of the Congress in Vienna that took place during the period from September 1814 to June 1815. The objectives of this congress were to establish a stable situation in Europe by means of reallocation of the borders in it. In the following paper, the main consequences of the Congress in Vienna will be addressed including the way liberalism and nationalism were challenged in Europe.
In September 1814, diplomats from every part of Europe assembled in Vienna. There were present not only the accredited of the European Powers but also an extraordinarily large number of sovereigns of Europe. The settlements of the questions that came up in connection with the disturbed (after Napoleon’s wars) territories involved the main players of Europe (Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Russia) in a long and bitter controversy. In a heated debate among the key diplomats, the newly-appeared as a result of the French Revolution values such as liberalism and nationalism were challenged. The heads of the principal states did not agree to change the political foundations of Europe, and monarchism continued to be supported as the main concept of the existence of Europe. The same conclusions were made regarding nationalism. It was considered irrelevant, and all the longings of nations such as Greek and Romanians to gain independence were severely suppressed. All in all, after the Congress in Vienna, a fragile system of political and social order appeared. It was called the “European Concert” due to its origin from the musical capital of Europe. However, this system could not exist for long because of absolutely new concepts of economy and politics that started developing in the world.
Not all the representatives of political powers in Europe agreed with the results of the Congress in Vienna, and the ‘restoration’. Thus, in a number of lands tumults continued to be considerable. Among these lands were Russia and Greece. In 1825, the Decembrist revolt took place in Russia. The rebels aimed to dethrone the emperor. Although their efforts appeared to be unsuccessful, and they were severely punished, the consequences of these actions for Russia were still significant. The idea of liberalism that came from France firmly settled in the minds and hearts of the Russian people, and they were looking for ways to realize it. Greece was also among the territories where people were not satisfied with the results of the Congress in Vienna. Greek revolutionaries began their active efforts to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821. By 1832, with assistance from a row of influential states such as Russia, France, and the United Kingdom, Greek people managed to acquire their independence. The events that took place in Greece became one more proof that the ‘restoration’ in Europe that was a result of the decisions adopted during the Congress in Vienna was a fragile and transient phenomenon.
In conclusion, The Congress in Vienna, which took place in 1814 and 1815 after the fall of Napoleon’s France, aimed to ‘restore’ Europe. Although it met the expectations of the major players in Europe and caused a period of ‘restoration’ in it called the “Concert of Europe”, it did not have lasting consequences as liberal and nationalist endeavors had already been too strong.