The Congress of Vienna in 1814 to 1815 emphasized the significance of peace among nations. The convention of Europe’s powerful countries such as Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia implied that peace is tantamount among nations1. The Congress of Vienna raised critical issues as to whether peace should be the main focus before countries engage in war. Following the fall of Napoleon after 20 years of continuous war, a new order of politics in Europe was inevitable2. The need to include peace as a monumental concept in developing the European continent took precedence after the Congress of Vienna3.
Before the Congress of Vienna, most of the European countries were locked into frequent conflicts over conquered territories. To ensure that such conflicts were minimized, establishing peace among powerful European countries was necessary. However, members who participated in the Congress of Vienna viewed peace in a different manner. For example, the majority of the European countries still harbored resentment against France that was considered a hindrance to peace. In fact, many countries still experienced the negative impact of the French revolution, which distorted peace on the continent. In this context, contending the spread of the French revolution and preventing the occurrence of similar war was discussed as part of peace development4.
The Congress of Vienna resolved to adopt a policy that did not encourage the rewards and punishments of countries involved in the previous warfare. From this perspective, establishing a balance of power and settlement among allies and rivals involved in major conflicts became a necessity in peacebuilding. Moreover, the importance of peace was emphasized by including the perceived enemy in the Congress of Vienna. In this regard, France was invited to the Congress of Vienna to ensure the core principles of peace were achieved. In addition, involving France was integral in preventing revenge attacks in the future. The concept of peace was envisioned for the restoration of previous monarchies across Europe. Apparently, the French revolution had disrupted the political structures and systems across the continent.
In any case, considering peace first, before establishing any development among conflicting nations is a necessity. For example, the territorial settlement as a result of areas conquered by the European nations required a peaceful agreement. Moreover, the territorial settlement was to be implemented in stages, and this required patience since some countries tried to restart the war. Therefore, the idea of peace was tantamount in developing a peaceful continent. In addition, peace was instrumental in the signing of important treaties. In this context, the first treaty of Paris was signed under the guise of peace5. Therefore, this signifies why peace was an instrumental factor affecting the procedure and course of the Vienna Congress.
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Footnotes
1 Tim Chapman. Congress of Vienna: Origins, Processes, and Results (Florence, KY: Routledge, 1998), 1. Web.
2 Pradt. The Congress of Vienna (Colorado, CO: S. Leigh, 1816), 69. Web.
3 Capman, Congress of Vienna, 16.
4 Capman, Congress of Vienna, 2.
5 Ibid, 33.