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What is the Concert of Europe?

The Concert of Europe describes the geopolitical world order centered around Europe from 1814-1914, revolving around the new Congress system. The Concert of Europe is typically explained in two distinct phases: the first from 1814 to the early 1860s, and the second from the 1880s to 1914. The final failure of the Concert of Europe in 1914 culminated in the first World War, and was driven by various factors including rival alliances and the rise of nationalism. Remnants of this Congress-centered ideology can be seen in the following League of Nations and today's United Nations, all their own distinct examples of attempts at international cooperation and diplomacy.

Member States

Starting in 1814-1815 with the Congress of Vienna - which marked the beginning of the Concert of Europe - there were five Member States who partook in the Congress: Austria, Great Britain, France, Prussia, and Russia. The Ottoman Empire was later admitted to the Concert of Europe in 1856 with the Treaty of Paris.

Congresses

Delegates at the Congress of Vienna

1814 Congress of Vienna

The Concert of Europe began with the 1814-1815 Congress of Vienna, which was designed to bring together the "major powers" of the time in order to stabilize the geopolitics of Europe after the defeat of Napoleon in 1813-1814, and contain France's power after the war following the French Revolution. The Congress of Vienna took place from November 1814 to June 1815 in Vienna, Austria, and brought together representatives from over 200 European polities. The Congress of Vienna created a new international world order which was based on two main ideologies: restoring and safeguarding power balancing in Europe; and collective responsibility for peace and stability in Europe among the "great powers".

1818 Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle

The 1818 Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle formed the Quintuple Alliance by adding France to the Quadruple Alliance, which had comprised of Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia. The ability for this to happen was given by Article V of the Quadruple Alliance, and resulted in ending the occupation of France.

1820 Congress of Troppau

The 1820 Congress of Troppau was held in Troppau, Austria by the Great Powers of the Quintuple Alliance (Russia, Prussia, Austria, France, and Great Britain) to discuss and put down the Napoleonic Revolution in Naples that caused King Ferdinand I to agree to a constitutional monarchy - which was seen by Prussia and Austria as a threat of liberalism. Other powers present at this Congress include Spain, Naples, and Sicily. At this Congress, the Troppau Protocol was signed, which stated that if States which have undergone a change of government due to a revolution threaten other States, then they are ipso facto no longer members of the European Alliance if their exclusion will help to maintain legal order and stability. Furthermore, the Powers of the Alliance would also be bound to peacefully or by means of war bring the excluded State back into the Alliance.

1821 Congress of Laibach

The 1821 Congress of Laibach took place in Laibach, Slovenia, between the powers of the Holy Alliance (Russia, Prussia, and Austria) in order to discuss the Austrian invasion and occupation of Naples in order to put down the Napoleonic Revolution. Other powers present at this Congress include Naples, Sicily, Great Britain, and France. The Congress of Laibach represented beginning tensions within the Concert of Europe, between the Eastern powers of Russia, Prussia, and Austria, versus the Western powers of Britain and France.

1822 Congress of Verona

The 1822 Congress of Verona took place in Verona, Italy, between the powers of the Quintuple Alliance (Russia, Prussia, Austria, France, and Great Britain), along with Spain, Sicily, and Naples. This Congress dealt with the question of Spanish revolution of 1820; Russia, Prussia, and Austria agreed to support France's planned intervention in Spain, while Great Britain opposed it. This Congress also looked to deal with the Greek revolution against Turkey, but due to the opposition of Great Britain and Austria to Russian intervention in the Balkans, the Congress of Verona did not end up working on this issue.

1878 Congress of Berlin

http://www.historydiscussion.net/world-history/europe/history-of-the-concert-of-europe-1815-22-world-history/1426

https://www.britannica.com/topic/diplomacy/The-Concert-of-Europe-to-the-outbreak-of-World-War-I

History

Origins

Holy Alliance

The Holy Alliance formed in September 1815 when Russia, Prussia, and Austria signed an agreement that they would come to each other's aid and serve as allies. This treaty was created by Tsar Alexander, and reflected the shift back to more conservative politics in Europe. The Holy Alliance built off the vision laid out at the Congress of Vienna, in order to promote Christian social values and the traditional monarchy system.

Quadruple Alliance

The Quadruple Alliance formed in November 1815 when Great Britain joined the Holy Alliance, with the Treaty of Alliance. This alliance was also aimed against French resurgence following the Second Treaty of Paris. Great Britain was the 4th member of this alliance, which now comprised of: Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria.

Quintuple Alliance

The Quintuple Alliance formed in October 1818 when France joined the Quadruple Alliance, with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. France was the 5th member of this alliance, which now comprised of: France, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain.

1st Phase

The first phase of the Concert of Europe is typically described as beginning in 1814 with the Congress of Vienna, and ending in the early 1860s with the Prussian and Austrian invasion of Denmark. This first phase included numerous Congresses, including the 1856 Congress of Paris which some scholars argue represented the apex of the Concert of Europe in its ending of the Crimean War.

2nd Phase

The second phase of the Concert of Europe is typically described as beginning in the early 1880s with another attempt at alliances driven largely by German Chancellor Bismark, and ending in 1914 which resulted in the outbreak of World War 1. The creation of the Triple Alliance (which consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy) and the rival Triple Entente (which consisted of France, Russia, and Great Britain) occurred during the end of the second phase of the Concert of Europe. It is these two alliances which played major factors in pitting European powers against each other, contributing to Balkan instability in the Former Yugoslavia, and the outbreak of the first World War.

The Fall of the Concert of Europe

1st Phase

The fall of the first phase of the Concert of Europe can be attributed largely to the failure of a ceasefire in 1864 over the issue of Prussia's and Austria's invasion of Denmark in the Second Schleswig War. Austria and Prussia both opposed negotiation settlement attempts, driving a wedge in the geopolitics of the Concert of Europe. While various Congresses and Conferences took place between the early 1860s when the first phase fell, and the early 1880s when the second phase began, the cooperative nature of the Concert was significantly less present during this time of conflict.

2nd Phase

The fall of the second phase of the Concert of Europe can be attributed largely to the rival alliance systems - the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy) and the Triple Entente (France, Russia, and Great Britain) - which formed a rift in the European States. These rival alliances threatened the underlying nature of the Concert, which relied on ad hoc alliances to respond to a given situation. The crisis of July 1914 - the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo which lit the fuse on Balkan tensions - catalyzed the collapse of the Concert of Europe for good, and marked the start of the first World War.

The Role of Nationalism

Nationalism played a role in the fall of both the first and second phases of the Concert of Europe, and was generally on the rise around the world before the start of the first World War; nationalism is seen by some scholars as a driving factor in the creation of the first World War. Particularly with the fall of the first phase, the rise of nationalism was in almost direct opposition to the core cooperative functions of the Concert, and resulted in States who were no longer well constrained by the Congress system. The outbreak of conflict - namely in the Balkans after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand - highlighted the final failure of the Concert of Europe, in that it was no longer able to constrain State national interests in order to maintain a cooperative international front.