Transcript Congress of Vienna

How successful were the treaties in
Vienna and Versailles?
By: Ameer, Alex, Balint, Harry, Darian
Introduction
-The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors



of European states chaired by Wenzel von Metternich, and
held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815.
- -Its objective was to settle the many issues arising from
the French Revolutionary wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and
the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire.
-The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed at the
end of World War I. It ended
the war between Germany and the Allied Powers.
- It required Germany to accept sole responsibility for
causing the war, to disarm, make substantial
territorial concessions and pay heavy reparations to the
winning countries.
Congress of Vienna
Members and Goals




The Congress of Vienna was assembled in September 1814
with representatives from almost all the states of Europe,
however most of the most important decisions were
decided by the four Great Powers triumphant over Napoleon
The four powers England, Austria, Russia, and Prussia had
representation from Castlereagh, Metternich, Alexander I
and Hardenberg respectively
With the Bourbons restored under Louis XVIII, Talleyrand
represented the French
Planned to reduce the power of France after the defeat of
Napoleon and maintain peace throughout Europe with a
balance of power.
Metternich
Talleyrand
Alexander I
Castlereagh
Actions of the Congress






The Congress attempted to put a number of strong states
around France to contain it
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed and the
Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia was restored
The Austrian Empire took up Venetia and Lombardy, and
the rest of the Italian states remained divided in papal
states and small duchies
The Congress did not attempt to put the Holy Roman
Empire together and left the German states relatively
divided by forming a German confederation which included
parts of Prussia and Austria
Prussia gained territory around the Rhineland
The Polish Saxon question existed – due to Metternich’s and
Castlereagh’s fear of Russian and Prussian growth Russia
received the Duchy of Warsaw (Poland was not united with
Russia) and Prussia received two-fifths instead of all of
Saxony
Map of Europe
Results/Success





Maintained a conservative balance of power in Europe
As a result national and liberal impulses were ignored and
conservative forms of government remained
Prevented the occurrence of a major European war for
practically a century (WWI)
Europe was mainly undisturbed for almost 40 years until
the revolutions of 1848
Overall very successful in maintaining European stability
The Treaty of Versailles: The Treaty
Itself

The terms of the treaty required Germany
among other things to accept
demilitarization, pay 226 billion
Reichsmarks in gold and to surrender
occupation of the Rhineland as well as that
Germany accept complete responsibility
for initiating World War I.
Economic Result: Inflation


The burdensome reparations, coupled with a
general inflationary period in Europe in the
1920s, caused spiraling hyperinflation of the
German Reichsmark by 1923.
This hyperinflationary period combined with the
effects of the Great Depression (beginning in
1929) seriously to undermine the stability of the
German economy, wiping out the personal
savings of the middle class and spurring massive
unemployment.
Social Result: Outrage
 The
economic effects of the treaty
exacerbated the social unrest of the
German population, who were
already bitter about certain aspects
of the treaty such as the “War Guilt
Clause”
An Ominous Future



Revision of the Treaty represented one of the
platforms that gave radical right wing parties in
Germany, including Hitler's Nazi Party, such
credibility to mainstream voters in the 1920s and
early 1930s.
Promises to rearm, to reclaim German territory,
particularly in the East, to remilitarize the
Rhineland, and to regain prominence again
among world powers after humiliating defeat
stoked ultranationalist sentiment and caused
voters to overlook the more radical tenets of Nazi
ideology.
Created a network of feeble states on her eastern
frontier (thus making another bid inevitable)
Conclusion: Treaty of Vienna
 The
Treaty of Vienna was the end of
Napoleon’s conquest through Europe.
 It effectively ended such wide scale
war for the next 100 years.
 It restored Europe to the way it was
Pre-Napoleon, and created a balance
of power.
 It was created with all of the nations’
best interest in mind.
Conclusion: Treaty of Versailles
Unlike the Treaty of Vienna, Versailles
failed to keep war away from Europe.
 It was written to punish Germany more
than it was to create a stable Europe or
prevent further war.
 20 years after Versailles was signed war
was broke out across Europe.
 The harsh punishments lead other
countries to over look Germany’s
advancements towards war.

Final Thoughts
 The
Treaty of Vienna was successful
in preventing war for 100 years by
creating a fair and stable Europe.
 The Treaty of Versailles was focused
on punishment and instead created
an environment for the creation of
war.