Early Modern & the Imperial Age: Congress of Vienna

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Congress of Vienna

Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: Early Modern & the Imperial Age
Forum Discription: World History from 1500 to the end of WW1
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=35924
Printed Date: 17-Apr-2024 at 22:20
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Topic: Congress of Vienna

Posted By: Strategos42
Subject: Congress of Vienna
Date Posted: 04-Dec-2015 at 13:06

Dear Denizens of the Internet,

Could anybody here explain the Austrian position on Poland in the Congress of Vienna (aside from "don't let the Russians get it")?

Replies:

Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 04-Dec-2015 at 18:59

Blame the Brits and the Prussians for the victory at Waterloo.

Otoh..the major concerns deal with the joint Austrian-British concerns of Russian extreme growth of power if all Polish territories, they desired, were gained.

And it is, in part, simply because the Austrians did not wish to see this.

It is however the specifics that matter. And for that you need to research the Polish-Saxon 'crisis' during the congress.

The following link will be of assist in that endeavor.

http://https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3ACongress%20of%20Vienna%20%281814-1815%29 - https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Congress%20of%20Vienna%20(1814-1815)%22

And a superb work is Nicolson's ''The Congress of Vienna: A Study in Allied Unity: 1812-1822.''

Good hunting.

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"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"

S. T. Friedman

Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true'

Posted By: Mosquito
Date Posted: 04-Dec-2015 at 19:12

After Napoleonic wars Russia was considered the strongest European power and the one which contributted most to allied victory. Both Austria and Prussia were afraid of Russia and its potential.
But Tsar Alexander was under influence of Polish noble Adam Jerzy Czartoryski who was convincing him to change Grand Duchy of Warsaw into Polish kingdom under his reign.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Jerzy_Czartoryski - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Jerzy_Czartoryski

Such solution was very dangerous for both Austria and Prussia because Russian tsar as king of Poland could have in the future claim and demand Polish territories which were occupied by Prussia and Austria during partitions of Poland, becoming its most industrialised part.

Nevertheless Alexander bribed Prussia with part of Polish territory and Austria alone wasnt able to stop Russia from creating Polish so called "Congress Kingdom" which became the liberal experiment of tsar Alexander.

The kingdom recived the most liberal constitution in Europe, had autonomy, separate parliament, treasure, army, administration and educational system and was bound with the Russian Empire by the personal union because according to constitution every tsar of Russia was supposed to be the king of Poland, after separate coronation in Warsaw. The power of tsar was limited by constitution which was written by Alexander and Czartoryski who stayed behind this idea.

It was as I said before in conflict with the Austrian interests because this solution would allow Poles in Austrian monarchy rebel and demand to join to the Polish kingdom or even to get Russian support. The small kingdom had strong army with officer corps coming from Napoleonic army and was economicaly quite strong because its economy was producing about 25% of all GDP of Russian empire.

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"I am a pure-blooded Polish nobleman, without a single drop of bad blood, certainly not German blood" - Friedrich Nietzsche

Posted By: J.A.W.
Date Posted: 07-Dec-2015 at 17:13

Blame Metternich & the Brits for their reactionary machinations to keep the corrupt old order going,

& prevent the peoples of Europe from getting a US-style Constitutional democracy.

This clearly led Europe down the path to the 2 world wars, IMO..

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Be Modest In Thyself..