The Dike and the Flood: International

Section 11.55

Introduction• Congress of Vienna powers agreed

to hold meeting in the future to enforce the treaty and take up new issues

• Congress resembled L of Nations or UN

• Congresses that followed Vienna subscribed in part to Alexander’s Holy Alliance

• Congress/Metternich System • The use of alliances to suppress

revolutionary and liberal activity– representatives of the powers

were to meet periodically to suppress revolutionary movements

– Involved close supervision of the universities and censorship

The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1818Main issues • to discuss the withdraw army of

occupation from France• Help the French accept Louis XVIII• Arranged for private bankers to take over

France’s reparationAlexander • most advanced internationalists of the

day• suggested that a permanent European

union with international military force be formed to safeguard recognized states

Internationalism of Alexander is blocked by British reservations about long-term military commitments (like Wilson’s League of Nations)

• Slavery and the Barbary Pirates• England would not commit naval

resources to an international league• International league would not give free

reign to the British to inspect any ship

Revolution in Southern Europe: The Congress of Troppau, 1820

• Naples and Spanish liberals force Bourbon oath to constitutionalism of 1812

• Metternich gets nervous and calls the Congress of Troppau to block liberalism

• Metternich and Alexander meet • Mett reviews the horrors of revolutionist• Alexander shifts away from support of

constitutionalists• Should be granted by monarchs not

extorted by revolutionaries• Metternich drafts the protocol of

Trouppau• Russia, Prussia and Austria sign it• England and France do not (want to

avoid long-term military commitments)• Neapolitan revolution is put down and

Bourbons are restored• Gap is widening between east and west

Spain and the Near East: The Congress of Verona, 1822

• Many revolutionaries and liberals fled terror in Italy and went to Spain

• Alexander Ypsilanti, a Greek, military man who served Russia led armed followers from Russia to Romania hoping to lead Greek rebellion with Russian support (1821)

• This did not make Metternich happy so he called for Congress of Verona

• Alexander (now a conservative) refused to support Ypsilanti who was defeated by Turks

Alexander Ypsilanti (1792-1828)

Delacroix's Massacre on Chios

• At Verona France proposes to go into Spain and put down the revolution

• France advances into Spain with 200 thousand in 1823 to waving crowds and revolution collapses

• Church and King are restored under Ferdinand VII

• He (being stupid) repudiated his constitutional oath

• Revolutionaries were savagely persecuted

Spain and the Near East: The Congress of Verona, 1822

Ferdinand VII of Spain

The End of the Congress System• Failed to make progress toward an

international order• Came to stand for nothing except

preservation of the status quo• Made no attempt at accommodating

new forces emerging in Europe and the New World

• No efforts at relieving revolutionary sentiments with reform

• Repressed or punished all revolutionary agitation

• Propped up governments that could not stand on their own (Spain)

• Failed to get great powers to cooperate

• France in Spain, Austria in Italy, Russia not supporting Ypsilanti in Turkey, and Great Britain pulling away from the Continent

• The cause of liberalism is advanced with the collapse of the international system

Russia: The Decembrist revolt 1825• Alexander I died in 1825• Military fragments somewhat and shows the influence of

exposure to liberalism through contact with the west• Constitutionalism, Secret societies, Republicanism,

Emancipation of the serfs• There was uncertainty which of his 2 brothers would

succeed him (Constantine or Nicholas)• Army preferred Constantine (Constantine and Constitution)• Uneducated soldiers thought Constitution was the name of

his wife!• Officers lead an uprising in December 1825• Constantine had already deferred to Nicholas• Nicholas I (1825-1855) puts down Decembrist revolt harshly• Had rebellious officers hanged or sent to Siberia work

camps• Overall response is to clamp down on Russia• Revolt foreshadows the Russian Revolution• Ten years after Napoleon the conservative reaction seems

to be holding back the flood of liberalism