Listen to the audio drama. Recognize the breakthrough significance of the Congress of Vienna. Write down its outcomes.

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Obraz przedstawiający portret konny Aleksandra I. Postać ubrana jest w odświętny mundur, w górnej części garderoby ma ozdobne nakrycie głowy z pióropuszem. Biały koń na którym siedzi ma przednie kopyta lekko uniesione ku górze.

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Obraz przedstawiający portret jeździecki Fryderyka Wilhelma III. Postać ubrana jest w odświętny mundur, w górnej części garderoby ma ozdobne nakrycie głowy z pióropuszem. Brązowy koń na którym siedzi ma przednie kopyta lekko uniesione ku górze.

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Obraz przedstawiający portret jeździecki Franza I. Postać ubrana jest w odświętny mundur, w górnej części garderoby ma ozdobne nakrycie głowy z pióropuszem. Na plecach zarzucony płaszcz. Brązowy koń na którym siedzi jest reprezentacyjnie ustawiony do portretu.

The vast majority of European rulers or their representatives, including Alexander I, the Russian Tsar, Frederick William, the King of Prussia, and Franz I, the Austrian Emperor, came to Vienna in 1814 for a triumphant meeting of Napoleon's winners, the defenders of the pre‑revolutionary order. About 100 thousand foreigners stayed in Vienna at that time. The debates took place in the atmosphere of a feast, among continuous balls, games and theatrical performances. The Congress of Vienna was the first international congress in the history of Europe and the world to lay the foundations for the birth of modern diplomacy. Its ambition was to change more than just a map of Europe.  These changes were necessary because the Napoleonic period brought an extraordinary expansion of international relations and new institutions were created. There was an urgent need to codify all these things. The diplomatic world became a specialised state service. The Vienna peace agreement was based on reconciliation between the feud parties, which provided an opportunity for lasting peace. Such an effective cooperation of the most important European countries was called “Concert of Europe”. That is why Russia, Britain, Austria and Prussia allowed defeated France to deliberate and cooperate, instead of merely telling it what had been agreed on peace issues.

The Congress opened an era of thorough, for its time, stabilisation of international relations in Europe. This was possible because there was a change in the way of thinking and acting among the great powers. A new quality emerged in their political relations: the abandonment of force solutions, that is, the war on the continent. It was a result of fatigue with the wars with Napoleon. Behind the veil of fine declarations of justice and peace, however, a ruthless diplomatic game had been played, in which the balance of power in Europe was at stake. To avoid a recurrence of the revolution, all the monarchs overthrown by Napoleon were to return to the throne. France was most concerned about this. The Bourbons thus regained power in France, Spain and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In international relations, the guiding principle was the balance of powerbalance of powerbalance of power. The idea, pushed through particularly by Britain, was that no power could gain a significant advantage over the others. This was guaranteed for a long time.

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Karykatura Kongresu Wiedeńskiego - równowaga sił. Na kolorowej ilustracji uwidoczniono starą, wielką drewnianą wagę. Po obu stronach szalek żołnierze układają dobrobyty. W tle widać innych żołnierzy przyglądających się tej sytuacji.

After the Congress of Vienna, Europe experienced the longest peace period in its history, lasting 100 years, thanks to the new order created on it. At that time, it did not experience the general war until 1914. At the same time, however, the Holy Alliance between Russia, Austria and Prussia, established in Vienna, defending the old order, became a brake on all democratic and revolutionary movements until the end of the 19th century. However, the decisions taken in Vienna did not resolve all the issues. Germany, where strong unification tendencies grew, continued to be a broken country. The establishment of the German Confederation and the strengthening of the position of Prussia contributed, after several decades, to the fall of the Vienna order. Italy's fragmentation into dozens of small states, on the other hand, significantly lengthened and hampered the country's reunification process. Tsar Alexander I, in his interest, led to the creation of the Kingdom of Poland within the personal union with Russia, but over time it came under the direct control of Russia. The strongest decision of the Congress was the eternal neutrality of Switzerland. This provision is still in force today.

Prepare an alternative version of the final provisions of the Congress, taking into account the interests and expectations omitted by the powers. You can sign the whole document with your names as „Foreign Ministers”, styling your signatures accordingly.

Look for answers to the question of what was agreed at the Congress of Vienna on the diplomatic protocol and slavery.