The Congress of Vienna
“Europe for a long time held for me the significance of a fatherland” – Klemens von Metternich (Austria). How does the sentiment expressed in this quote contrast to the notion of nationalism?
This sentiment expressed in this quote contrasted to the notion of nationalism because Klemens von Metternich is viewing and in a way advocating Europe as a whole instead of favoring one nation over the other. This quote doesn’t advocate even Austria as better than all the other nations, as he is Austrian, but expresses Europe, not any one nation as a fatherland. This quote basically says that Metternich views the whole of Europe as united, because fatherland means one’s native country.
Why was there a reluctance to severely punish France? (N.B. Remember this when we examine how Germany was treated by France at the end of WWI)
There was a reluctance to severely punish France because hey did not want to encourage the French to take revenge. Also, if they broke up France, then another country might become so strong that it would threaten them all.
Therefore, although the French were required to give up all the territories Napoleon had taken, France remained intact, with roughly the same boundaries it had in 1790. “France also kept some of its overseas professions, its army, and an independent government” (pg. 214).
Explain why there was an ideological split between western (Britain and France) and eastern (Austria, Prussia and Russia) Europe?The
There was an ideological split between western (Britain and France) and eastern (Austria, Prussia, and Russia) Europe because Louis XVIII’s decision to rule France as a constitutional monarch meant that both Britain and France now had constitutional monarchs. However, the rules of Russia, Prussia, and Austria, being more conservative were absolute monarchs.
What was the principle function of the Concert of Europe?
The principle function of the Concert of Europe was to assure that...