Concert of Europe

The Concert of Europe was a group of countries in Europe who worked together and agreed on policies to maintain a steady balance of power which included alliances between the great powers in 1814 and 1914. The member countries were the United Kingdom, Austria, Russia, France (from 1815), Prussia (Germany from 1871) and Italy (from 1871).

It started as a quadruple alliance. After Napoleon, ruler of France, was no longer in power, France joined the Concert of Europe. Its importance diminished with the revolutions of 1848 and subsequent wars between the big powers. Otto von Bismarck re-established the Concert of Europe after the unifications of Germany and Italy. The Concert definitively collapsed with World War I.

Leaders

The leaders of this concert include:

• British Foreign Secretary - Lord Castlereagh
• Austrian Chancellor - Prince Klemenz von Metternich
• Russian Czar - Alexander I

The Concert was also known as the Congress System, where leaders would meet and reach decisions by mutual agreement.

Goals

Important goals of the Concert:

• Control France after many years of war
• Develop a "balance of power" among the nations of Europe
• Uphold the agreements set by the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815)
• Prevent another dictator from gaining too much power (like Napoleon)

Benefits:

• Helped Greece and Belgium gain independence
• Helped end the eight-year Egyptian control of Syria

Decline:

• Fell apart after years of disagreement between the countries
• Mainly between Great Britain (England) and the other conservative countries in the Concert
• Finally fell after the following wars: Crimean War, Italian War for Independence, Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War.