The Balance of Power and the Congress of Vienna

By the fall of 1786, America’s unrest towards their government had reached a tipping point. During this state of political chaos and rebellions, George Washington and James Madison called a meeting to order of five states in Annapolis, Maryland. At this meeting prominent visionaries debated the fate of their country and discussed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. After meeting in Maryland, the Congress called all the states to a meeting in Philadelphia during May of 1787. In these meetings, the delegates chose to keep incomplete notes and essentially have the meetings in secret to assure that they could speak freely amongst one another. Not soon after the Constitutional Convention began, it became incredibly clear that the panel was

Independence was not the issue at this meeting, rather the members in Congress sought to “right the wrongs” that the colonies had endured. Along with that redemption, the members of the First Continental Congress sought to gain a voice in London, something they were denied of.

France stood as the center for the Enlightenment because it was in a constant dichotomy between “the desire to censor dissident ideas and the desire to appear open to modernity and progress” (Hunt, 4098). Parliament hindered the monarchy’s reform efforts by using their own words of Enlightenment influence against them. This was a paradox that showed how the Enlightenment affected all levels of French life, but was applied to achieve different results. While the American Revolution and the resulting new republic was regarded as a successful application of the Enlightenment, the unstable, failed attempts at change and reformation in France led to early signs of revolution as revolts “in the name of liberty” from 1787-1789.

Bismarck’s alliance system brought peace between the European countries. (Stewart, Fitzgerald, Pickard 12) His alliance system starts with a treaty with Austria-Hungary who was one of the 5 powers in Europe. In 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary signed the Dual Alliance, which was planned as a merely defensive arrangement or military alliance. Both governments promised that they should help or remain neutral when other powerful countries such as Russia or France attack. (Stewart, Fitzgerald, Pickard 13) The second allied country was with Italy. In 1882, Bismarck turns Dual Alliance into Triple Alliance by making Italy to join in his alliance system. Since Italy had close friendship with Great Britain, although Italy was not a strong military nation, it was an influential part of the Alliance. And at the same time, Great Britain and Germany had conflict in North Africa on colonial aspiration. Therefore, it was the perfect time to be an ally with her to isolate France. (Stewart, Fitzgerald, Pickard 14) Making Great Britain as a close friend was a benefit for Germany. Bismarck’s next target to isolate France was Russia. In 1881, the Dreikaiserbund was made a treaty, which was the agreement between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia promising not to help the fourth power, France. However in 1884, this treaty had renewed and Russia refused to renew her membership in Dreikaiserbund. Then Bismarck discussed the Reinsurance Treaty with

The Congress of Vienna was a victory for the kings and royal families. Some countries had constitutional monarchies while others were absolute monarchies. The rulers of Europe were concerned about the legacy of the French Revolution and worried about revolutions starting elsewhere. Despite their efforts, the leaders of the Congress of Vienna could not make people forget and although the first try at Nationalism had failed, it set new political ideas in motion. Metternich devised a series of alliances called the Concert of Europe which ensured that nations would help one another out if any revolution broke out. Across Europe, conservatives kept a firm hold on the governments.

Russia also made an alliance with France against Germany and Austria-Hungary. There was another alliance between Russia, France and Britain to counter the threats from

On June 7,1776 delegates (members) from the thirteen American colonies came together and met at the Pennsylvania State House that is now called Independence Hall. The men that joined in this undertaking were the men that formed the Second Continental Congress. The American people were already rebelling against King George the Third. This forced the hand of the Congress to decide whether or not the people of America should be a new country by declaring independence. This decision may have been debatably the most important in the world’s history or at least in the Revolution.

My thoughts about the power between Congress and The Presidency I think it’s all about balance. We look to Congress and The Supreme Court to lead our government and The President to be the head of our country to make hard decisions that sometimes lead our country into war. With that said neither one at the same time should have too much power we don’t want a dictatorship and our constitution was made to give the President the freedom to be great leaders. It's all about balance and doing what’s best for our country with both Congress and The

-Thesis: This Essay is mainly of how the Second Continental Congress was more significant to Revolutionary War.

"Just how the revolution would have evolved if war had not intervened in the spring of 1792 is one of history's elusive `might have beens' . France had now gone into a state of riot, a counter-revolution had broken out in the vendee and war had broken out with Austria. The convention

The French Revolution (1789-1814) was a period that affected the outcome of world history tremendously. This is considered a major turning point in European history which has led to dramatic changes in France and other regions of the world. Various social and political issues led to the start of the revolution. Politically, France suffered under the rule of Louis XVI, who ruled by absolute monarchy. Many people had their natural rights renounced and weren’t able to have a political voice. Socially, France had divided its population within 3 estates (classes). French citizens took it upon themselves to remodel their country 's’ political structure. The French Revolution had encountered both positive and negative effects. However, many Europeans viewed the Revolution as much more than just a bloody massacre. The French Revolution was used to demonstrate new ideology that would emphasize the principles of liberty and equality throughout Europe.

During the Congress of Vienna the combined powers redrew the map of Europe, undoing many of the changes caused by the Napoleonic wars, and reinstated old rulers to their thrones. Prussia was to receive territories on the left bank on the Rhine River as a way to discourage any future French rebellion or aggression. Austria was given Lombardy and Venetia, as well as other small nationalities, in an attempt to keep the states within Italy from starting a rebellion. The kingdom of Poland was created, but was essentially made part of the Russian empire, with Czar Alexander occupying the throne. The French monarchy, the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and Metternich’s Austrian monarchy “utilized the bureaucratized state apparatus inherited from Napoleon to repress liberals”. The redrawing of European territories was done without consideration for the peoples living within , thus feeding the already growing agitation of the people, and promoted the call for unification along nationalistic lines.

The French Revolution began as an expression of rebellion against centuries of absolute rule in France. After an interim of experimental liberalism under the rule of Jacobins and Girondins and then the infamous reign of terror, the people of French were drawn to a man who promised them a return to stability, and  honor through the expansion of empire. France and it’s people had long yearned for this sens eof honour, it had seemed, and could finally sens eit in a lasting rpesence under the rule of their prodigious, unbeatable general, Napoleon Bonaparte. He would soon take the reigns of civil government as well and become yet another Absolutist ruler, yet this

The establishment of the Viennese Secession in 1897 marked the genesis of modern art in Austria—a nation at the time known for its strong holdings on conservative traditions and values. It was the first movement of artists and designers who were devoted to the renewal of art’s meaning—the projection of inner states of emotion. Led by Gustav Klimt, the Secession was the most influential breakaway; rejecting the revivalist styles endorsed by the conservative academies, the group promoted an art that would celebrity modernity. The Secession was largely attributed for the responsibility of the rise to international fame of several of its members, including Gustav Klimt, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffman, who helped Austrian art become renowned once again. There were no unifying characteristics between paintings or sculptures, or even architecture: instead, its members were committed to the ideal of modernizing Austrian art by acquainting it with latest modern art movements—Art Nouveau, Post-Impressionism and Expressionism. The initial movement was short lived. By 1905, there were internal divisions ultimately fracturing the “group’s monopoly on the scene for contemporary and decorative arts” (Rosenman). However, the Secession was vital for the promotion of Austrian contemporary art.

Many Historians have come to the decisive conclusion that the French Revolution, an event that characterises Modern European History, has changed Europe. It was a time period that took place prior to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, between 1789 and the late 1970s. it denotes a time period in which the French civilians were aroused unanimously in overturning the traditionalistic “institutions” such as the monarchy and the feudal system. Though the causes of such an event remain inexplicit, intriguing arguments can be drawn in considering an array of reasons that initially sparked it. One plausible assumption has been that it was merely the result of the assumed divine power that King Louis XVI had that ignited the civilians’ revolt. This is particularly acceptable, seeing that this event was draped in the uprooting ideals of Enlightenment. From this pivotal event in Modern History, Historians have gained an insightful scope of not only the evolution of peasantry and lower-societal revolts against an usurping power (i.e nobility) and in some occasions their demise, but have also gained insights into the unnoticed power of the working class. Ultimately the major havoc-inducing factor that led to the crisis of the Ancien Regime can be a derived from a state of hierarchal power. The division of class and the prestigious stance of the nobility helped rouse the