Congress of Vienna, 1814

Single Delegate

The Congress of Vienna convenes in the aftermath of more than two decades of revolutionary upheaval and Napoleonic warfare that have reshaped the political map of Europe beyond recognition. With Napoleon Bonaparte defeated and exiled to Elba, the great powers of Europe (Austria, Prussia, Russia, Britain, and France) gather in the imperial capital of Vienna under the host stewardship of Austrian Foreign Minister Klemens von Metternich to reconstruct the continental order from the ground up. The Congress is tasked with redrawing borders, restoring legitimate monarchies, redistributing territories seized during the Napoleonic wars, and establishing a framework for lasting great-power stability. But beneath the grandeur of Viennese ballrooms and diplomatic salons lies a deeply contentious negotiation, defined by competing visions of legitimacy, sovereignty, nationalism, and the balance of power. The great powers agree that revolution must be contained and stability restored, but diverge sharply on where borders should fall, which dynasties should reign, and how much influence each nation deserves in the new European order. The decisions reached in Vienna will define the political architecture of Europe for the better part of a century.