HIS103Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Great Power, Crimean War, Holy Alliance
Fear of survival
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Fear of spread of revolutionary ideas (Conservatives in Germany / Austria)
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Fear of control of Europe of one state
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fear
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Glory - power lay in glory and continued victories
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Wars create own logic, wars beget war, armies need more land to feed selves, horses,
something to do - get them out of their home states
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What were they fighting for? What could they achieve?
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Agree to arbitrate conflicts
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Universal peace
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Suggests own plan for Europe after Napoleon
▪
Always joining into different coalitions
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France taking land etc.
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Principle cause of conflict is soft spot - German territories
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Reorganize Germany - make Austria and Prussia stronger, whittle down
number of weak states
▪
Stake power on preservation of new borders
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Have Britain along with Prussia, Austria, Russia, guarantee territorial
arrangement
▪
Conversations between great powers necessary
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Does not simply want a balance of power in Europe but agreement that balance
of power had to be actively maintained by powers - power could not be relied
upon to balance
▪
Pitt politely declined to answer - Pitt cares more about distribution of power
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1804 - Czar Alexander had written to young Pitt : all states could be remade with similar
constitutions
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Pitt will die
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After 1804, Franco-Russian agreement at Titlist
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Undergoes religious conversion from arch-liberal to arch-conservative
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After 1812, Alexander turns against Napoleon
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Napoleon defeated in Russia
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Needs support of Britain (expensive)
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Alexander sets off with army to attack Napoleon
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British, Russians, Prussians sign treaty
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Presided over on British side by Viscount Castlereagh (Robert Stewart)
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Gets more awkward when Austrians join
▪
Prussians and Russians are competing against each other - awkward threesome
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Initially three Continental Powers that push Napoleon West all the way to the
Rhine - as far as they can go on their own
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Not defeated yet - Napoleon preparing to regroup and continue the war
June 1813
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Congress of Vienna
December 5, 2016
2:09 PM
LECTURE Page 63
Document Summary
Fear of spread of revolutionary ideas (conservatives in germany / austria) Fear of control of europe of one state fear . Glory - power lay in glory and continued victories. Wars create own logic, wars beget war, armies need more land to feed selves, horses, something to do - get them out of their home states. 1804 - czar alexander had written to young pitt : all states could be remade with similar constitutions. Pitt politely declined to answer - pitt cares more about distribution of power. Principle cause of conflict is soft spot - german territories. Reorganize germany - make austria and prussia stronger, whittle down number of weak states. Have britain along with prussia, austria, russia, guarantee territorial arrangement. Does not simply want a balance of power in europe but agreement that balance of power had to be actively maintained by powers - power could not be relied upon to balance.
