Editing History of Austria (section)

=== Congress of Vienna (1815) ===
{{Main|Congress of Vienna}}
[[File:Europe 1815 map en.png|thumb|right|250px|Europe after the Congress of Vienna]]
With the completion of the long running French wars a new order was required in Europe and the heads of the European states gathered in Vienna for a prolonged discussion of Europe's future, although the Congress was actually convened in September 1814 prior to Napoleon's attempted return, and completed on 9 June 1815, nine days before the [[Battle of Waterloo]]. At the completion of the Napoleonic wars, Austria found itself on the winning side as a new European leader, largely due to [[Klemens von Metternich|Metternich]]'s diplomatic skills. It was as much a grand social event of the representatives of the [[great powers]] as a true Congress and was chaired by Metternich. Its purpose was to restore a new European order to emerge from the chaos of the Napoleonic wars. While Austria was the diplomatic leader, the military victory was largely that of Russia and Prussia, aided by Britain and Spain, and Austria had little to add to the final defeat of Napoleon on 18 June 1815 at Waterloo.{{Sfn|Beller|2006|pp=112-113}} Metternich's intent was to create a [[Balance of power (international relations)|balance of power]] in Europe, under a new entity, the [[German Confederation]] with Austrian leadership, out of the ashes of the [[Holy Roman Empire]].{{Sfn|Pohanka|2011|p=60}}

The resulting order was referred to as the [[Concert of Europe]], which would now meet regularly to resolve outstanding differences. In addition to redrawing the political map, it established [[spheres of influence]]. Achieving the presidency of this new entity was Austria's greatest gain from the Congress. What the Congress could not do was to recover the old order or ''ancien régime'' on which Austrian and Habsburg authority had rested. In the new order, a [[Holy Alliance]] was created between Austria, Russia and Prussia. This was subsequently enlarged to include most European nations. Notable exceptions were Great Britain, wary of Metternich's strategy of repressive interventionism, and the Ottoman Empire. In the redrawing of the European map, Austrian gains were modest compared to Russia and Prussia, reflecting its relatively weak negotiating position. Austria regained most of the territory it had lost to Napoleon in the western part of the nation ([[Tyrol (federal state)|Tyrol]], [[Salzburg (federal state)|Salzburg]] and [[Vorarlberg]]). In Italy it gained the [[Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia|Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia]], [[Tuscany]], [[Modena]], [[Parma]] and [[Piacenza]]. These latter political entities were ruled by various branches of the Habsburgs. It did not, however, regain Belgium and the [[Austrian Netherlands]], but the trading of territories restored a contiguous territory, as envisaged by Joseph II, and gave Austria control over Italy. The Emperor Francis was unwilling to adapt to this new order, requiring diplomacy on Metternich's part, depicting it as conservative Romanticism, religion and order versus the revolutionary spirit of 1789. Thus, the Holy Alliance became a mechanism for countering any moves against legitimate order. Metternich has therefore been portrayed Europe's fireman, extinguishing any signs of revolutionary spirit. The resultant onset of peace provided the opportunity for both reforms and prosperity in Austria, but its backward looking policies within a Europe characterised by rapid change set the scene for eventual failure.{{Sfn|Pohanka|2011|p=59}}{{Sfn|Beller|2006|pp=113-114}}