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Vienna, 1814: How the Conquerors of Napoleon Made Love, War, and Peace at the Congress of Vienna

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Author David King has written a new book about a subject often dismissed as little more than the antecedent to Napoleon's 100 days campaign. Most books written on this topic were written years ago and with a predictable bent. Mr. King's book is both an objective and easily readable book on this subject. He writes in modern English and intersperses interesting historical anecdotes with the nuts-and- bolts diplomatic maneuvers of the nations through their diplomatic representatives.

On the 200th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar, it was disappointing to find a number of the books written on that subject merely used material readily available from secondary sources. So, with regard to historical accuracy, I was impressed with Mr. King's diligence shown through the use of original source materials.

Mr. King travelled throughout Europe, and actually spoke with the librarians and archivists in the nations which participated in the Congress. His list of notes and sources is nearly 100 pages in length. This produces a picture of the Congress which is developed not just from the official records and notes of the participants, but from the equally important inhabitants of the salons and the shadows. Mr. King makes copious use of the surreptitious communication between the Duchess Sagan and Prince Metternich (discovered in 1949) and the notes of one of Metternich's assistants. Most notable however, are previously unpublished accounts of the police spy network set up by the Austrian Emperor Francis.

All of this information could make a narrative of the Congress over-laden with minutiae and prone to drone on and on with endless details of interest only to those wishing to serve in the diplomatic corps. Here, Mr. King diverges from the common narrative and interjects humor and contemporary observations that lighten the mood and facilitate the absorption of the salient facts. It is not often one can laugh out loud while reading about the Congress of Vienna, but Mr. King described the personal dressing regime of Talleyrand in a manner that was truly hilarious. He related descriptions of the participants and their personal idiosyncrasies (Metternich confused "haughtiness for dignity"), and he provides some insights that really add to the already established portraits of the participants. Nonetheless, this is a serious work. He is exacting in his detail and uses established historical facts to refute some popularly held assumptions.

Many authors have overlooked the rank duplicity and avarice of the participants of the Congress. Historians are too often eager to heap praise on the first world body to gather in the name of peace; to give credit for the intent. Mr. King does not let the Congress participants off so easily. He allows the reader to form the impression that the aims of members of the Congress were no different than those of the Emperor. They divided up the continent as they saw fit. Instead of the use of armies, they "negotiated" but were never reticent about the threat of military force (i.e. Saxony and Poland). Europe was back to the ways of the Aristocrats; dividing peasant populations for the maximum benefit of the sovereigns.

At about 350 pages the book is an enjoyable read and provides satisfying detail in its vivid portrait of the days and nights of the Congress of Vienna. The members of which, danced, ate, and made love, but never actually managed to officially convene.

Based on the Amazon reviews, "Vienna 1814" has raised some unexpected passions, given that it's an account of events almost two centuries past. David King has produced a solid and well written book that enlivens the story of the Congress of Vienna - and of Napoleon's hundred days - for the modern reader.

The title, homage to Margaret MacMillan's Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World, about the Peace conference that followed the First World War, is somewhat misleading. The Congress of Vienna never officially opened; rather, the world's leading statesmen of the time - Austria's Prince Metternich, France's Charles Talleyrand, Russia's Czar Alexander and Britain's Lord Castlereigh and the Duke of Wellington, and many others - have spent the summer and autumn of 1814, and the winter and spring of 1815 in Vienna. There they have quarreled, argued and negotiated - but also danced, drank and fornicated - and shaped the future of Europe.

David King tells with equal ease both the social and the political tales of Vienna in those months. He narrates his heroes in the stateroom and in the ballroom, in love and war, in work and play. This is both an advantage and a weakness of the narrative. On the one hand, King captures the spirit of the Congress - the balls and masquerades, the splendor, the gossip - and allows the reader to feel some of what the protagonists must have felt. On the other hand, the love lives of the Rich and Famous of the 19th century are not nearly as exciting to the modern reader as they were to the contemporary observer. Did the Duchess Sagan end up in the arms of her longing prince Metternich? Do you really care?

For those who are, like me, interested in political history, the diplomatic angle of the gathering is the most interesting. Although the Congress dealt with a series of issues - from the abolition of the slave trade to the emancipation of the Jews - its focus was on the redrawing of the map of Europe given the shock administered to it by the Napoleonic Wars. Three issues were of particular importance: The Fates of Poland, Saxony, and the Kingdom of Naples.

In Poland, the Russians wanted to create a (theoretically independent but realistically) puppet state. The Prussians eyed the Kingdom of Saxony and wanted to annex it. The two powers agreed to back each other's claims, to the detriment of the other Europeans countries, particularly Britain and France, who feared the increase in the countries' power.

The Kingdom of Naples was a problem as it has been ruled by Joachim Murat. Napoleon's brother in law and former general. None of the powers felt particularly happy about keeping a creature of Bonaparte's in power - but no one felt like starting a war to get rid of him, either.

The problems of Saxony and Poland ended in compromise - both Russia and Prussia got some of what they have wanted, but not everything. The Polish puppet state was smaller than the Czar had initially wanted, but it was enough. The Kingdom of Saxony, albeit in a reduced state, regained its independence, with Prussia taking part of its territory, as well as other territories in Germany.

The Murat problem would only be resolved with a larger crisis - the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Corsican Emperor, having been exiled to the small Mediterranean island of Elba in early 1814, has left the island after 9 months and 21 days. After landing in France, he made his way to Paris. The population and the army, sick of the unpopular King Louis XVIII, clung to him. He took over Paris "without firing a shot". Europe was at war again.

King's narration of the Waterloo campaign, and of the battle of minds between Napoleon and Wellington is masterly. The chapters on the campaign are unputtdownable, and "Vienna 1814" offers the first description of a battle in which I did not feel the absence of maps. It is amazingly tense, even though we know how it all ends.

After his defeat, Napoleon faced a rebellion in Paris. Rather than storm his own capital, he abdicated again. During his brief return, Murat had tried and failed to conquer Italy. The Austrians thus disposed of him and of the dilemma of the Kingdom of Naples.

King's fascinating story ends with a story of the rest of his heroes' lives, and with a short reflection on the consequences and significance of the Congress of Vienna. This is, unfortunately, the least satisfactory aspect of his book. Three of the most important elements of 19th and 20th century European history - the long peace of 1815 to 1914, the increase in Prussia's power, and the creation of a British French alliance - arguably originated in, or at least were influenced by - the Congress. How did that happen? Could things have gone differently, and should they have? King's answers are more descriptive than analytic.

That aside, Vienna 1814 is an extremely well written book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in European History or the Napoleonic Wars.

The Congress of Vienna, which met to parcel up the European territories scrambled by Napoleon's conquests, didn't appear to do an awful lot of work, according to this well-written book. It wasn't called "The Dancing Congress" for nothing, because it appears that every night there was some type of festivity. Considering all of the frivolity involved, it's amazing that any real work was done, and yet the Europe that the Congress established resisted a universal war for almost the next 100 years. That in itself is a remarkable achievement! The book has a breezy style and is easy to digest. My one quibble, and the reason this review has only four stars, is the lack of maps that might have given a better perspective on why there were so many problems with national boundaries. Other than that, the book was a very informative read, and I enjoyed it very much.

Vienna 1814
by David King
A Review by Colin J. Edwards
Published by Harmony Books $27.50 2008 434 pps.

"The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different." Aldous Huxley

Do not be confused by this book about the Congress of Vienna in 1814. It reads like a novel, but it is serious history as the almost 90 pages of "Notes & Sources" can testify. The style is easy: perhaps a little simplistic in places, but none-the-less an excellent read.
If your politics lean ever so slightly to the left, David King's book will drive you to distraction. It describes in detail how the privileged few, carved up Europe after Napoleon's abdication. It demonstrates the blatant greed and narcissism of Kings, Emperors and their Ministers.
We learn about the rich man's wars, but not too much about the poor man's fight. King takes us deeply into the chess game that was European politics, and we can see the mind-set that set Europe ablaze in 1914.
Well-behaved women rarely make history. Vienna 1814 confirms that in spades. I never cease to be amazed by man's inability to keep his level of concentration above his navel for more that limited periods. The future of Europe was never allowed to interfere with the latest sexual conquest. A 100 years later, nothing had changed. During cabinet meetings discussing the war in France, H.H.Asquith (Prime Minister), wrote love letters to Venitia Stanley. They were not very effective. She got engaged to one of his staff - but omitted to mention it.
There were however two notable exceptions to this broad condemnation of the `Powers that be'; and they were both English. The first was Robert Stewart - Lord Castlereagh, foreign secretary under Lord Liverpool, and the Duke of Wellington. Castlereagh did his best to get some sense out of the Congress, and was fired for his trouble. The Iron Duke took over and was fortunate that Napoleon skipped Elba and he was able to charge off to Waterloo and win the ultimate battle.
The frightening thing about this book is that nothing has changed. The Congress of Vienna was dominated by an aggressive Russia hell-bent on expansion. Replace Tsar Alexander with Mr Putin, and it is apparent that we have not progressed very far in the last 194 years. Rich man's war, poor man's fight - `twas ever thus.

David King's book on the Vienna Congress is decent enough, bouncing back and forth between the many personalities directly and indirectly involved in this great event.

However, I would warn you off the Audio book if you've ever studied German or French. It's obvious that the narrator has never mastered anything but his own language, and has no clue how to pronounce foreign words and names. His butchery of French is enough to make Napoleon spin in his ornate tomb. There's a cringe on every page. I was flabbergasted to read another review that talks about his "mastery of French and German," a comment obviously written by someone who knows neither language.

An excellent overview of the effort to restore the old order from the wreckage of the Napoleonic Wars, which wound up fostering a new order that none of the victors even remotely anticipated. The Congress of Vienna was perhaps the first recorded rational approach to mutually resolving international problems. The processes that were developed and described in the book, many still used to this day, worked for just short of a century, with only a few minor skirmishes that were remarkably well contained. The various participants' personalities, and their changing perceptions and evolving participation, are remarkable as their narrow interests eventually coalesce through a series of convenient compromises. One of the more interesting narratives was how France adroitly handled itself, moving from something not short of an outcast nation, to finally being accepted as a regular club member. Equally interesting is how the victors, united while fighting Napoleon, were prone to fighting among themselves during the proceedings. More than a narrative of the flow of the meetings and conferences, the book also examines the participants' societies as seen through the eyes and emotions of the rulers. The 33 chapters are augmented by extensive and detailed notes and source references, and polished with an epilog. A delightful read.

After defeating Napoleon in 1814, the European powers convened in Vienna to determine the fate of Europe. The Congress of Vienna turned into the party of the century; royalty and diplomats traveled to represent their countries, but courtesans, tradesmen and others flocked to Vienna to get a piece of the pie.

Instead of being an open meeting of dignitaries, the Congress became a cesspool of backstabbing, underhanded dealings, and romantic liaisons. After six months of squabbling (accomplishing little), Europe had a bigger problem: Napoleon escaped Elba.

Read about how this seemingly unproductive conference led to the Battle of Waterloo, and how that led to a "spirit of cooperation" that remains unsurpassed.

David King has undertaken a difficult task with "Vienna 1814." The Congress of Vienna lives in relative infamy for failing to accomplish anything of importance in the wake of Napoleon's exile to Elba by a (temporarily) united Europe. Yet the Congress is notorious for its social excesses - perhaps the attendees weren't as venal as the worst of the Roman imperial family, but the decadence and foppery on display at the Congress highlight the appeal to many of the more austere young Republic across the Atlantic.

So what is King supposed to do other than relate anecdote after anecdote of romantic conquest, romantic intrigue, and romantic failure where so little successful diplomacy was to be found? The answer is, not much, other than to hunt for what few good things did occur.

I knew nothing about the Congress before picking up this book. So what I learned is that the leading lights of the Allies who defeated Napoleon - including the Austrian diplomat Metternich and the Russian Tsar Alexander - met in Vienna to try to create a blueprint for a lasting peace. And instead, France's ambassador, Tallyrand, led the Big 4 (Britain and Prussia in addition to Austria and Russia) around by the nose until the defeated France was among the biggest players at the Congress. Through skillful delaying and propaganda tactics, playing the Big 4's ambitions against the hopes and fears of the delegates from the smaller nations, and generally being the most shameless and intelligent rogue in a crowd of shameless and intelligent rogues, Tallyrand was able to block virtually any progress by the Congress.

While Tallyrand was turning everyone else in circles, the Congress danced, drank, and ate the weeks away as Vienna became a carnival of delights for the aristocracy in attendance. Most of the book tells the humorous, frustrating tales of these excesses, and how the young noblewomen in attendance used their beauty to distract the diplomats from their official duties. If you're a fan of royal excesses, this is the book for you.

Looming large over the Congress is the specter of Napoleon, and indeed his successful escape from Elba (which King has skillfully foreshadowed throughout the book) causes the Congress to shatter. Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, flies to France and confronts Napoleon at the fatal battle of Waterloo, which King describes in some detail.

And then it's to the aftermath of Waterloo, the final exile of Napoleon, and the negotiation of a lasting peace. King sets a tall order for himself, as the text of the book runs only 323 pages (there are several score pages of notes, sources, and a detailed index to give the book heft, as well as some helpful portraits from the period). He keeps the pace going, which is no small achievement given how the Congress achieved so little.

There are two camps with this Congress - that it achieved nothing, and that it achieved very much in the long term despite failing in its immediate objectives. King is in the latter camp, but he freely acknowledges the many failures of the Congress. This balanced approach makes "Vienna 1814" a worthy read, and King's eye for detail makes it an entertaining one.

Where one might have expected a serious diplomatic history of the kind one finds in A.J.P. Taylor's The Struggle for Early Modern Europe, one is treated as often as not to something that reads like an extended article for People's magazine on the lifestyles of the rich and famous. There is far too much attention paid to the menus at various feasts and far too little to how important decisions were arrived at by the principals involved. Perhaps the clearest indication that this is a lightweight work at best is the utter absence of maps, and the ample provision of plates of the various salon seductresses. Is the contour of Princess Bagration's cheek really of greater significance than the before and after boundaries of Prussia and Saxony?

I knew I was in trouble when I began to count (while wincing) the number of cliches in the first few pages. In King's Bert-and-Ernie prose, carriages "rumble", dangers "lurked", highwaymen are "cutthroat" and things of the rococo style (we're in 1814 after all) are "ornate". And to groan out loud, the armies of Europe----ready ?----"march" across the land. Those howlers that creative writing teachers warned their students against never relent in this relentlessly amateurish history of the 1814 Congress of Vienna.

When students of history have nothing revelatory for the record, at least they can tell their story in a refreshing way that makes good use of those who've researched, written and published before them. Claire Tomalin's wonderful biography of Hardy comes to mind, a worthwhile read even if you had read any of the previous books about Hardy's life. Her fresh perspective, and considerable gifts in telling it, are why it was so well received among both general readers and Hardy scholars. This book on the 1814 Congress has neither nothing new to tell (King basically selects chunks from Hilde Spiel's book from 1968), nor an interesting interpretation of the events. Although the author would have you believe that the sexual antics of the movers & shakers were as important as any official legislation that the heads of states agreed upon.

The publisher of this book by David King, Harmony/Random House, is attempting to push the book as almost a "sex lives of the (then) rich & famous". If you are OK with that, you're still going to have to wade through all those cliches. I have no idea why the publisher didn't intervene with even a little bit of editing. The writing is so awkward I kept shaking my head in disbelief.

For anyone wanting to read about this interesting event in world history, you might want to start with Hilde Spiel's Congress of Vienna, and take a close look at it's bibliography and the notes about the sources, which are equally fascinating. Most bibliographies are simply lists, of course. But the accompanying notes about why some sources were considered more reliable than others were as enlightening as the book itself.