The Vienna Congress: Lord Castlereigh

7 Pages 1687 Words

Born into a family of politicians in Dublin, Ireland in 1769, Robert Stewart, later christened Lord Castlereagh, was destined to become one of Europe’s greatest statesmen. After an education at Cambridge, he entered politics as a member of an independent interest group, the Whigs, and joined the Irish parliament in January 1791. He entered the British parliament in 1794, and after many years of successive failures and unrest in his native Ireland, he settled with the British Parliament and became the Minister for Foreign Affairs in England in 1811. During his term as Foreign Minister he performed many acts worthy of renown; however, what he is largely remembered for is the contribution he made as the chief mediator at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Without his aid, it is likely that the volatile situation in Europe would have escalated to the breaking point and engulfed the continent in yet another unwanted war.
Castlereagh was the first British Foreign Minister to leave England to deal with affairs on the continent since 1743. Though his absence would be sorely felt in Britain, it was believed that he was the only man in the British Parliament graced with the negotiation skills necessary to re-mediate the chaotic situation on the continent and restore the balance of power that had been upset by Napoleon. He left for the continent for the first meeting (but not the last) with the major powers on December 27, 1813, with one goal in mind: at all costs, divert another war.
Castlereagh was given a deceptively favourable situation in which to work: the men with whom he was working, Metternich (representing Austria), Tsar Alexander I (Russia), Hardenberg (Prussia) and Talleyrand (France), all had an instinctive respect for the balance of power principles. However, their views concerning what the balance of power really was differed to the point of irreconcilability. Castlereagh had his work cut out for him. His biggest init...