The Congress of Vienna was a conference of European ambassadors held in 1814-1815 to create a peace settlement after the Napoleonic Wars.

It was dominated by the great powers: Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, with defeated France also playing a key role.

The leading figure at the Congress was the conservative Austrian statesman, Klemens von Metternich.

The primary goals were to restore stability to Europe and establish a long-term balance of power to prevent future wars.

A key principle was 'legitimacy,' which aimed to restore the pre-revolutionary ruling families to their thrones.

The Congress redrew the map of Europe, creating the German Confederation, enlarging Prussia, and establishing the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a buffer against France.

It created a system known as the 'Concert of Europe,' where the great powers would cooperate to maintain peace and suppress revolutions.

The settlement was successful in preventing a major all-European war for nearly a century (until World War I).

However, the Congress was criticized for ignoring the powerful growing forces of nationalism and liberalism.

The conservative order established at Vienna would be repeatedly challenged by revolutions throughout the 19th century.