After the defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna was held in 1814-1815 to recreate the balance of power and set new boundaries, and to guard against future French hegemony (Diplomacy, 2005). It also dealt with international issues such as the slave trade, the rules of diplomacy, and a system of signing treaties. After the second defeat of Napoleon, the four victors, Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia, called for periodic meetings of the four signatories to consult on common interests and maintain peace in Europe. This led to the creation of the Concert of Europe. At its first meeting in 1818, France was admitted. The meeting was attended by rulers, chancellors and foreign ministers, and was the first international congress held in peacetime, and the first to attract press coverage.
The Concert of Europe was drawn up in 1815 in an effort to enforce the agreements made at the Congress of Vienna, which was a quadruple alliance between Russia, Prussia, Austria and Great Britain (Overview, 2005). The idea was to establish a balance of power which preserved the territorial status quo and to protect legitimate governments. The Concert of Europe was headed by Prince Metternich of Austria, and was the first attempt in modern times to establish an international body to maintain the peace, making it a significant event in world history.
The Concert of Europe was successful in suppressing several uprising on behalf of the constitutional governments of Spain (in 1820) and Italy (in 1822) (Overview, 2005). By putting down these uprising successfully, the Concert of Europe showed to the rest of the world that it had the power to uphold its resolutions, and was more than a Concert in name only.
The first major problem for the Concert of Europe came when it decided to intervene in revolutions taking place in Latin America, and Britain refused to be a part of this venture (Overview, 2005). Britain's excuse was that if the...