The
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was also meant to be a grand ending of sorts—the
rulers and diplomats from all over Europe were looking to close the
book on the strife and upheavals of the Napoleonic Wars and begin
a new chapter of world peace. (In many ways, it was the precursor
to the United Nations.) Countless books have been written on the
complex negotiations and their ramifications (Henry Kissinger wrote
his PhD thesis on the Congress) so I won’t attempt to delve
into its nuances. Suffice it to say, it was an extraordinary attempt
to consider a vast range of issues, both political and social, and
to structure a “balance of power” to ensure that there
would not be another world war.
Some of the major issues had to do with East Europe—what to
do with the various pieces of Poland that had been carved up during
the wars; how to deal with Saxony and Prussia; how to keep Russia
from becoming too powerful. And then there was the rising nationalism
in the Italian peninsula and the Balkans to consider. All these questions
of borders and national identity were incredibly important, of course.
But what I found fascinating was that the leaders of Europe also
understood that issues such as religious freedom, free press and
individual rights were very critical in establishing stability and
peace throughout the regions. And so there were delegations not just
from countries, but from “special interest” groups (much
like our modern day lobbyists) The range included prominent Jewish
leaders, anti–slavery organizations and a group of publishers
who wanted laws passes to protect intellectual property!
Prince Metternich of Austria
The cast of colorful real-life characters at the Congress of Vienna
makes fiction appear, well, awfully tame. Prince Metternich, the
powerful Austrian Foreign Minister who was a guiding force of the
Congress of Vienna, was a savvy negotiator, a polished diplomat—and
a rakish lady’s man. He was madly in love with the Duchess
of Sagan, who had come to the city in order to court favor with the
Tsar of Russia . . . (warning: get out your notebooks, for the tangle
of love affairs and dalliances gets quite complicated.) Alas, poor
Metternich. He spent much of his time writing passionate love letters
to the Duchess when he should have been reading treaties and aligning
borders . . . a fact that his canny rivals took advantage of.
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
of France
Prince Talleyrand, the worldly and sybaritic French Foreign Minister,
was perhaps the most brilliant—and cunning—statesman
of the era. The consummate survivor, he had served King Louis XVI,
the radical Revolutionary government and Napoleon (who called him ‘shit
in silk stockings’ after the prince betrayed him in secret
negotiations with the Allies in ’08.) Talleyrand loved the
finer things in life (he always dressed in the elegantly old-fashioned
style of the previous century) and brought the famous chef Antoine
Careme to Vienna with him, not only for his own pleasure but to butter
up potential supporters of French interests over the sumptuous dinners
and desserts. (At one point he wrote to Paris and wryly said he needed
more saucepans, not more secretaries.)
Tsar Alexander I of Russia
And then there was Tsar Alexander I of Russia. Charismatic, complex
and mercurial, Alexander was determined to make Russia a force to
be reckoned with on the European stage. It seems he was also determined
to seduce every female within arm’s reach. One of my favorite
anecdotes involves him seeing the wife of a prominent diplomat at
a party. As she was alone, he sidled up and asked if he could occupy
her husband’s place for the evening—to which she replied
coolly, “Does Your Majesty take me for a province?” In
addition to the opposite sex, Alexander also loved the rich food
and wines of Vienna—he had to have a whole new wardrobe sent
from St. Petersburg because he gained so much weight partying every
night!
The Duchess of Sagan
The ladies were equally interesting. A noted beauty, the Duchess
of Sagan attracted an impressive array of influential men to her
weekly salons. As did her rival, Prince Bagration, who was known
as the Naked Angel of the North because she wore only white muslin,
well damped to cling to her shapely curves. The Duchess’s younger
sister Dorothee—who was Talleyrand’s niece by marriage—served
as the prince’s hostess, stirring rumors as to what else was
going on inside the Kaunitz Palace . . .
As for entertainments . . . Well, trust me, there probably wasn’t
a more “alive” spot on the planet than Vienna during
that time. Yes, the emperors, kings, princes, margraves, powerful
government ministers and their entourages had come to the Austrian
capital to make peace . . . but they had also come to make love (not
necessarily in that order!) In other words, they had come not just
to work but to play! And play they did! Glittering balls, sumptuous
banquets, fanciful medieval jousts, spectacular fireworks—the
daily list of extravagant entertainments for the participants was
mind-boggling. . Here are a few of my favorites:
The Emperor’s Ball
The Emperor of Austria hosted a welcoming ball for the international
array of royalty and diplomats . . . One of the “decorations” was
having the Duchess of Sagan and 23 of her friends come dressed
as the Four Elements: Six ladies dressed as Water, wearing blue
and green dresses festooned with pearls, coral and seashells. Six
wore bright red dresses and carried torches to represent Fire.
Six wore thin, nearly transparent gauzy dresses and wore wings
to be Air. And lastly, representing Earth, the Duchess and her
group wore brown velvet dresses and headdresses made out of golden
baskets filled with jeweled fruit!
The Spanish Riding School
The Carousel
This recreation of a medieval joust, held at the famous Spanish Riding
School (where the white Lipizzaner horses traditionally were trained)
was perhaps the most spectacular party of them all. Glittering
chandeliers and thousands of candles lit the indoor arena. At one
end was an imperial grandstand with gilded chairs for all the royal
guests. The other end was for the “Queens of Love,” 24
ladies who had been selected to be the tournament’s belles
d’amour for the 24 “knights” who, mounted on
matching black chargers, jousted to win their favor. Around 1200
spectators, including ambassadors, diplomats and high-ranking officials
packed the remaining seats, and the display of jewelry and sumptuous
dresses worn by the ladies was said to be dazzling. After a mock
combat with lances (only one casualty resulted when Prince Liechtenstein
was knocked unconscious from his horse) the crowd returned to the
Emperor of Austria’s palace for a banquet where acrobats,
minstrels and jugglers entertained the guests.
The Duke of Wellington of Great Britian
The Emperor of Austria
The King of Prussia
The Peace Ball
A satirical cartoon depicting the leaders of the Congress
One of the many lavish balls
Metternich's study
