Editing Conservative Order (section)

==Congress of Vienna==
In March 1814 the military [[coalition]] of [[Napoleon]]'s four major opponents ([[United Kingdom]], [[Austria]], [[Prussia]] and [[Russia]]) had agreed to remain united not only to defeat [[France]] but also to ensure peace after the war. After Napoleon's defeat, the alliance restored the Bourbon monarchy to France and agreed to meet in [[Vienna]], Austria, in September 1814 to arrange a settlement, a meeting that would become known as the [[Congress of Vienna]].

The conservatives' goal at the meeting, led by Prince [[Klemens von Metternich]] of Austria, was said to be to re-establish peace in [[Europe]]. Metternich and the other four states sought to do so by restoring the old ruling families and to create [[buffer zones]] between the major powers. To contain the still-powerful French, the [[House of Orange-Nassau]] was put onto the throne in the [[Netherlands]] in what had been the [[Dutch Republic]] and the [[Austrian Netherlands]] (now [[Belgium]]). Southeast of France, [[Piedmont (Italy)|Piedmont]] (officially part of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia]]) was enlarged. The [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]] dynasty was restored to France and to [[Spain]] as well as a return of other former rulers to the [[Italy|Italian]] states. To contain the Russian empire, [[Poland]] was divided up between Austria, Prussia and Russia. Austria and Prussia were allowed to keep some of their Polish territories, and a new nominally-independent Polish kingdom was established, with the [[Romanov]] dynasty of Russia as its hereditary monarchs. Also, the [[German Confederation]] was created to replace the Napoleonic [[Confederation of the Rhine]].

During the Congress of Vienna, Napoleon escaped from [[Elba]] and launched his unsuccessful "[[Hundred Days]]". That ultimately did not disrupt the meeting but as a punishment to the French for allowing Napoleon back in power, they were forced to pay an [[indemnity]], accept an army of occupation for five years and have France's borders returned to those of 1790.