How to React to Threatened Power

Essential question: What should people in power do when their power is threatened?

In class, we watched a interactive map about the Congress of Vienna. The map showed how the Congress of Vienna impacted Europe. We then watched a 4 minute video of Napoleon and Metternich. In the video Metternich commanded Napoleon to stop his conquest. Napoleons response was that he threatened to reduce Vienna to rubble. The essential question is "What should people in power do when their power is threatened?". The question in what they discussed greatly at the Congress of Vienna.


A reaction that the European powers had when Napoleon was defeated was that they felt there needed to be more balance in the power of Europe because they wanted to avoid having another "Napoleon". Before Napoleon was defeated, he had all the power. The reason Napoleon has all the power is because he conquered Belgium, Venice, Egypt, Austria, Prussia, he captured Vienna, he occupied Berlin, he lead the invasion of Spain in 1808, he invaded Portugal and he invaded Russia. The powerful people at the Congress of Vienna were able to create the balance of power by creating a more powerful Russian presence on France's eastern border. A treaty was created that made Belgium and Holland neutral countries. The other European countries included France into the Grand Alliance to avoid war. By creating these new "systems", they were able to balance power so their power won't be threatened in the near future. 


I believe that the powerful people at the Congress of Vienna made the right choice. They where able create a balance of power that would prevent wars and violence. They were able to create the peace that they desperately needed after Napoleons violent conquests. Some circumstances that the powerful might want to give some power up would be when they get threatened by another country of if they get invaded and they invaders ask for some more land or supplies. If this would ever happen, then they should give some power up. Overall, this information answers the question, "What should people in power do when their power is threatened?".

Video we watched in class.

Balancing Power Info