Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Power to the People... and Louis XVIII



What should people in power do when their power is threatened? What should people in power do when Napoleon conquers Europe? The Congress of Vienna was created to help solve problems brought up by Napoleon Bonaparte’s European conquests. The congress played an important role in returning power back to those who had their powers threatened. In class we did a group activity on padlet.com, where we read a background essay and chose a solution to various problems the Congress of Vienna had to face.

Klemens von Metternich was one of many powerful people at the congress of vienna. He along with the other leaders came up with the principle of legitimacy. This principle restored the power in lawful monarchs. The charter of 1814 was put in place to make France a constitutional monarchy in which all French people were equal before the law. This allowed all people to practice any religion freely. Power was reestablished within the Bourbon monarchy, allowing Louis XVIII to rule,  but there was still more equality and power for the French people.

The decision to restore the throne to Louis XVIII was a good choice for the success of France. I think it was good idea because it allowed France to go back to a system of government that they were familiar with. This gave them the opportunity to rebuild their society rather quickly. I feel that that was a smart decision because France had a boost of confidence and strength.

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