A History of Western Society: Printed Page 684
A History of Western Society, Value Edition: Printed Page 654
A History of Western Society, Concise Edition: Printed Page 682
The eventual eruption of revolutionary political forces in 1848 was by no means predictable as the Napoleonic era ended. Quite the contrary. After finally defeating Napoleon, the conservative, aristocratic monarchies of Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain — known as the Quadruple Alliance — reaffirmed their determination to hold France in line. Even before Napoleon’s final defeat, the allies had agreed to meet to fashion a general peace accord in 1814 at the Congress of Vienna, where they faced a great challenge: how could they construct a lasting settlement that would not sow the seeds of another war? By carefully managing the balance of power, redrawing the boundaries of formerly French-