The Congress of Vienna was a major international conference that took place from September 1814 to June 1815 with the goal of restoring stability and peace in Europe after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. One of the key objectives of the Congress was to restore the old monarchies that had been overthrown during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, and to reaffirm the principle of legitimacy (the rightful rule of monarchs based on birth rather than popular consent).
As a result of the Congress, the Bourbon monarchy was restored in France, and the Habsburg monarchy was restored in Austria. The Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire also gained significant territorial gains, while other smaller states were re-established or created. The Congress also created the German Confederation, a loose union of German states that aimed to prevent future conflicts within Germany.
The Congress of Vienna largely succeeded in restoring absolutism in Europe, although it did not completely eliminate the ideas and movements for political change that had emerged during the French Revolution. In many European countries, there were ongoing tensions and struggles between the absolute monarchs and liberal or nationalist movements that sought greater political participation and civil rights. However, the Congress of Vienna represented a significant attempt to restore the pre-revolutionary status quo and uphold traditional forms of authority in Europe.