On Rites of Peace

Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna is a vivid narrative history that examines international relations in Europe between 1813, after Napoleon’s invasion of Moscow, and 1815, with the establishment of a new international order after the Battle of Waterloo. In writing this work, Zamoyski underscores the importance of paranoia in the development of a new order: all European leaders in the Congress of Vienna were worried that they would be taken advantage of and find themselves in an unfavorable situation in relation to other powers. Above all, actors in the Congress of Vienna were most anxious about the possibility of rising Austrian power.

Further, Zamoyski argues against scholars like Joseph Schroeder and the famous Henry Kissinger, claiming that the Congress of Vienna did not lead to a century-long Pax Europaea. Although there were no major general European wars between 1815 and 1914, many European countries did participate in multifaceted conflicts like the Crimean War. Moreover, Zamoyski argues that it is unsurprising that Europe did not descend into a regional war in the nineteenth century, as most of the eighteenth century went without much in the way of regional wars. To Zamoyski, the Seven Years’ War is the eighteenth-century equivalent of the Crimean War in terms of scale. This does not seem thoroughly convincing.

Moreover, Zamoyski lambasts the diplomats of the Congress of Vienna for being out of touch with rising ideological movements in Europe. As Zamoyski points out, apologists for those in the Congress tend to claim that there was no way for European leaders to gauge the rising tide of nationalism and liberalism. However, Zamoyski is correct to be unconvinced by these arguments, as discussions of nationalism (and, to lesser extent, liberalism) appear everywhere during the Napoleonic period. This movement was especially powerful in Germany, with the emerging popularity of the Romantics, and Spain.

One primary weakness of this book is that the vast majority of the sources Zamoyski uses are rooted in high politics. Although these documents are essential to making sense of the Congress of Vienna, a far more interesting study would include how these politics reverberated on the ground among soldiers, workers, peasants, and more—if they did at all. Instead, Zamoyski chooses to look at state-building, borders, and discussions of succession. Naturally, these are important, but there must be more to the story than just these issues.

In any case, Zamoyski’s book is highly readable, if a bit too focused. The study of Napoleon mentioned in the title is best understood as “Napoleonic Europe.” While he does appear, Napoleon the individual is not well studied (which I think is quite good!). As such, this book is best read as a work of general European history, rather than a study rooted in France.