 French Foreign Minister Talleyrand; the treaty provided him an opportunity to end French diplomatic isolation | |
| Signed | 3 January 1815 |
|---|---|
| Location | Vienna |
| Condition | Defensive alliance in case of attack by another party |
| Expiration | 8 February 1815 |
| Signatories |  Talleyrand  Metternich  Castlereagh |
| Parties | France Austria Great Britain |
The Secret Treaty of Vienna was a defensive alliance signed on 3 January 1815 by France, the Austrian Empire and Great Britain. It took place during the Congress of Vienna, negotiations on the future of Europe following Napoleon's defeat in the War of the Sixth Coalition.
The long-serving French representative, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, wanted to end France's diplomatic isolation and reassure other powers it had renounced any revolutionary intentions. He was provided an opportunity to do so through the Polish-Saxon crisis, caused by Prussia attempting to annex much of Saxony, and Russia doing the same for Poland.
Since such proposals were opposed by Britain and Austria, it allowed France to position itself as a supporter of legality, and divide the Four Powers. Talleyrand proposed the treaty to Lord Castlereagh and Klemens von Metternich, as a means of warning off Prussia and Russia. The three powers signed on 3 January 1815, agreeing to respond to an attack on any party with a field army of at least 120,000 infantry and 30,000 cavalry.
However, the signatories had no real intention of going to war, and details of the treaty were deliberately leaked. As a result, Alexander I accepted the creation of a semi-independent Polish state; in February, Prussia agreed to a reduced allocation of 40% of Saxony. After the defeat of Napoleon, the Prussian contribution to the campaign was recognised by increasing this to 60%.