Vienna, Congress of

1. A conference of European nations held in 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte . It redrew the boundaries of Europe and sought to lay the groundwork for peace. Under the conservative influence of Prince Metternich of Austria , many European territories were given to the kings and princes who had held them before the French Revolution . Although movements toward democracy in Europe were set back by these events, no major fighting occurred in Europe until the Crimean War nearly forty years later.