The Initial Disappointment at Vienna
January 1, 1836

The Vienna Peace Congress of 1814-15 spelled the end of the Napoleonic Era. New nations were formed, large swathes of land changed hands, and Russian territories moved west closer than ever before.

For Prussia, large portions of Polish territory seized in the 1790s were transferred to Russia. East Frisia was given to Hanover. In exchange, Prussia received land it did not want: a sliver of Saxony, not all of it, the Swedish rump of Pomerania, and the Rhenish/Westphalian lands.

Further, Prussia wanted a Germany with strong central executive organs such that Prussia (and Austria) could share power over the lesser states. The Austrians, however, wanted a loose confederation of independent states with few central institutions. The 1815 German Confederal Treaty showed Europe that Austrian policymakers won.

But not all was lost. The Rhenish lands would turn out to be an immeasurable boon to the Prussian state. Prussia also reinforced its territorial position within German Europe, holding more "German" territory than Austria.

The German Customs Union came into effect on January 1, 1834, maneuvered into place by Prussia. Nearly 90% of the German population lived in the member states of the Union. The Union had the potential to increase Prussian influence over all of Germany. While that has not yet materialized, it still stands as a demonstration of what Prussia can achieve throughout all of Germany.

By 1836, Prussia had set any disappointments it had with the Vienna Peace Congress. It now looked at further expansion.