The Peace Congress of Paris in 1856. Franco-Russian relations and the Romanian Question

Abstract

40 years after the Congress of Vienna that ended the Napoleonic Wars, European diplomats gathered in Paris. France, together with England, managed to defeat Russia in the Crimean War, and now it was crowned with the laurels of success. On the agenda of foreign policy of the Great Powers appeared Romanian question. Despite the fact that Russia was defeated, it approached to France as a result of secret negotiations between the Duke de Morny and Russian ambassador in Vienna Gorchakov in 1855.

The Congress of Paris in 1856 demonstrated evidence of this rapprochement. France put forward for discussion the question of the union of two Romanian principalities that suddenly found support from Russia, which wanted to be rehabilitated to Romanians and looked for an opportunity to destroy the Franco-British alliance. Despite this, both countries warring at the time of the Crimean War, cooperated in implementing the desires of Romanians, and sometimes France was ready to concede to Russians. The Congress of Paris did not give a definitive solution on the question because of divergent views of the Great Powers, but managed to find support from Russia.