- Restoration of Legitimacy: The Vienna Congress sought to restore the rule of deposed monarchies and traditional institutions. This meant installing legitimate rulers, such as the French Bourbons, back in power.
- Territorial Changes: The Congress wanted to reshape the map of Europe to create stable geopolitical boundaries and prevent future conflicts. This included territorial revisions, such as creating the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the enlargement of Prussia.
- Power Balance: The nations at Vienna aimed to establish a balance of power among European countries to prevent any one state from becoming too dominant. For example, France lost territory and was surrounded by stronger neighboring countries.
- Establishment of Alliances: To maintain peace and stability, the European nations created a series of alliances and diplomatic agreements, most notably the Quadruple Alliance between Russia, Prussia, Austria, and the United Kingdom.
Overall, the nations at the Congress of Vienna sought to prevent the recurrence of the upheaval and wars of the past decades by restoring stability, addressing the issues of territorial disputes and power dynamics, and promoting cooperative diplomatic relations.