Congress of Troppau convenes the powers of Russia, Austria and Prussia

Background. The Congress of Troppau was a conference of the Quintuple Alliance, called to discuss means of suppressing the revolution in Naples of July 1820. It met at the behest of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. The gathering took place within the broader system of alliances concluded after the Napoleonic Wars, which included the Holy Alliance of Austria, Prussia, and Russia and the later Quintuple Alliance with Britain and France, aimed at upholding the European peace settlement.

Participants. Alexander I of Russia and Francis I of Austria attended in person. King Frederick William III of Prussia was represented by his crown prince. The foreign policy ministers present included Prince Metternich for Austria, Count Capo d'Istria for Russia, and Prince Hardenberg for Prussia. Metternich played a central role in influencing the proceedings.

Troppau Protocol. In a series of conferences from which the British and French representatives were excluded, a preliminary protocol was signed by Austria, Russia, and Prussia on 8 November 1820. The Troppau Protocol itself was signed on 19 November 1820. It declared that states which had undergone a change of government due to revolution, the result of which threatened other states, ipso facto ceased to be members of the European Alliance until their situation gave guarantees for legal order and stability.