... said, because in a mere 24 pages Paul W. Schroeder does away with this century long notion that the Vienna settlement and the ensuing political system of nineteenth-century Europe was based on such a system. In his essay, he argues that any interpretation of an 1815 balance of power needs not to be redefined but should be completely disregarded, for the "essential power relations were hegemonic, not balanced, and a hegemonic distribution of power, along with other factors, made the system work."1 But let us first turn towards the issue of balance of power, a term that itself imperatively calls out for further clarification, and has been the focus of hot-heated debate among historians.2 The concept of balance of power is historically specific and changes according to the situation, implying that it is not a universal principle. It is a very vague notion that bears different meanings. In order to ...

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