How did Austria, Britain, and France work together to check Russian and Prussian expansion at the Congress of Vienna?

At the Congress of Vienna, Klemens von Metternich of Austria successfully checked the territorial ambitions of Russia and Prussia by fostering a strategic alliance with Great Britain and France.1

Metternich viewed a stable France as an essential counterweight to Russian influence in Europe. By advocating for France's equality of status, he integrated it into a common diplomatic front with Austria and Britain. This coalition effectively resisted Russian and Prussian expansionism, particularly regarding their designs on Poland and Saxony.12

The cooperation between these powers was formalized on January 3, 1815, when Austria, Britain, and France concluded a secret treaty of defensive alliance to counter the demands of Russia and Prussia. Through this diplomatic maneuvering, Metternich secured a reduction in Prussian claims on Saxony and successfully blocked the more extensive territorial goals of Russia. This balance of power, maintained by the collaboration of these three nations, was fundamental to the Congress of Vienna’s objective of establishing long-term stability in Europe.21