Who among the following was not a member of the Big Four in the Congress of Vienna (1815)?

The Congress of Vienna (1814–1815) was convened by the major powers that had collectively defeated Napoleon Bonaparte to redraw the map of Europe and establish a long-term peace plan [1]. The 'Big Four' powers, also known as the Quadruple Alliance, consisted of Great Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia [1]. These four nations were the primary architects of the settlement, with the Austrian Chancellor Duke Metternich serving as the host [1]. While France was eventually represented at the Congress by Talleyrand and later joined the 'Concert of Europe' as a fifth member, it was not part of the original 'Big Four' victors; rather, it was the defeated power whose expansion the Congress specifically sought to contain [2]. Therefore, France is the correct answer as it was not a member of the initial Big Four alliance.

Sources

1. [1] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe > 2.3 A New Conservatism after 1815 > p. 10
2. [2] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe > New words > p. 11