The Congress of Vienna was conducted with the aim of reestablishing the territorial divisions of Europe at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. This in turn lead achieving a balance of power among the countries of Europe, which brought peace and order to Europe. To accomplish this diplomacy, the principle of a 'just equilibrium" was adopted and the redrawing of boundaries of Europe to control the expansion of France was made. However, the objectives were achieved to a limited extent since countries" self-interest affected the settlement of boundaries in Europe.

             Each Great Power, Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, and Austria came to the Congress of Vienna with a preset idea of what each of their own countries were to achieve. Lord Casthereagh represented Britain at the Congress, adopted the idea of a 'just equilibrium" from William Pitt. Casthereagh believed that the redrawing of country"s boundaries in Europe should reflect equality in terms of size and quantity of land, when compared to the other powers. Thus, the term 'just" meant fairness and 'equilibrium" meant the common point of intersection in which all the powers were equal in territorial land. However, Britain"s self-interests got in the way of this idea. Castlereagh believed the first settlement of Europe should not threaten Britain"s enormous and vulnerable empire, and which whom international trade could be pursued without hindrance, as an increasingly industrialized country had to live. Thus, Britain focused on their naval supremacy to get this result. She obtained the Dutch colony of the Cape of Good Hope and Ceylon for eastern trade routes, Malta and the Ionian Islands for control of the Mediterranean, Holigoland for the control of the North Sea, and Trinidad to maintain trade within South America. Of these, the strategic islands were worth the most in terms of value, trade, and control of the waterways.