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Europe after the Congress of Vienna 477 former members of the Rhine Confederation were bent upon maintaining the "sovereignty" which Napoleon had secured for them ; consequently the allies determined that the several states of Germany should be independent, but "united in a federal union." 840. Dispute over Polish Territory and Saxony. So far all was tolerably harmonious. Nevertheless serious differences of opinion developed at the congress, which nearly brought on war among the allies themselves and encouraged Napoleon's return from Elba. These concerned the disposition of the Polish terri- tory that Napoleon had converted into the grand duchy of War- saw. Prussia agreed with Russia that the territory should remain a separate state under the supremacy of the Tsars. Prussia was then to be indemnified for her losses in the east by annexing the lands of the king of Saxony, who, it was argued, merited this retribution for remaining faithful to Napoleon after the rest of Germany had repudiated him. 841. Sagacity of Talleyrand. Austria and England, on the other hand, were bitterly opposed to this arrangement. They approved neither of dispossessing the king of Saxony nor of extending the Tsar's influence westward by giving him Poland. The great diplomatist Talleyrand, who represented Louis XVIII at the congress, now saw his chance. The allies had resolved to treat France as a black sheep and permit the other four great powers to arrange matters to suit themselves. But they were now hopelessly at odds, and Austria and England found France a welcome ally in their opposition to the northern powers. So in this way France, which had stood apart for the last quarter of a century, was received back into the family of nations. 842. The Compromise. A compromise was at last reached. The Tsar, Alexander, was allowed to create a kingdom of Poland out of the grand duchy of Warsaw, but only half of the possessions of the king of Saxony were ceded to Prussia. As a further indem- nity to Prussia, Frederick William III was given certain districts on the left (that is, west) bank of the Rhine which had previously belonged to ecclesiastical and petty lay princes before the Treaty of Luneville. The power of Prussia was thus increased in western