The Treaty of Chaumont, signed on 9 March 1814 and dated 1 March, not only distorted the European balance of power in a radical way. It was a completely new departure in the history of international relations. It identified the four signatories, henceforth the Great Powers, as the arbiters of Europe, in effect enshrining the rights of the strongest, in an act which was meant to provide the framework for the conduct of European affairs over the next two decades at least. The four biggest players had taken control of the game, and intended to set the rules from now on.
