Final Act of the Viennese Ministerial Conferences (May 15, 1820)

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Art. 25. Maintaining domestic law and order in the Confederal states is up to the governments alone. As an exception, however, in consideration of domestic security for the entire Confederation, and as a result of the obligation of Confederal members to mutual assistance, the cooperation of the whole [Confederation] toward maintaining or restoring peace can take place in case of insubordination by subjects against the government, [in case] of an open uprising, or of dangerous movements in several Confederal states.

Art. 26. When domestic peace in a Confederal state is directly threatened by insubordination of subjects against the authorities, and a dissemination of rebellious movements is to be feared, or a real rebellion has broken out, and the government itself, after exhausting constitutional and legal means, calls for the support of the Confederation, then it is incumbent upon the Confederal Assembly to arrange immediate assistance for the restoration of peace. Should, in the last-mentioned case, the government be notoriously unable to suppress the rebellion using its own resources, yet simultaneously prevented by circumstances from seeking the assistance of the Confederation, the Confederal Assembly is not for that reason any less obliged, even if not called upon, to intervene to restore order and security. But in any event, the disciplinary measures decreed should not be longer in duration than the government served by Confederal assistance deems necessary.

Art. 27. The government which is granted such assistance is obliged to inform the Confederal Assembly of the occasion for the unrest that occurred, and to send a reassuring notification to the same on the disciplinary measures taken to solidify the restoration of legal order.

Art. 28. When public peace and legal order are threatened in several Confederal states by dangerous associations and attacks, and the only way this can be countered is through cooperation of the whole [Confederation], then the Confederal Assembly is authorized and called upon, after previous consultation with the governments threatened in the first place, to discuss and conclude such disciplinary measures.

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