Italian and German Unification

Nationalism
• What is nationalism?
Intense pride in/devotion to one’s nation.

Usually occurs between people who share a
common history, language, and culture.
• In Germany, nationalism is
sparked by Napoleon’s
invasions and by the Congress
of Vienna
The
Unification of
Germany
Congress of Vienna
• At the Congress of Vienna, Prince
Clemens von Metternich of Austria
argued against a unified Germany
because it would have dismantled
existing governments
• Instead, a weak German
Confederation was created,
headed by Austria.
Confederation- a political
unit where individual states
have more power than the
overall government
What do you notice about the German
Confederation?
Prussia vs. Austria-Hungary
• Prussia and Austria dominated the German
Confederation
• Prussia had many advantages that allowed it to
become a unified state:
• Primarily German Ethnic Groups in Austria-Hungary
• Powerful army
• More industrialized
• Austria-Hungary, on the other
hand, had a difficult time
unifying:
• Many different ethnicities
• Lacked prosperity
Otto Von Bismarck
• Otto Von Bismarck was the only one
able to succeed in creating a unified
Germany
• Prussian diplomat in France and Russia,
named Prime Minister of Prussia under
King William (Wilhelm) I
• Becomes Chancellor of a unified
Germany in 1871
Blood and Iron
• Bismarck’s strategy to create a unified
German people is one of “blood and Realpolitik-
iron” realistic politics
• Blood- military might/war based on the
• Iron- industry (to create military
weapons)
needs of the state
• Bismarck was also a master of
Realpolitik, willing to do
whatever was necessary to
accomplish his goals
• Ironically, Bismarck was not a
German nationalist- he wanted to
unify Germany to secure Prussian
dominance
Powerful Military
• Bismarck’s first step was to create a
powerful Prussian Army.
• However, the Prussian legislature refused
to provide him with funding for his army.
Bismarck responded by simply taking
money that had been collected for other
purposes.
The ends justify the means

• The End- a well-trained and well-armed
Prussian army
• The Means- taking money set aside for
other things to fund the army
Bismarck’s Army
• Over the next decade, Bismarck’s army fights
three wars that result in German unity under
a Prussian Ruler
• The first battle is over the Danish provinces
of Schleswig and Holstein
• Bismarck formed an alliance with Austria to
“liberate” the two heavily German provinces
from Denmark
• Prussia gets Schleswig, Austria gets Holstein
War with Austria (1866)
• Bismarck invents an excuse to
attack Austria, and after 7 weeks
of fighting the superior Prussian
army wins
• The weak Austrian-led German
Confederation is dissolved and
Bismarck establishes a Prussian
dominated confederation in its
place
• But Bismarck is smart, and Austria
remains independent....why?
Franco-Prussian War (1870)
• France was concerned with the Prussian win over Austria
• Germans recalled the invasions of Napoleon Bonaparte, and Bismarck
played up the image of the “French menace” to ignite German
nationalism
• Then Bismarck sparked war by tampering with the records of a meeting
between Prussian King William I and a French Ambassador, making it
look like William I had insulted the French.
The ends justify the means...
• France declares war, and loses to the
Germans in a few short weeks
German Empire
• After France’s defeat, the
Germans convince Prussia’s
King William I to take the
title of Kaiser (emperor). This
begins the Second Reich
(empire).
• 1st Reich- Holy Roman

Empire
• 2nd Reich- Kaiser William I

(Chancellor Bismarck)
• 3rd Reich- Adolf Hitler

Limited Reforms
• Under Kaiser Bundesrat Reichstag
William I,
Germany set up Upper house- members Lower house- elected by
a 2-house appointed by rulers of the universal male suffrage
Legislature: German States
• The Bundesrat could veto the

Reichstag’s votes at any time.
Therefore, power really just
stayed with the Kaiser and his
Chancellor- Otto Von Bismarck
• What’s wrong with this set up?
Does it remind you of a similar
situation in France?
The Iron Chancellor
• As Chancellor, Bismarck used the same
realpolitik methods he used to achieve
unification the ends justify the means
• He worked to erase local loyalties and
crushed all opposition to the new
government, especially the Catholic
Church and the Socialists
• This earned him the nickname
“The Iron Chancellor”
-Italian
Unification-
I. In the early 1800s Italy was comprised of
small autonomous cities and provinces.
However, several factors caused many
Italians to seek a unified nation
A. Napoleon had combined some

Italian territories, giving people a sense of
Italian unity
B. After the Congress of Vienna many

Italian territories were under foreign rule
C. Italians had a common language and

religion
II. During the 1830s and 1840s,
strong nationalist leaders emerged
who wanted a united Italy
A. Giuseppe Mazzini organized a

secret society known as “Young
Italy”
1. Mazzini was the

heart/voice of unification
2. He wanted a liberal
democratic republic to govern
a united Italy
B. Count Camillo Cavour
ran a newspaper called
“Risorgimento”, which
means, “The
Resurrection”
1. Cavour was the

brains of unification
2. He favored a unified
Italy led by Sardinia
C. Giuseppe Garibaldi
was a military leader who
commanded a group
known as the Red Shirts
1. Garibaldi was the

sword of unification
2. He would be
responsible for driving
the Spanish out of
southern Italy
III. In 1848, Nationalists revolted against foreign rule in Italy
A. The revolt failed

IV. After 1848, several events helped Italy unify
A. Count Cavour, acting as prime minister of

Sardinia, allied his state with Britain and France
against Russia in the Crimean War
B. In 1858 Cavour convinced France to help

Sardinia drive Austria out of northern Italy
1. France received Nice and Savoy for its

participation
V. Italian Unification
A. Cavour had successfully driven foreign

powers out of most of northern Italy
1. Southern Italy was still controlled by

the Spanish Bourbons
B. With secret support in 1860, Garibaldi organized his Red Shirts
and forced the Bourbons out of southern Italy
1. Garibaldi turned his forces to Rome, which was protected

by the French
2. Cavour interceded and convinced Garibaldi to not attack

Rome
C. Garibaldi turned over his territory to the King of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel
1. By 1870 Italy had added Venetia and Rome
2. After years of struggle Italy was unified

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Nationalism

Intense pride in/devotion to one’s nation.

The ends justify the means

• 1st Reich- Holy Roman

• 2nd Reich- Kaiser William I

• 3rd Reich- Adolf Hitler

• The Bundesrat could veto the

A. Napoleon had combined some

B. After the Congress of Vienna many

C. Italians had a common language and

A. Giuseppe Mazzini organized a

1. Mazzini was the

1. Cavour was the

1. Garibaldi was the

A. The revolt failed

A. Count Cavour, acting as prime minister of

B. In 1858 Cavour convinced France to help

1. France received Nice and Savoy for its

A. Cavour had successfully driven foreign

1. Southern Italy was still controlled by

1. Garibaldi turned his forces to Rome, which was protected

2. Cavour interceded and convinced Garibaldi to not attack

1. By 1870 Italy had added Venetia and Rome

2. After years of struggle Italy was unified

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