Italian and German Unification

1. The Age Nationalism and Imperialism

2. What is Nationalism?
I. What is Nationalism?
A. Nationalism is a feeling of strong loyalty and devotion to one's country and
culture and these bonded tie people together.
1. European empires were made up of many different ethnic groups.
B. Nationalists believed that people of a single “nationality,” or ancestry, should
unite under their own freely elected government.
1. Nationalists were not loyal to kings, but to their people and to those who
shared common bonds.

3. Nationalism: A Force for Unity or Disunity
I. Nationalism: A Force for Unity or Disunity
A. During the 1800s, nationalism fueled efforts to build nation-states.
B. Gradually, authoritarian rulers began to see that nationalism could also unify
masses of people.
1. They soon began to use nationalist feelings for their own purposes.
2. They built nation-states in areas where they remained firmly in control.
C. In Europe, nationalism also upset the balance of power set up at the Congress
of Vienna in 1815 and affected the lives of millions.
II. Extreme Nationalism is the belief that one's culture or country is better than
another.

5. Italy Before Unification (1858-1870)
I. Unification of Italy
A. Congress of Vienna had broken Italy into many small kingdoms after
Napoleon (French Emperor) was defeated.
1. Papal States- Kingdoms in Italy were ruled by the Catholic Church.
B. Austrian domination
1. Most kingdoms in Italy were controlled by Austria.
a. These kingdoms often had conflicting interests and fought each other.
C. Italians united to fight the foreign domination of their country.
1. Secret patriotic and nationalistic societies spread throughout Italy.
2. Austria and France often sent troops to crush rebellions.

6. Cavour Unites Italy
I. Cavour Leads Italian Unification
A. Italian nationalists looked for leadership from the kingdom of Sardinia,
the largest and most powerful of the Italian states.
B. In 1852, Sardinia’s king, Victor Emmanuel II, named Count Camillo di
Cavour (kuh•VOOR) as his prime minister.
C. Camillo di Cavour and his plans for Italian unification:
1. Took power away from the church.
2. Promoted industry and built railroads.
4. Improved agriculture and supported education.
6. Enlarged the army.
Victor Emmanuel II
Camillo di Cavour

7. Cavour Leads Italian Unification
I. Cavour Leads Italian Unification
A. Cavour was a cunning political leader who used skillful diplomacy to sign a
secret alliance in 1858 with France by giving Emperor Napoleon III land in
exchange for help with driving Austria out of the northern Italian provinces.
2. Cavour then provoked a war with the Austrians.
3. With France's help, Cavour defeated Austria and regained control of most
of northern Italy, except Venetia.
a. Only Southern Italy remained under Austrian rule.
Emperor Napoleon III
Savoy
Nice
Areas given to
Napoleon III in
exchange for his help
against Austria.
Area regained by
Italy from Austria

8. Garibaldi Giuseppe Brings Unity
I. Garibaldi Giuseppe Brings Unity
A. Giuseppe Garibaldi (GAR•uh•BAWL•dee), an Italian freedom fighter.
B. In May 1860, Garibaldi led a small army of one thousand Italian nationalists
to unite southern Italy.
1. Defeated the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.
C. Garibaldi and Cavour united and established the Kingdom of Italy.
1. In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia became the king of Italy.
In battle, Garibaldi always wore
a bright red shirt, as did his
followers. As a result, they
became known as the Red
Shirts.

9. Rome Becomes the Capital of the United Kingdom of Italy
I. Rome becomes the capital of the United Kingdom of Italy.
A. In 1866, the Austrian province of Venetia, which included the city of Venice,
became part of Italy.
B. In 1870, Italian forces took over the last part of a territory known as the
Papal States.
1. With this victory, the city of Rome came under Italian control.
2. Soon after, Rome became the capital of the United Kingdom of Italy.
C. The pope, however, would continue to govern a section of Rome known as
Vatican City.
Vatican City

11. Unification of Germany
I. Unification of Germany
A. Prior to unification, Germany was a loose confederation of states controlled
by Austria.
B. Beginning in 1815, thirty-nine German states formed a loose grouping called
the German Confederation in which Austria dominated.
C. The German states entered into a union with the Zollverein (Prussia) in 1844.
1. This upset Austria because it promoted free trade with Prussia and other
German states without paying heavy tariffs (taxes on imported goods) to
Austria.
German States
[1815]
Prussia
Austria
German States
In the 1800s poets,
philosophers, and
students spread the
idea of a unifying
German
“Fatherland,” which
caused German
nationalism to rise.

12. Prussia Leads German Unification
I. Prussia Leads German Unification
A. Prussia was a powerful independent country in northern Europe ruled by
King William I.
B. Prussia enjoyed several advantages that would eventually help it forge a
strong German state.
1. Unlike the Austro-Hungary, Prussia had a mainly German population.
a. As a result, nationalism actually unified Prussia.
1a. In contrast, ethnic groups in Austria-Hungary tore the empire apart.
2. Prussia’s army was by far the most powerful in central Europe.
Prussia was the strongest German state because it had
the largest coal deposits in Europe, which fueled
Prussia’s iron and steel industries.
Prussia was a
militaristic state with
an army that was
strong, disciplined,
and well equipped.
King William I

13. Otto von Bismarck Takes Control
I. Otto von Bismarck
A. In 1862, Wilhelm I chose a conservative Junker named Otto von Bismarck as
the Prussian prime minister.
1. The Junkers (YUNG•kuhrz) were the strongly conservative members of
Prussia’s wealthy landowning class.
B. Otto Von Bismarck was nicknamed, “The Iron Chancellor.”
C. The strong and skillful Otto von Bismarck desired to unite all of Germany.
1. Problems?
a. Northern Germany was mostly Lutherans. (Protestants)
b. Southern Germany was mostly Catholics.
Protestant
Germany
Catholic
Germany

14. Realpolitik
I. Realpolitik
A. Bismarck’s Realpolitik, or “realistic politics” meant taking the most practical
path to unification, even if it meant dishonest alliances or starting wars.
B. With realpolitik as his style, Bismarck declared that he would rule without the
consent of parliament and without a legal budget.
1. These actions were in direct violation of the German constitution.
C. In his first speech as prime minister, he defiantly told members of the
Prussian parliament,
1. “It is not by means of speeches and majority resolutions that the great issues of the day will
be decided, that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849, but by blood and iron.”
Realpolitik
Bismarck insisted
unification would be
achieved “not with
speeches and majority
decisions…but with blood
and iron.”

15. Bismarck at War
Believing “the ends justify the means,” or that wrong actions can be used to attain
good outcomes, Bismarck led Prussia through three wars to unite Germany.
Prussia Expands

16. Danish War
Prussia Expands
In 1864, Bismarck took the first step toward molding an empire.
Prussia and Austria formed an alliance and went to war against Denmark to win
two border provinces, Schleswig and Holstein.
A quick victory increased national pride among Prussians.
It also won new respect from other Germans and lent support for Prussia as
head of a unified Germany.
After the victory, Prussia governed Schleswig, while Austria controlled Holstein.
Prussia and Austria soon began to disagree over this division. Bismarck used this
dispute to provoke Austria to war.

17. Prussia gains
Schleswig
Austria gains
Holstein

18. Austro-Prussian War
Bismarck purposely stirred up border conflicts with Austria over Schleswig and
Holstein.
The tensions provoked Austria into declaring war on Prussia in 1866.
This conflict was known as the Seven Weeks’ War.
The Prussians used their superior training and equipment to win a devastating
victory.
They humiliated Austria.
The Austrians lost the region of Venetia, which was given to Italy.
They had to accept Prussian annexation of more German territory.
With its victory in the Seven Weeks’ War, Prussia took control of northern
Germany.
For the first time, the eastern and western parts of the Prussian kingdom were
joined.
In 1867, the remaining states of the north joined the North German
Confederation, which Prussia dominated completely.
Now only France stood between Bismarck and total German unification.

19. Land Gained after
War with Austria

20. Bismarck ended the Austrian-led
“German Confederation” and
created the new Prussian-led
North German Confederation.
Now only France stood between
Bismarck and total German
unification.
North German Confederation

21. Franco-Prussian War
To start this war Bismarck edited the “Ems telegram,” which made it seem as
though Prussia’s King Wilhelm I had insulted France. Napoleon III declared
war on July 15, 1870, and Bismarck rallied the southern German states to join
Prussia.
Through some crafty manipulation,
Bismarck succeeded in increasing the
tension between the two countries until
France declared war on July 15, 1870

22. Franco-Prussian War
Prussia defeated the French in two months and France was forced to give up
the industrial border territories of Alsace and Lorraine, and pay huge
reparations, or fines.
In September 1870, the Prussian army surrounded the main French force at Sedan.
Among the 83,000 French prisoners taken was Napoleon III himself.
In September 1870, the Prussian army surrounded the main French force at Sedan.
Among the 83,000 French prisoners taken was Napoleon III himself.
In September 1870, the Prussian army surrounded
the main French force at Sedan. Among the 83,000
French prisoners taken was Napoleon III himself.
The war lasted about two months and was known as the Franco-
Prussian War. The victory completed the unification of
Germany, but created a lasting enemy in France.

23. SOUTHERN
GERMAN
STATES
NORTH GERMAN
CONFEDERATION

24. The Second Reich
In 1871 Bismarck assembled the German princes in France’s Versailles Palace
where they declared Wilhelm I Kaiser, or emperor, of the newly unified
powerful German Empire.
The new German Empire was called the Second Reich (empire). The Germans
considered the Holy Roman Empire to be the First Reich.
The constitution of the Second Reich established a union of 25 states. Each state
was to be governed by its own king, prince, archduke, or duke.

25. Kaiser
Wilhelm I
Bismarck
German Princes

26. GERMANY

27. Austria-Hungary Empire
Austria-Hungary Empire was ruled by Emperor Franz Joseph.
Austria lost most of its empire to national independence movements
i.e. Italian unification and German unification.
The Duel Monarchy occurred when Hungary demanded
independence from Austria. Austria made a deal with Hungary in
which Austria and Hungary would have separate governments, but
Franz Joseph would rule both parts of the empire.
Franz Joseph

28. Turkish Empire “Ottoman Empire”
The decline of the Ottoman Empire was due to poorly run and corrupt
government. Often called the "Sick Man of Europe."
Unable to prevent nationalistic uprisings i.e. Greece achieved independence in
1829, Egypt achieved independence in 1869 and in 1877, with the help of Russia,
the Balkan States of Serbia, Romania, Montenegro, and Bulgaria gained their
independence.
Germany, France, and England seized the opportunity and expanded their
influence into the region once dominated by the Turkish Empire. The seeds of
the First World War were sowed.
The Major Powers of Europe,
especially Russia and Britain, began
referring to the Empire as the “Sick
Man of Europe,” with various ideas
as to how best serve their own
interests as this major empire began
to collapse.

29. Turkish Empire “Ottoman Empire”

30. Growth of Imperialism (1850-1910)
Imperialism is an attempt to control weaker countries economically,
militarily, and politically. The primary causes for imperialism; to gain glory
for one's country, to secure military bases and war materials, and to secure
outlet for overpopulation.
Annexation is the addition of a new territory to an existing country.
Countries with Imperialistic aspirations during the late 1800's.
A. Great Britain- Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
1. "The sun never sets on the British Empire."
B. Germany
1. Unified in 1871, aspirations in Africa and Asia.
C. United States- Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific.
D. France- Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Africa.

31. European Overseas Empires

32. Africa: The Dark Continent
European Colonization of
Africa (1885)
European Colonization of
Africa (1895)

33. European Pacific Colonies

34. "The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire."

35. Concepts to Know:
•What is nationalism? Extreme nationalism? Is there a difference?
•Describe the unification of Italy.
•Describe the unification of Germany.
•What result of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 would be a topic for the
World Wars?
•Describe the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.
•Describe the Ottoman Empire.
•What was imperialism?
•What are the types of imperialism?
•Describe some of the aspirations of imperialistic countries?