Italian and German Unification

The unification of Italy and Germany transformed the European balance of power and led to efforts to construct

a new diplomatic order

Italian Unification

Italian Unification (1815-1871) ● The unification, known as the Risorgimento

(Resurgence), began in 1848 with an attempt by Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi to unite Italy under democracy in the wake of the 1848 revolutions but these efforts failed○ Example: Garibaldi’s Red Shirts

(guerrilla army who invaded Sicily in 1860)

● However a combo of Garibaldi’s military campaigns as well as Count Cavour’s diplomatic strategies finally prevailed in unifying the individual states of Italy

Cavour’s Steps to Italian Unification 1. Create a strong state

● Piedmont was one of the few independent Italian states thus it would be the leader of Italian unification

● Other states were controlled by France and Austria

Cavour subscribed to the idea known as Realpolitik

● Politics must be realistic and reflect interest of individual states

● Accomplishing what is best for the citizens of your country accomplished by whatever means necessary (Machiavellian politics)

2. Find allies and unify the north ● In 1855, Cavour joins Crimean War

on the side of the French○ Negotiates with Emperor

Napoleon III to give France some territories if France supports Italy’s war of independence from Austria, Italy’s greatest enemy to unification

● Result: Italians closer to unification by joining Lombardy and Sardinia under Garibaldi’s military conquests

● In 1861, Italy was united under the King Victor Emmanuel except for Venice and Rome

3. Finish Unification ● 1866: Venice joins

Kingdom of Italy● 1871: French troops left

Rome then attacked by Prussia so Italians join the fray leaving the entire Italian Peninsula under the rule of King Emmanuel ○ Renders pope a

prisoner in Rome, he was against Italian unification

Evaluate the debate over Italian national identity and unification, 1830-1870 (2010 AP DBQ Question)

Goal: Connect nationalism to realpolitik

Cavour’s application of realpolitik was violent and ruthless in that he was not afraid to make a deal in order to give something up for the greater good of the Italian people

● Ex: He joins Crimean War thus willing to sacrifice Italian lives to gain the support of the French

● Ex: Gave up some Italian territories

Realpolitik connected to nationalism because it assumes that there is a nation that people care about and that needs protecting at whatever cost

German Unification

German Unification (1815-1871)Significance: The unification of Germany was the most important political event of 1848-1914, fundamentally altering the Balance of Power in Europe and setting the stage for the World Wars.

● Since the Middle Ages, Germany had been politically fragmented in the Holy Roman Empire, a loose association of hundreds of German principalities that had come to be meaningless (Voltaire claimed that it was “Neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire”), was abolished by Napoleon in 1806. The Congress of Vienna established the German Confederation, an association of 39 politically sovereign states.

● The two most powerful states in the German Confederation: Prussia and Austria ● The Congress of Vienna established Austria as the most powerful German state,

but Prussia would eclipse Austria by embracing militarism and modern industry Prussia and Austria would compete for supremacy in the unification movement

“Those who speak the same language are joined to each other by a multitude of invisible bonds by nature herself.” - Johann Gottlieb Fichte

Two Models for Unification

● What was the Zollverein? First European economic union that allowed goods to move between member states without tariffs while charging an uniform tariff against other nations; goals: stimulate trade and increase state revenue

● The Frankfurt Assembly attempted unsuccessfully to unite Germany on the basis of liberalism

● Otto von Bismarck would unite Germany using realpolitik a school of political thought that rejects ideology, instead of opting for a project of Power (think Machiavelli). Although a conservative at heart, Bismarck would selectively use nationalism, liberalism, and even socialism in order to unify Germany under Prussian dominance.

● In order to silence socialists, Bismarck banned the Social Democratic Party, but instituted the first social welfare programs (accident insurance, health insurance mandates, old age pensions) introduced in Europe. In order to appease Liberals, he instituted anti-Catholic politics and supported industrialization

Big Germany Small Germany

Included Austria Excluded Austria

“Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided...but by iron and blood.” - Otto von Bismarck

The Wars of German Unification

● Germany’s annexation of the French territory of Alsace-Lorraine would cause

lasting divisions between France and Germany in the years leading up to WWI

● Germany becomes most powerful in Europe, replacing France, after 2 decades of

conflict

Blood and IronBismarck’s strategy for unifying Germany

Schleswig Wars Asserted German dominance over areas with German speaking populations

Austro-Prussian War (aka “Seven Weeks War”)

Established Prussia as the dominant German State. Excluded Austria from a united Germany

Franco-Prussian War United Northern and Southern Germany

Bismarck and Realpolitik ● Used Realpolitik employing diplomacy,

industrialized warfare, weaponry, and the manipulation of democratic mechanisms to unify Germany

● After 1871, Bismarck attempted to maintain the balance of power through a complex system of alliances directed at isolating France○ Ex: Three Emperors’ League: Germany,

Austria-Hungary, Austria in 1873○ Ex: Triple Alliance: Austria, Italy, Germany

in 1882● Realpolitik brought about German unification but

German unification ended realpolitik

Germany, Alliances, WWI● Realpolitik is power politics - the most

powerful nation wins so led to all nations entering an arms race and confrontation

● Realpolitik left Europe with fewer options as alliance systems developed ○ When Germany annexed Alsace-Lorraine

led to German-French split ○ Rise of anti German coalition since it was

the most powerful like France was the century before

● Germany is encircled○ Bismarck’s dismissal in 1890 eventually

led to a system of mutually antagonistic alliances and heightened international tensions culminating in WWI