Nationalism: Italian and German Unification

Emergence of realpolitik:
Failure of ’48 for liberals and Romantics demonstrated
that strong idealism not enough to accomplish
revolutionary goals
–After 1850 “age of realism” replaced Romanticism as
dominant philosophy
–A political representation of realism is the notion of
realpolitik: accomplishing one’s political goals via practical means (as
opposed to idealism driving political decisions).
–Nationalist goals were achievesd step by step. Who does this sound
like from the past?
–Yes, him. Ital. Unificcation, Germ. Unification, Hungarian autonomy
 Italian Unification
 Story of three men
– Giuseppe Mazzini—publicist “The Heart”
– Camillo Cavour—stateman “The Head”
– Giuseppe Garibaldi—soldier “The Sword”
 Until 1850 Italy was dominated by outsiders
 Austrian Empire and Pope led opposition
 Many different visions of a united Italy
– Mazzini: centralized dem-rep based on univ. male suffr. and will
of the people
– Gioberti: Cath priest.—federation of existing states under
presidency of a progressive pope
– Sardinia-Piedmont (autocratic kingdom) ala Germans and Prussia
 Many were apathetic to idea
 Nationalism
 Movement spread by a secret society—
Carbonari(coal-burners)
– Influenced by French Revolution
– Led revolts in 1820 and 1831
– Giuseppe Mazzini—prophet of Italian
Nationalism
» Formed new group called Young Italy
» Campaigns for national Italian dialect
 Unification comes by military and
diplomatic means
 Primarily under the leadership of the one
state in Italy under Italian control, the
Kingdom of Sardinia/Piedmont
 Count Camillo Cavour
 Prime Minister of Kingdom of Sardinia under
King Vic E.
 Build Sardinia/Piedmont into modern
economically sound state
 Clear objectives for Sardinia- Politics of reality
– Northern Italy under Sardinia’s control
» Not interested in Southern Italy
 Too different-poor and agrarian
– Establish kingdom as a serious European power
» Fights in Crimean war
» Negotiates French support in war with Austria
Creation of a Unified Northern Italy
 Prompted by Piedmont’s victory over
Austria, several Italian revolt.
 Tuscany, Modena, Parma and Romagna
revolt and vote to join Piedmont.
 By 1869, Italy consists of three region, a
northern Italian Kingdom, the Papal States
and the Kingdom of Two Sicilies
 Giuseppe Garibaldi
 Leader of a guerilla movement
 Expedition of the Thousand (Red Shirts)
– Venture south into Sicily to bring about
revolution
– Quickly overthrow the corrupt government of
the Two Sicilies
– Cavour now invades the south and “takes” (or
is it “unites”?) the prize from Garibaldi.
 Unification
 By 1861, all of Italy except Rome and
Venetia are united.
 Leadership under King Victor Emmanuel II
of Sardinia
 Venetia will be added in 1866
 Rome seized in 1870.
 Problems after Unification
 Italy—poor w/ large illiterate population
 Division between church and state
 Economic divisions between the North and
South
 Localism too strong in many areas
– Development of local strongmen
– Little knowledge of and participation in gov’t
 Solutions to problems?
 Industry and trade were fostered by govt—
transformismo
 Improved agricultural methods developed
 Gov’t encouraged emigration to US—ease
over-popn due to high birthrate
 High taxes pd to support growing Army and
Navy
 German Unification
 The last big unification piece of the 19th century
– Most important in Europe from 1848 to 1914
– Transformed the economic, military and diplomatic
balance of power
 The question of German unification would center
around the two dominate German speaking
countries of the period—Prussia and Austria
 After 1848, Prussia was the increasing dominant
power.
 Otto von Bismarck
Comes to dominate Prussian, then German politics
from 1962-1890
– Prussian Chancellor from 1862
– One of most remarkable leaders of 19th century
– Came from Junker class (noble landlord) in East Prussia
– Practiced realpolitik, little faith in liberalism or
nationalism. Practical, pragmatic. By any means
necessary
– Conservative, but willing to work with middle class
liberals
– Iron and Blood speech(1862)—willing to use force to
unify Germany, strengthen Prussia
 Early Steps to Unification
 Existing Pieces
– Zollverein—customs union
» Maintained economic links
» Excluded Austria
– Frankfurt Assembly—Assembly of all German states to
exchange ideas
 Bismarck needed to establish dominance in the
Prussian government
– Weaken power of liberals
– Issue of taxation for expanded army
 Wars of Unification
 War with Denmark(1864)
– Dispute over Schleswig-Holstein
– Supported by Austria
– Joint occupation
 War with Austria(1866)
– Seven Weeks’ War (Austro-Prussian War)
– Quickly defeated Austria and German allies
– Austria forced to give up role within Germany
 North German Confederation
 Formation of the North German Confederation
– Prussia annexes Hanover, Hesse, Nassau and Frankfurt
– Sets up basis of political structures
» Appearance of liberalism but in reality a military
monarchy
» 2 House Legislature-- Bundesrat and Reichstag
 Little real power
– Liberalism defeated by dream of unification
 Franco-Prussian War
 In many ways can be viewed as the first
shots of World War I.
 Napoleon III realizes after Prussian
victories in Denmark and Austria that he
must prevent German unification.
 Bismarck’s goal was to complete
unification by bringing into union the
Catholic South German states.
 Ems Telegram
 Bismarck finds an diplomatic issue as excuse for
war
 Question of member of German Royal Family
assuming Spanish throne
– France opposes for strategic purposes (encirclement)
– Pressures Wilhelm I to refuse
– Pushes issue too far
– Bismarck edits telegram from Kaiser –makes it appear
as a German insult to France
 Popular press forces France to declare war on
Prussia—matter of honor
 War
 France is ill-prepared for conflict
– Technologically backward compared to Prussia
 War was over in 6 months
 The states of Southern Germany joined the
Northern German Confederation against France.
 Prussians strike a devastating defeat on the French
at Sedan
– Captured 100,000 French troops
– Take Napoleon III prisoner
 Peace Terms
 France forced to pay a humiliating price for
defeat
– 5 billion franc reparations
– Alsace and Lorraine turned over to Germany
» Important industrial region of France
– Northern France occupied for three years
 Plants the seeds for future year
– French will vow revenge for embarrassment
 Creation of a German Empire
 Bismarck and William I proclaim a German
Empire at Versailles.
» Another insult to France
– German Princes remained heads of their respective
states within the Empire.
 Culmination of Bismarck’s activities
– Consolidated German Empire: uniform currency and
legal code
– Suppress Catholics in South: Kulturkampf:restrict
church , esp. in ed and clergy
 Impact
 Fact and manner of German unification produced long term
effects on Europe
– New German Empire far stronger than Prussia alone
» Militarily, economically it is strongest nation in
Europe
– Blow to European liberalism
» New state is a conservative monarchy
– Major impact on Balance of Power
» France and Austria weakened
» Simmering French hatred
– Germany will now become a defender of the status quo
 Other Actions of Bismarck
 Tried to suppress the socialists:
– Socialists appealed to urban workers who resented low
pay and bad working conditions.
– Bismarck tried to suppress them forcibly 1878 w/ anti-
socialist laws, but failed.
– By the 1880’s, Bismarck began to undermine them by
supporting social legislation to gain the support of the
workers.
– These programs incl. unemployment insurance &
workers’ comp., and soc. Sec. payments for retired
Germans.
 Germany
 1888: William II (defender of divine right)
became king and Bismarck remained the
chancellor, until he was dismissed by
William.
 William II did the following:
– Built up a strong army & navy
– Encouraged industry & commerce
– Encouraged imperialism and annexation
 Austria-Hungary
 Emperor Francis-Joseph tried to solve problems, they
were too great for one ruler
 Problems faced by the empire included:
– The great number of national minorities which were living
in the empire
– Over-extension of the empire into areas, such as Italy
– Failure to compete with the growing power of Prussia.
– Absolutist, dynastic and agrarian liberal, nationalistic
and industrial
 Dual Monarchy
 Revolts occurred in the Hungarian part of the empire between
1861 & 1867.
 Defeat by Prussia and losses in Italy cause Austria to decl. in
influence and power
 1867: Ausgleich:

» Austria and Hungary under one monarch--Dual Monarchy