Italian & German Unification

Italy (1859-1860)

Antiquity:Roman Empire

1. Why wasn’t Italy united before 1850?

Middle Ages: competing city-states

1. Why wasn’t Italy united before 1850?

Congress of Vienna (1815): reorganized provinces

1. Why wasn’t Italy united before 1850?

2. 1815-1848: 3 basic approaches to unification

Approach #1:Goal: centralized democratic

republic universal male suffrage

Advocate: Giuseppe Mazzini

FAILED(too radical)

Mazzini, writer/philosopher/politici

an

2. 1815-1848: 3 basic approaches to unification

Approach #2:Goal: federation pres. = progressive

pope

Advocate: Vincenzo Gioberti

FAILED(Pope Pius IX opposed)

Gioberti, Catholic priest

2. 1815-1848: 3 basic approaches to unification

Approach #3:Goal: union under

leadership of Sardinia-Piedmont

Advocate: ???

WINNER!!!Victor Emmanuel,

King of Sardinia-Piedmont (1849-1861)

3. Key Events

Early 1860: unification of N Italy

Late 1860: unification of N & S

1866: Venice added

1870: Rome added

4a. The Soul: Mazzini (1805-1872)

The Duties of Man:

“O my brothers, love your Country! Our country is our Home, the house that God has given us, placing therein a numerous family that loves us, and whom we love…”

The Idealist Patriot

4b. The Brains: Cavour (1810-1861)

Unification of Northern Italy

1850s: strengthen Sardinia

1858-1859: Quest to get Lombardy-Venetia from Austria!1. ally w/ France2. goad Austria into war3. Franco-Sardinian

victory!4. France pulls support …

separate peace w/ Austria: Italy gets Lombardy only

5. Cavour resigns

Noble Statesman in Sardinian Government, 1850-

1861

4b. The Brains: Cavour (1810-1861)

Unification of Northern Italy

1858-1859: Central Italy to the rescue – demand unification!

1860:1. Cavour returns &

France re-pledges support

2. N. Italy unified (w/o Venetia)

4c. The Sword: Garibaldi (1807-1882)

Unification of North & South

Red Shirts 1860:

1. conquer Sicily2. plan to invade Papal

States stopped by Cavour

3. Cavour orders plebiscite S. states vote to join N

Military Leader

Government:Divisions between:

parliamentary monarchy (Victor Emmanuel)

limited suffrage

social classes (rich/poor)

regions (N/S)

5. What did the new, unified Italy look like?

Germany(1871)

1a. Entities:

Holy Roman Empire

loose affiliation of ≈300 German states

800-1806

“First Reich”

1b. Entities:

German Confederation

loose affiliation of 39 German states

1815-1866

replaced HRE

purpose: military defense

ineffective federal diet met at Frankfurt under Austrian pres.

1c. Entities: Schleswig-Holstein

Schleswig-Holstein: mostly German Holstein = member of

German Confederation ruled by Denmark

1848 & 1864: WARS! Denmark vs. Germany over control of S-H

1d. Entities: Zollverein

German customs union founded in 1834 to ↑ economy

Prussia = leaderincluded all German

states but Austria b/c Austria did not want to ↓ tariffs

2a. People: Frederick William IV

King of Prussia (r. 1840-1861)

1848: new liberal constitution accepts Prussian-led

German unification

1849: tries to be elected emperor of unified Germany

1850: Austria & Russia successfully oppose Prussia’s unification plans

2b. People: William I

King of Prussia (r. 1861-1888)

1st German Emperor (r. 1871-1888)

2c. People: Otto von Bismarck

1st German Chancellor (1871-1890) … “Iron Chancellor”

Minister-President of Prussia (1862-1873)

background: Prussian, Junker, conservative

led German unification

3. 1st unification attempt: 1848 Revolution

Driving forces:1. Liberalism: make

absolutist Prussia a liberal constitutional monarchy

2. Nationalism: unite Germany

Events:1. Constituent Assembly

(Berlin) – liberal constitution for Prussia

2. National Assembly (Frankfurt) – constitution for unified Germany

Outcome: FAILURE!!!!1. Fred Will IV makes

conservative constitution for Prussia

2. Austria opposes unification

Frederick William I, the “Soldiers’ King” (r. 1713-

1740)

4. Obstacles to German Unification

A. Denmark

B. Austria

C. Conservatism vs. Liberalism in Prussia

4a. Denmark

Denmark vs. Prussia & Austria over control of S-H

First Schleswig War (1848) = inconclusiveHow obstacle overcome: Second Schleswig

War (1864) = Denmark defeated

4b. Austria

Austria vs. Prussia over control of German affairs

Austria opposes Prussia’s 1848 unification attempt

Austria refuses Zollverein membership Austro-Prussian War (1866)

How obstacle overcome: Prussian victory in Austro-Prussian War

4c. Liberalism vs. Conservatism in Prussia

Liberals: Prussian parliamentConservatives: William I & BismarckEvents:

1862: parliament rejects William’s budget 1862: William appoints Bismarck chief minister 1862-1866: Bismarck rules w/o parliament (“blood &

iron”) 1866: indemnity bill

How obstacle overcome: liberals & Bismarck align in common pursuit of unification

5a. Unification: Austro-Prussian War (1866)

Cause: Prussia wants to control

northern German Confederation

war to drive Austria out of German affairs

Outcome: Prussian victory Austria withdraws ***creation of North

German Confederation***

North German Confederation

5b. Unification: Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)

Cause: drive south German states

to unify with the north France = common enemy

Outcome: Prussian victory ***German unification

achieved*** German nationalism harsh peace for France

German Empire / “Second Reich” (1871-1918)

6. What did the new, unified Germany look like?

25 statesparliamentary monarchystrong national government:

emperor (Kaiser) chancellor 2-house parliament

Reichstag = lower house (universal male suffrage)