Unit 8: Unification & Politics of the 19th Century

(1815-1914)

Germany Before Unification

• 39 States: The German Confederation

• Two dominant states– Austria & Prussia

• Prussia’s advantages– Mainly German

population– Powerful Army– Industrialization

Early Action towards Unification• Zollverein (1834): German customs union

– Purpose was to stimulate trade, increase revenues of member states

• Left out Austria – why?• Wanted to weaken Austria’s power over German states• Relationship between Austria and other states deteriorate

Prussia • Frankfurt Assembly (1848)– Movement for German

unification (excluding Austria) fails

• Olmutz (1850)– Major European powers afraid

of German unification– Prussia forced to give up

unification plan and accept the renewed German Confederation, still dominated by Austria

• Prussians refer to it as “Humiliation of Olmutz”

• Move towards more liberal government under King William I (ruled 1861-1888)

William I & Bismarck• William I: Conservative

– Supported by Junkers (nobles)

– Allowed liberals and moderates in government

– Wanted to strengthen army and unify Germany

– Liberals refused to approve army build-up

• Calls upon Otto Von Bismarck for assistance in 1862 stalemate over budget– “Realpolitik” – politics through sheer

force and power • To gain practical results, make no moral or

ideological considerations – just do it• Ends justify the means

Bismarck’s Realpolitik

• Bismarck urges king to ignore the liberals in government– Enforce taxes, build army

• Bismarck becomes leader of unification movement – named Prime Minister by William

• Bismarck a master politician– Would wisely assess a political

scene, used cleverness and force to accomplish goals

“The great questions of the day will not be decided by speeches and resolutions, that was the blunder of 1848 and 1849 – but by blood and iron.”

Bismarck’s Main Goal:

UNITE GERMAN STATES

Bismarck unites Germany in three steps…

STEP ONE• Create alliance with

Austria– 1864 – Went to war with

Denmark over bordering regions of Schleswig and Holstein

– Prussia & Austria win in six weeks

• Prussia got Schleswig• Austria got Holstein

– Bismarck knew this arrangement would cause tension – Just what he wanted…

WHY?

STEP TWO• Create conflict with

Austria– Border conflicts

between Prussia and Austria over Schleswig & Holstein

– With war looming, Bismarck isolates Austria from allies

• Convinces France to stay neutral

• Promised Italy control of Venetia (still owned by Austria)

STEP TWO• Lures Austria into war• Austro-Prussian War

– “Seven Weeks War”

• Prussia defeats Austria at Battle of Sadowa (July 1866)

• Results of war:– Austria lost Venetia to Italy

(who helped Prussia)– Prussia gained control of

northern German states

STEP THREE• Needed the Catholics in

the South to feel a sense of German nationalism

• France was isolated by Bismarck’s diplomacy

• “Ems Dispatch”– Bismarck altered a

telegram sent from Prussia to France – outrages both nations

• France declares war (1870)

STEP THREE

• Franco-Prussian War (1870)• France launches attack on

southern German states• Outside attack stirred

nationalism in south, desire for protection

• Prussia sweeps down and defeats French at Battle of Sedan, Siege of Paris

• French surrender

Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)

• France owes compensation, forfeits Alsace and part of Lorraine

• Second Reich proclaimed– (First Reich refers to Holy Roman Empire)

• William I crowned emperor of German Empire

Mission Accomplished: Germany is United

The Second Reich

• King William I (AKA Kaiser Wilhelm I) from House of Hohenzollern– Hohenzollern monarch had ruled in Prussia and parts

of Germany for centuries• Kaiser headed federal union, 26 states, 41 million in

population• Bicameral legislature:

– Bundersat (upper house)– Reichstag (lower house)– Legislature does not have power over Chancellor…

Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck• Bismarck believes effective states

have one faith, one law, one ruler• Distrusted Catholic Church, Socialist

party– Launched: “Kulturkampf” – persecution

against Catholics– Tried to suppress socialists, Socialist

Democratic Party• Despite Bismarck’s anti-socialists laws, party

gains popularity

– Eventually compromised on both issues

New Kaisers

• William I dies in 1888• His son, Frederick III is crowned

new Kaiser– More open to socialist and liberal

movements

– Plans to apply more liberal ideas in Germany…

– Dies of cancer after 3 months of ruling

• His son, William II (AKA Wilhelm II) crowned new Kaiser rules from 1888-1918– Will be last of the Hohenzollern

rulers by 1918

Kaiser Wilhelm II

• New emperor lacked finesse, intelligence of father and grandfather– Resented Bismarck’s power,

pressured him into retiring

• Germany still progressed flourished– Highly competitive industry against

Britain– Dominated world market in chemicals,

electrical industries– High literacy, vocational training,

government supported industry

The Austrian Empire:What is a big problem here?

Decline of Austria• Nationalism rising throughout empire

– Problem for Austrians?– NOT Austrian nationalism: Hungarian,

Polish, Romanian, German, Czech, Italian, Slovakian, etc.

• Hungarians demanding equality with Vienna– Revolution for independence in 1848 fails

• 1864 – Defeat in Austro-Prussian War– Afterwards, King Franz Joseph I

(Habsburg) offers Hungary equal power– “Ausgleich” constitution accepted in 1867

• Creates a Duel Monarchy:• Franz Joseph now king of Hungary and

emperor of Austria

Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary

• Both Austria and Hungary had own constitution, language, flag, economies, etc

• Ethnic crises in both parts of the empire• 8 different nationalities, languages, cultures,

etc…• Hungarians try to force “Magyarization”

• Forcing diverse citizens to practice only one language and culture: Hungarian

• Complete disunity and disorganization• Chaotic, weak and inefficient empire would last

until 1914

Italy Before Unification• Italy reorganized at

Congress of Vienna in 1815

• Austria ruled Lombardy & Venetia

• Spanish ruled Kingdom of Two Sicilies

• Piedmont-Sardinia was the most powerful of the Italian States, ruled by King Charles Albert – an Italian monarch

Early Action• Revolutions of 1830

– Giuseppe Mazzini attempts to organize a movement

– Takes power from fleeing Pope Pius – forms a Roman Republic

– France invades, restores Pope’s power

• Revolutions of 1848– Many states granted

temporary liberal constitutions• Both Mazzini and Giuseppe

Garibaldi involved in this movement

Piedmont-Sardinia Takes Control• King Victor Emmanuel II

– Monarch of Sardinia• Prime Minister Camillo

Cavour aristocrat– Liberal, uses diplomacy against

Austria– Gains support of Britain &

France– Uses “Realpolitik”

• Together will lead unification– Goal at first: strengthen

Sardinia’s power, not to necessarily unify Italy

– Focused on Northern Italy

What empire was in their way in Northern Italy?

Austria Out Of Italy!• Made secret arrangement with

Napoleon III to provoke a war with Austria

• 1858 – Austria is lured into attacking Sardinia, France comes to defense and Austrians are driven out– France will get Nice and Savoy – Italians get part of Northern Italy

but not Venetia• They will get Venetia later by helping

the Germans fight Austria in 1866

Things worked out well so Cavoursets his sights on southern Italy.

…Unification?

Meanwhile in the South…• Garibaldi & his Red Shirts

captured Sicily in 1860, inspiring Sicilians to join the cause for unification

• Cavour secretly supports Garibaldi– Why is he helping?

• Garibaldi marches north toward Rome and the Vatican– Cavour afraid of implications, calls

for vote in conquered territories

• Voted to unite southern areas with Sardinia– Garibaldi stepped aside

Italy Unified!

…almost.

What’s the problem?

Italian Unification• Ruled by Victor Emmanuel II• 1866 – added Venetia as a result of

the Seven weeks War (also called the Austro-Prussian War)

• 1870 – added Papal States– Pope still governed Vatican City

Challenges: • Regional conflicts

– Industrialized north vs. agricultural south– Peasant revolts, economic problems

• Political conflict leads to violence• Mass emigration to United States

Italy enters 20th century a poor and struggling nation