The Unification Of Germany And Italy

By 1871 both the kingdom of Italy and the empire of Germany were united. Even though both countries used popular trends to that time, both liberalism and nationalism, the process unifying these two countries was very different. The end result was Germany emerging as a strong nation and Italy appropriately, the weaker.

Those who agreed that Italy should be unified argued that Italy would not survive in the separated states, would be vulnerable to invasions, and would ultimately be weaker overall. Giuseppe Mazzini, an attorney who was exiled from Piedmont and wanted Italy to be unified so that he could

6. Nationalism can be both a unifying and disunifying force in many different ways. One way nationalism was a unifying force was that it brought people together who were not loyal to the king and did not want him to rule. Many of these people we known as liberals and radicals. Since they were not loyal to their kings they were instead loyal to their people or to those that they shared a common bond with. Nationalism was also able to unify masses of people. Specifically nationalism was able to unify the country of Italy when nationalist in Italy had looked for leadership form from the largest and most powerful kingdom in the Italian states, Piedmont-Sardinia. Another country that was also unified by nationalism in the mid-1800's was the country

3. In the mid-nineteenth century, Italy wasn’t unified. Italy was made up of independent states that nationalist wanted unified, but failed. Mazzini was “the most important nationalist leader in Europe and brought new fervor to the cause” (690). Mazzini desperately wanted Italy to be united and it finally was and became the Italian Republic. In 1860, the country shaped boot became a nation-state. After the war with Austria, “the forces of romantic republican nationalism compelled Cavour to pursue the complete unification of northern and southern Italy” (691).

Nationalism holds that where a nation exists, it should govern itself. The forces of nationalism influenced central Europe from Italy to the land of the Austrian Habsburgs. After 1815, the region knew the positive effects of a different style of governing and was divided into a much more rational set of political units. There was an effort by both states to unite its segmented lands, so that they could have a more international standpoint. By 1870, both Italy and the Austrian Empire had been re-established. Italy had become unified into a central power, whereas Austria-Hungary had established a dual monarchy.

Nationalism is a sense of pride one has towards their nation's achievements and the belief that the nation should be able to control the government, and each facet of manufacturing. After Napoleon’s exile to Elba, the Congress of Vienna tried to resolve the issues in Europe. Delegates from Austria, Britain, Prussia and Russia wanted a new Europe that left Germany and Italy as separate states. Strong nationalist groups led to the reuniting of Italy in 1861 and Germany in 1871. The resolution at the end of the Franco-Prussian war left France irritated at the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. France was destined to recover this lost territory. Large areas of both Austria-Hungary and Serbia were home to opposing nationalist groups, but all had the same vision to have freedom from the states in which they lived. (Crocker, 2017).

The Common Factors that Led to the Establishment of Totalitarian Regimes in Italy and Germany in the Inter-War Period

Germany was unified by “blood and iron” in the Prussian wars before Germany was one nation. The Prussia war campaign against Denmark, Austria, and France led to the creation of the German Empire. After each victory against these countries the German Empire gained more and more territories and continuously expanded. The idea of nationalism was not only used to fuel these wars, but also afterwards in creating a limited government. In fueling these wars, the citizens were promised that a unified German Empire will lead to prosperity and peace. They were only too happy to go on the offensive and try and claim new lands in the name of their great nation. Once they had conquered these lands and claimed a small piece as a prize, they set up Kaiser Wilhelm as the Emperor on July 18, 1871. After this the Reichstag was formed as the limited government with the illusion that they could make a difference. In truth, Kaiser Wilhelm would shoot down any bill he seemed to disagree with. Also they all reported to Wilhelm and could easily be fired for causing too much trouble for them. With the German

Italy was dealing with ideals of nationality and political dis-unification since the fall of Rome. The political fragmentation and the economic inequality of the north and south led to Emmanuel II and Benso to expand Emmanuel’s rule and unify Italy. Along with Giuseppe Mazzinni, who was a product of the revolution of 1848, was able to unify the nation. At the same time, Germany was also seeking unification via Austria or Prussia. Prussia was currently the economic powerhouse of the Rhineland Because of this, Prussia was able to take control of and create the North German Confederation. Civilians now had a country to look up to and connect to. Before, most countries had an incredibly diverse group of people living within it. Different ethnic groups, language, and traditions all contributed to people not being able to relate to their country as a whole and only feel pride for their smaller community. At this point, people have sought to seek their own nation that they can relate to and these movements increased throughout the years. “There is no doubt that the number of nationalistic movements increased considerably in Europe in the 1870s” (Hobsbawan 145), showing how the nationalist movement grew over the course of a few decades. Though these revolts did not always work out, they set a standard for rulers that they now had to respect and listen to their people. This also built pride within the nation to know that the people held some power. After the unifications, European nations felt as if their own country was by far the most superior and felt as if they should be the one to control most of the world. This nationalistic idea led to imperialism. Along with the lack of resources countries had for their ever-growing populations, European nations set for the “Scramble of

During the beginning of the 1800’s, nationalism was a major deal in Europe. This thought of have superiority over other countries was important to the countries of Europe. Johann Gottlieb Fitche wrote about German Nationalism and he says “ The first, original, and truly natural boundaries of states are beyond doubt their internal boundaries. Those who speak the same language are joined to each other by a multitude of invisible bonds by nature herself, long before any human heart begins; they understand each other... they belong together and are by nature one and an inseparable whole.” This shows throughout Germany unifying because this

At the settlement of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the principle of nationalism was ignored in favor of preserving the peace. Germany and Italy were left as divided states, but strong nationalist movements and

In the late 1800’s, The Unification of Germany was a major historical event. Germany used to go by the name Prussia but later on in history it changed. Otto Von Bismarck transformed Germany from what it used to be,a loose depended confederation of separate states into an independent powerful empire. Nationalism was essential in those unifications. Bismarck used a sense of national pride, particularly against foreign powers, to unite their respective states. He made certain alliances and used other strategies to do this, including leading Prussia into several wars. Defeating France and Austria was the main focus in order to establish his dream of unification. Successful in the Franco Prussian War and Austro Prussian War helped unite northern

German nationalism was a crucial part of the country's unification that developed over time. Germany's nationalism began during the Napoleonic Wars of 1799 to 1815. France's leader at the time, Napoleon, lead in the invasion of German territory. This destruction prompted Germany's bourgeoisie to want a modern German nation-state with its own cultural identity. The state would ideally be built on liberal democracy, constitutionalism, representation, and popular sovereignty. The Treaty of Vienna was created after the Napoleonic Wars in attempt to establish a German-nation state. Instead, a collection of German states that lacked strong federal institutions joined together under Prussian rule. This was known as a "Customs Union," or Zollverein.

Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and Imperial Japan all shared a global concept of fascism where the willingness to create a collective conscious of nationhood was justified through imperialism. Indeed, the importance of nationalism within Fascist culture would greatly affect the foreign policies of Italy, Germany, and Japan during the 1930s and 1940s. World War one had brought about revolutionary changes in the nature of war, society, and technology, where the advent of total war and mass mobilization showed the potential of a unified community run by the state. Fascists saw World War One as symbolizing the beginning of a new era where totalitarian governments sought to unify their nations by mobilizing the national community. In Italy, Benito Mussolini and his Fascist regime created one national community by eliminating the boundaries between the public and private sphere where the Nation would come before the Individual. In Germany, Hitler used nationalism to call for the unification of all German speaking peoples into a single empire known as the Volk. In Japan, the success of imperialism and the emphasis on collective belonging and shared past led to a nationalistic movement known as Pan Asianism where the Japanese aimed to unify all Asians. The respect of the state, a devotion to a strong leader, and the emphasis on militarism were all common features of the totalitarian states of Italy, Japan, and Germany but nationalism served as a pivotal feature in creating a

”My goal, which was, I believe, shared by most italians at that time, was to unite the country and rid it of foreign powers. Those who gave Italy her freedom would earn her people’s gratitude” (Garibaldi, page 6). During the age of Italian unification, there were three men who fought for her (Italy’s) freedom. Those men were Cavour the brains, Mazzini the soul, and Garibaldi the sword (Chastain).