Intro to Nationalism Nationalism and Unification Movements

Intro to NationalismIntro to Nationalism

Nationalism and Unification Movements

Definitions

• Nationalism = pride in one’s nation

• Nation = a group with a common culture or language

• Nation-state = one nation living within defined political boundaries– What we tend to think of these as “countries”

today

Congress of Vienna • Congress of Vienna = 1815

– Re-drew many old boundaries– Restored monarchies

NOTE: The two old empires, also comprised of differing NATIONS, drawn NOTE: The two old empires, also comprised of differing NATIONS, drawn into the new German Confederationinto the new German Confederation

What happened between 1815 and the present to What happened between 1815 and the present to change the map of Europe?change the map of Europe?

1815 Today

Congress of Vienna Implications

• Not everyone was happy with the boundaries set forth by the Congress– Small revolts around continental Europe take

place

• Attempts for Germany to unite (the Prussian and Austrian parts)

• Attempts for Italy to unite

Continental Europe v. G.B.

• Continental Europe is experiencing instability while…

• …Great Britain (G.B. or U.K.) is experience a time of more prosperity and democracy– They expand people’s political rights through

legislative rights– They outlaw slavery

Unification of Italy

• Italy did not become the country (nation-state) that we now know of until the late 1800s

• It had existed as different city-states and papal states

• However, many of these city states shared a common culture and language

• Therefore they were consider a…..…..you guessed it!! NATIONNATION

Unification of Italy

• Count Camilo Benso di Cavour– The “brain” of Italian unification– Prime Minister of Sardinia– Worked to improve economy– Used money to strengthen

Sardinia’s army– From 1852 - 1859, he gradually took over

the northern states of Italy

Northern Unification

• Giuseppe Garibaldi– The “sword” of Italian

unification– His army was nicknamed

the “Red Shirts”– Led his army to victory

over French forces in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies from 1860 - 1861

– Gave the territory to the King of Sardinia

Southern Unification

• “Red Shirts” (Garibaldi in center)

Southern Unification

• 1861 – Northern and Southern Italy are united

• 1866 – the northern province of Venetia is added

• 1870 – Papal States are the last area added to Italy

• Rome is made the nation’s capital

• Italy was unified and King Victor Emmanuel of Sardinia was declared king.

Italian Unification

German UnificationGerman Unification

These factors were present in the These factors were present in the German statesGerman states

• The reaction to prior domination was a greater sense of German identity

• Liberal Revolutions of 1848– Demand for democratic rights

These factors were present in the German states

• External wars in the late 1800’s

– Seven Weeks War with Austria (1866)

– Franco-Prussian War with France (1870)

Prussia was the largest of the German states

The leader of Prussia was Kaiser Wilhelm (or William) I

But the real power behind unification came from Otto von Bismarck

Bismarck’s PhilosophyBismarck’s Philosophy

“The great questions of the day will not be settled by speeches and majority decisions -- that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849 -- but by blood and iron.”

Bismarck’s PhilosophyBismarck’s Philosophy

• Against the liberal revolutions and democratic ideals

• Realpolitik - “realistic politics” based on a country’s interests, not on individual rights

Bismarck’s PhilosophyBismarck’s Philosophy

• Built up the military (militarism)

• Provoked war to get German states to unify

Thanks to Bismarck, war, diplomacy, and nationalism Germany became a unified

state in 1871.