Standard 15b
Compare and contrast the rise
of the nation state in Germany
under Otto von Bismarck and
Japan under Emperor Meiji.
NATIONALISM
RISE OF NATION-STATES
• GERMAN STATES
• GERMANY
• OTTO VON
BISMARCK
• JAPAN
• EMPIRE OF JAPAN
• EMPEROR MEIJII
Nationalism
• Nationalism is the most powerful idea of
the 19th century (1800’s)
– The belief that people should be loyal
mainly to their nation – that is, to the
people with whom they share a culture and
history – rather than a king or empire
• This idea led to the building of Nationstates
Three types of Nationalism
• Unification
– Mergers of politically divided but culturally
similar lands
• Separation
– Culturally distinct group resists being
added to a state or tries to break away
• State-building
– Culturally distinct groups form into a new
state by accepting a single culture
Nationalism
Unification of Germany:
• Led by Prussia
• Otto von Bismarck – Prime
Minister under Wilhelm I
– Policy of Realpolitik:
• Tough power politics - no idealism
• Issues not decided by resolutions,
but by “blood and iron”
• Allowed him to expand Prussia &
achieve dominance
Prussian Empire
• Bismark uses his position to centralize
power
– Take regions from Denmark
– Use the military victories to provoke
Austria into attacking them
– Use their advanced military training to
defeat Austria
Germany
• 1815: German nation-states unify to
form the German Confederation
– Austria and Prussia both tried to dominate
this group
• 1848, Germans force a constitutional
convention
– Prussia is the best represented here
because they are the most similar to
Germany with a large ethnic German
population
Germany
Seven Weeks’ War (1866)
• Bismarck provoked Austria to declare war on
Prussia
• Prussia (superior training & equipment)
humiliated Austria
• Austrians lost Venetia – given to Italy
• Had to accept Prussian annexation of more
German territory
• Prussia took control of N. Germany – for 1st
time, E & W Prussia joined
Germany
Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
• Bismarck manufactured “incident” that caused
France to declare war on Prussia
• Defeated and humiliated the French
• Bismarck became a national hero w/ victory
• Final stage in German unification
• S. Germans (Catholic) accepted Prussian
(Protestant) leadership
• King Wilhelm I crowned “Kaiser” – emperor
– Called empire “Second Reich” (HRE was the 1st)
• Bismarck achieved Prussian dominance by
“blood and iron”
Industrialization in Japan
Contributing Factors
• Meiji Reform:
– Meiji = “enlightened rule”
– Mutsuhito – symbolized pride & nationalism
– Took over gov’t after Tokugawa shogun
stepped down
Meiji Japan
• The Meiji Era rulers decide that to
compete and counter western influence
was to modernize
• Begin purchasing modern weapons,
building railroads
• Dress in western clothing
• Japan began to trade with the rest of
the world and became richer
Industrialization in Japan
Process:
• Westernization:
– To counter western influence = modernize
– Diplomats sent to Europe, N. America to
study Western ways
– Chose best & adapted
– Modernized military
Industrialization in Japan
Process:
• Modernization:
– Coal production grew
– Built thousands of
factories
– Expanded unique
production (tea & silk)
– Shipbuilding to be
competitive with west
Japan
Modernization Pays Off for Japan
• By 1890, Japan had:
– Several dozen warships
– 500,000 well-trained, well-armed soldiers
– Became strongest military power in Asia
Japan Modernizes
• Japan had not traded or interacted with
others during the I.R.
• 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry (US)
goes to Japan and opens trade
• Treaty of Kanagawa – Japan and the
U.S. agree to trade and allow U.S. ships
to refuel
Japan
Japan Gains Western Favor as a
Nation-State
• Constitution & legal codes similar to European
nations
• Wanted to eliminate extraterritorial rights
of foreigners
• 1894 – foreign powers accepted it
• Strength & feeling of equality rose
Japan Expands
• Japan’s national pride led them to begin
to expand
• 1894 – Japan breaks a treaty and
attacks Korea
– Japan wins the war with Korea and China
and conquers Korea, gaining Taiwan as a
colony
– Became more imperialistic-needed
resources for industry.
Reaction to Foreign Domination
Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905):
• Causes:
– Russia refused to
stay out of Korea
– Japanese led
surprise attack on
Russian navy
anchored off
coast of
Manchuria
Reaction to Foreign Domination
Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905):
• Results:
– Destruction of Russian navy
– Humiliation of Russia and Czar Nicholas II
– Territorial gains for Japan (Manchuria &
Korea)
– Withdrawal of Russia from Manchuria &
Korea