The Unification of Italy and
Germany
Thesis
• Italy was a unification led by great individuals
and Germany was a unification led by great
ideals.
Realpolitik
• Refers to politics or diplomacy based primarily
on practical considerations, rather than
ideological notions
• Pragmatic
• Otto Von Bismark – biggest proponent
• Guiseppe Mazzini
Why did these two have so many
problems?
Italy
• Divide because Italy had
disparate issues in different
parts of the countryside.
• Northern and Southern
Italians had different
governments and ideas –
North: LiberalizedMonarchy (House of Savoy)
/ South: Traditional
Bourbon Dynasty Monarchy
Germany
• Divided because they were
split between Austria and
Prussia.
Which Italian States Are We Talking
About…
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Kingdom of Two Sicilies
Papal States
Lombardy (Ruled by Austria)
Venetia (Ruled by Austria)
Toscany, Parma, and Modena (Hapsburgs)
Piedmont-Sardinia (House of Savoy)
Carbonari Revolts
• The Carbonari were a
secret organization in
Italy formed after the
influence of Napoleon
(liberals)
• Gained a temporary
constitution in Kingdom
of Two Sicilies, and
revolted in Piedmont
and the Papal States.
• They were defeated in
all of these instances.
The Leaders of the Unification
Movement
• After the failure of Carbonari, there were a
group of new leaders who emerged.
• They were all inspired by Liberalism and
Nationalism, however each played a different
role.
3 Leaders of Unification
Giuseppe
Mazzini
Count Camillo
Cavour
Giuseppe
Garibaldi
Guiseppe Mazzini
• “The Intellectual”
• Mazzini is an idealist who even in exile starts
Young Italy – a movement to unify the nation.
• He was a great writer and speaker who was
the ideology behind the unification or
Risorgimento.
• In 1848 almost unified nation – actually
elected as head of the new Roman Republic.
However Austrians reinstituted the Pope and
the “balance of power” – however he relied
on the masses who were not committed.
Count Camillo Cavour
• “The Architect”
• Cavour was the prime minister of PiedmontSardinia – the only truly Italian dynasty under
Victor Emmanuel.
• He was a statesman who relied on things like
treaties and progressive economic reforms.
• Cavour established treaties with England and
France during Crimean War.
• Set up a scheme with Napoleon III to get control
of all of Northern Italy. Didn’t completely work
BUT created a new nationalism
Guiseppe Garibaldi
• “The Warrior Patriot”
• TRULY A REVOLUTIONARY HERO
• Part of Mazzini’s revolt in 1834 – forced to flee
because he was going to be executed
• Went to South America and fought in two
revolutionary armies there – got married and
learned about Gaucho culture
Garibaldi (Cont.)
• Garibaldi fought in the 1848 revolutions and
attempted unification. Once again Garibaldi
lost and was forced to go into exile – to Staten
Island.
• Garibaldi returned by 1859 for the Second
Italian War of Independence, but broke with
Mazzini and Cavour.
• Working for Piedmont, he attacked Southern
Italy, specifically the Kingdom of Two Sicily's.
• Did this with a voluntary force – i mile (the
thousand) – also known as the redshirts.
The Final Unification
• Garibaldi claimed Sicily in the name of Victor
Emmanuel and would continue on to
Southern Italy with the assistance of the
French.
• By March 17, 1861 Victor Emmanuel
proclaimed king of Italy.
• The Piedmontiese were not willing to attack
Rome for fear of French. Italy not completely
unified until 1870.
Final Garibaldi Stories
• Offered a command by Lincoln in the Civil
War, but refused unless Lincoln made the
abolition of slaver priority 1.
• Tried to capture Rome multiple times and
each time was repelled by the French.
• Never allowed his troops to fire on Italian
troops when they came into collision (his
troops were mostly volunteers)
• Shot two times in the leg.
Why was Germany Different?
• 1800s  German-speaking people live in
small states to which they pledged their
loyalty
• Napoleon’s conquests  caused Germans to
want to be free from French rule
• Napoleon’s defeat  caused Germans to call
for a strong, unified nation
• Italy was a movement of individuals, this is a
movement focused by a country - Prussia
Germany before unification
• Several individual German states
• - 1815, ~39 German states were brought together
by similar culture
• - Several other territories will become part of
Germany after being taken away from foreign
control
• - Austro-Hungarian and Prussian Empires are the
two largest
• - Nationalism will lead towards the unification of
Germany, led by the Prussian empire
Why Prussia?
• Had a large well trained army.
• Government was stable and very disciplined.
• Local nobles, called Junkers, has been brought
under the heel of the king.
• Had a big and growing factory system.
• Ruled under Realpolitik
Early Unifiers
• 1834 – The Zollverein – Trade union
established by Prussia that ended trade
barriers between German speaking states
• - This was a step towards unity – people from
different parts can interact much easier
• - Established Prussia as the leader among the
other German states
Otto Von Bismark
• 1862 – Otto von Bismarck
becomes the Chancellor of
Prussia
• - Strong, practical leader
• - Used realpolitik to gain
power in government
• - Stepped up an led the
unification of Germany
• - (did this b/c he wanted to
help Prussian king become
more powerful) (not because
he felt strong nationalistic
feelings) (although used these
feelings of the population to
help bring unification about)
“Blood and Iron”
• - Only way to unify the country
• - Has to be done accomplished with force and
through war
• - Led the German states, more specifically
Prussia, into 3 wars
• - Wars increased Prussian power and presence
in Germany, and also brought the states closer
together
• Established by Otto Von Bismark
The Blood…
• 1864, Danish War: Prussia (Germany) and Austria vs.
Denmark
– With help from Austria, Prussia seized lands from Denmark
– Lands were heavily populated by German-speaking people
– helped bring German-states closer together
• 1866, Austro-Prussian War: Prussia (Germany) vs.
Austria
– Bismarck turned Prussia against former allies just a few
years later
– Prussia easily defeated Austria – took only about 7 weeks
– Several German states become united in the North
German Confederation
More Blood…
• 1870, Franco-Prussia War: Prussia (Germany)
vs. France
– Bismarck stirred up nationalistic feelings amongst
German people by bringing up memories of
Napoleon’s conquests to gain support for war
against France
– Prussia and German allies easily defeat France
– Southern German states agree to unite with
Prussia and the North German Confederation after
the war
Franco-Prussian War – Cont.
• Transition War – it is a transition between the
older style of fighting and the modern warfare
that will happen between the Napoleonic
Wars and World War I
• Caused the collapse of Napoleon III – end of
the second French Empire, beginning of the
Third Republic.
• Germans gained Alsace-Lorraine – reason for
French invasion.
The Second Reich
• 1871, German Unification: The Kaiser
– German states unite under rule of Prussian King,
William I
– William calls himself Kaiser, which is derived from
the name Caesar, meaning emperor
• - The Second Reich