Unit 6: Western Nationalism and Revolutions (1789 – 1900)
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Nationalism – loyalty
and love for one’s
nation and culture. The
most powerful force of
the 1800s. It made
countries and broke
countries. It also upset
the balance of power in
Europe established by
the Congress of Vienna.
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Nationalism in Action
Germany & Italy –
Politically divided, but
culturally similar
(Unification)
Greece & Fr. Canada Culturally different
breaks away from state
or tries to (Separation)
U.S. & Turkey –
Culturally distinct
groups buy into one
culture (State-building)
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1866 – Austro-Prussian War –
Prussia wins in 7 weeks & forms
North German Confederation
(Prussia + 21 smaller Ger.
States)
Emperor Franz Joseph
(Hapsburg) split Austria &
Hungary into 2 separate
nations with him the ruler of
both. Nationalism would
continue to hammer away at
Austria-Hungary and it broke
up for good after WW I as we
will later see.
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Czars ruled empire (Russians,
Ukrainians, Poles, Finns, &
others) for 370 years.
Czar Alexander III (Romanov
Dynasty) began program of
Russification – forcing their
culture onto other groups and
Pogroms – massacres of Jews in
late 19th Century.
This actually strengthened
nationalist feelings and led to
revolution in 1917 and overthrow
of the czar for a communist
dictatorship.
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Ruled by Turks, they controlled
Greeks, Slavs, Arabs, Bulgarians,
& Armenians.
1856 – Great Britain pressured
them into granting all people
equal rights of citizenship.
Conservative Turks massacred
and deported Armenians (most
were Christians) in 1894-96 & in
1915. WW I would mark collapse
of Ottoman Empire too.
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Much of Italy had been
controlled by foreign nations
prior to 1848.
1852 – Piedmont-Sardinia’s King
Victor Emanuel II named Count
Camillo di Cavour his Prime
Minister. He set out to unite
Northern Italy.
1858 – Napoleon III helped
Sardinia drive out the Austrians
& they controlled all of N. Italy
except Venetia (Austria).
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Aided by Cavour, he raised rebel
army in S. Italy.
1860 – the “Red-shirted One”
captured Sicily.
Crossed into mainland & went
north and united S. Italy with
Sardinia with Victor Emanuel as
King of Italy. This meeting in
Naples was arranged by Cavour
and Garibaldi agreed to step aside.
1866 – annexed Venetia (Venice)
1870 – Papal States taken by
Italian forces except for Vatican
City (controlled by Pope today)
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1815 – 1st step – German
Confederation
Prussia leads the way. Austria
(also Ger. – speaking) was too
diverse. Plus Prussia had greatest
army in Europe and in 1848 riots
gave it a liberal constitution.
1861 – King Wilhelm I succeeded
King Frederick William to the
throne and he chose Count Otto
von Bismarck as his Prime
Minister.
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The “Politics of Reality”; he was known
as the “Blood & Iron” statesmen.
He was a wealthy Junker, a
conservative, who ruled for the King
without Parliament or a budget.
1864 war with Denmark. Victory aided
unification of N. Germany.
1866 – Seven Weeks War defeated
Austria & won more German land.
The problem was how to unify S.
Germany as the majority were
Catholics in the South.
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Bismarck devised a plan to
provoke France into attacking
Prussia.
Prussia invaded France in
September 1870 and crushed
main French force at the Battle
of Sedan. Emperor Napoleon III
was among 83,000 French
prisoners.
Paris surrounded and besieged;
France surrendered in Jan. 1871.
German unification complete.
King Wilhelm I was now the
Kaiser of the Second Reich.
1. All of the empires were weakened during the second
half of the 19th Century except
a. Russian b. Austrian c. Prussia d. Ottoman
2. Count Cavour’s nation of ______ led the way in the
quest to unify Italy.
a. Sicily b. Sardinia c. Venetia d. Lombardy
3. He was Germany’s “Blood & Iron” Prime Minister
most responsible for Germany’s unification?
a. Bismarck b. von Moltke c. Garibaldi d. Himmler
4. After Prussia’s smashing defeat of _______ in 1871
Germany became unified.
a. Russia b. Austria c. France d. Denmark