German and Italian Unification Flashcards
Age of Nationalism
Occurred in the last half of the 1800s when leaders in many European areas, especially Italy and Germany, created strong unified nations
Napoleon’s territorial changes in 1806-1812
Annexed the Rhineland for France
Dissolved the Holy Roman Empire
Created the Rhine Confederation
The German Confederation
created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815
A weak alliance led by Austria
The Zollverein
Prussian economic union that dissolved tariff barriers between between German states, but did not unify them politically
The Frankfurt Assembly
Demanded political unity, offered the throne of a united Germany to Frederick William IV of Prussia, but he rejected and unification was delayed
Otto von Bismarck
Prussian Junker (conservative land-owning noble), Ambassador to both France and Russia, the “architect” of German unification
William I
King of Prussia, made Bismarck Prime Minister, and later appointed him Chancellor- the highest position within the monarchy short of a king
realpolitik
Bismarck’s policies- realistic politics based on the needs of the state, power was more important than principles
Hohenzollern
Ruling family of Prussia
Blood and Iron speech
Famous speech of Bismarck to the Prussian Legislature arguing for more funds for the Prussian military and that through a strong military Prussia would achieve greatness, but his request was refused
Stage 1 of German Unification
Alliance with Austria, together they seized the German-speaking provinces of Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark during a brief war and divided them between themselves (Prussia got Schleswig, Austria got Holstein)
Stage 2 of German Unification- the 7-Weeks War
aka Austro-Prussian War
Bismarck created a border dispute with Austria about Schleswig and Holstein
Prussia attacked Austria and defeated them in 7 weeks
Results of the 7-Weeks War
Prussia annexed Holstein and several other north German states
Austria was lightly punished
The Austrian led German Confederation dissolved and the Prussian led North German Confederation took its place
Venetia was taken from Austria and given to Italy
Stage 3 of German Unification- the Franco-Prussian War
By this time, only 4 southern german states remained independent. they were catholic and resisted Protestant Prussian leadership
Bismarck predicted they would unite with Prussia if they were faced with a foreign threat such as France
France declared war on the Prussians after the altered Ems Telegram was released, just as Bismarck had wanted
The Franco-Prussian War
Prussia captured 80,000 French forces including Emperor Napoleon III
Sieged Paris for 4 months until they surrendered
Results of the Franco-Prussian War
Napoleon III abdicates, Northern and Southern Germany unite, Prussia was given Alsace and Lorraine from the Treaty of Paris, and Wilhelm I was crowned Kaiser
Kaiser
name for a German emperor
Results of a United Germany
Shift in the European balance of power, Germany replaces Prussia, Germany becomes an economic, industrial, political and military powerhouse, the French resentment over the Franco-Prussian War defeat will be a major cause of WWI
The German Industrial Giant
by 1871, were 2nd after Great Britain
had abundant coal and iron, an educated workforce (public elementary education), abundant workers and a large internal market due to growing population
Became world leader in optics, chemicals, weapons and steel
Laid thousands of miles of railroads
United German Foreign Policy (goals)
- Keep France weak
- Build alliances with Russia and Austria
- Improve naval power to compete with Great Britain (which Bismarck was against, fearing it would distract from unification and lead to war)
Kulturkampf
1/3 of Germans
Catholic
tried to weaken Church influence
Biggest fear of Bismarck + his actions against it
growing Socialist groups, he passed laws banning socialist groups, their meetings and their newspapers
he attempted to undermine Socialist power by providing health and accident insurance and pensions=social welfare
This prevented revolution but didn’t stop the growing popularity of Socialism
Kaiser Wilheim II
Grandson of Kaiser Wilheim I who became emperor in 1888 and fired Otto von Bismarck believing that he knew better where to take the country
Supported the military and pushed for expanded overseas empire- wanted “A place in the sun” for Germany
Background of Italy
Italy was split up leading to sectionalism aka regionalism
The north was ruled by Austria
Naples and Sicily were ruled by the French Bourbon (Spain)
The Pope ruled the Papal States in the middle
Rome was ruled by France
Giuseppe Mazzini
The “heart and soul” of Italian unification
an early italian nationalist leader
founded a secret society called Young Italy
Helped set up a Republic in Rome but was crushed by the French
spent much of his life in exile but wrote in support of unification
Risorgimento
“the Resurgence” aka the Italian Nationalist Movement
Led by the Kingdom of Piedmont Sardinia and constitutional monarch and nationalist king Victor Emanuel II
Count Camillo Cavour
the “brains” of Italian unification
Sardinian noble, became prime minister of Piedmont Sardinia in 1852
Reformed Sardinian economy, built railroads, improved agriculture and free trade
Joined Britain and France against Russia in the Crimean war and gained support from Napoleon III
Lombardy
North Italy, annexed by Cavour after a war between Sardinia and Austria
Giuseppe Garibaldi & the Red Shirts
the “sword” of Italian unification
Italian nationalist, follower of Mazzini and a republican
Supported by Cavour with weapons and ships
Led 1000 red shirt volunteers into Sicily and then Naples, winning control of both of them and liberating them from Spanish rule, then surrendered these areas and southern Italy to Sardinia (completely unifying the country)
Victor Emanuel II
was voted king of united Italy
North Italy
urbanized, industrial, wealthy
South Italy
rural, agricultural, poor
large growing pop and high illiteracy
Two areas that remained out of Italian control in 1861 and how they were gained
Rome and Venetia
Italy formed an alliance with Prussia during the Austro Prussian war and gained Venetia
During the Franco-Prussian war, France was forced to pull its troops from Rome
