The Age of National Unification Flashcards
Why was the Crimean War important to the formation of states?
The Crimean War ultimately proved essential to the formation of centralized states in Italy and Germany.
What led to the outbreak of hostilities?
There was controversy over which nation would control access to the religious sites sacred to Christians in Jerusalem. The primary reason was fear among the British and French statesmen that Ottoman weakness was encouraging Russian adventurism in the Balkans and that Russia might occupy Istanbul.
What occurred during the Crimean War?
After the Ottomans defeated the Russians at sea, France and Britain declared war on Russia. Most of the fighting took place in the Crimean reason and inspired Florence Nightingale to revolutionize the nursing profession. It ended with the fall of the Russian fortress of Sevastopol; the Russians were forced to surrender when Austria threatened to enter the war on the side of the British and French.
What were the peace terms of the Crimean War? How were they a blow to Russian ambitions?
Russia ceded territories on the Danube River and could not have warships in the Black Sea region. It was a blow to Russia because they did not have a warm-water port and were therefore confined to the Baltic Sea.
What were the ultimate consequences of the Crimean War?
The concept of the Concert of Europe, an idea formed at the Congress of Vienna wherein the great powers of France, Britain, Austria, Russia, and Prussia would work together, was shattered as the Crimean War became the first war since the Napoleonic era.
How did the war change relations between the great powers?
Austria and Russia had previously worked together to resist the trend towards nation-building. Because Austria refused to side with Russians during the war, it received no support from Russia when Prussia and Italy began building nations. France also found itself confronting Prussia with no help from Britain because Britain became more isolationist.
Who did Italian nationalists want to lead the unified Italian state?
Italian nationalists wanted the papacy to lead the centralized Italian state. However, after the restoration of the papacy’s power, Pope Pius IX pursued reactionary policies, which made liberals disenchanted of a federation of states headed by the pope.
Who did Italian liberals and nationalists turn to to lead the unified state?
They turned to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, which had a liberal constitution.
What is Italian unification called?
Risorgimento
Who was the architect of Italian unification? How was he different from previous nationalists?
Count Camillo di Cavour. He was different from Guiseppe Mazzini, who viewed state-building in romanticized terms, in that he was more practical.
How did lessons from the revolutions of 1848 tell Cavour what to do to rid Italy of Austria? How did he do so?
Cavour knew he had to receive foreign assistance if he wanted to push back Austria. He entered into an alliance with Napoleon III of France, the basis of which was established by aiding the French during the Crimean War.
How did the war begin?
The combined French and Sardinian forces dealt the Austrians, but they were not entirely pushed out of Italy because Napoleon III was afraid of Prussian support for Austria.
Did Napoleon III want all of Italy united?
No, he wanted only northern Italy to unite. He feared that a large Italian state would be a danger to France.
What occurred as a result of the war with Austria?
In Austria-dominated regions throughout Italy like Tuscany, Parma, and Modena revolted to join with Sardinia.
Who was Giuseppe Garibaldi?
He was another romantic Italian nationalism who had at one point been a member of Mazzini’s Young Italy movement.
What did Garibaldi do?
He invaded Sicily with his 1000 red shirts and conquered the southern Italian kingdom and eventually Naples.
How did Cavour react to Garibaldi’s conquest of Sicily and Naples?
He was horrified to think that Garibaldi might seek to unify Italy instead of Piedmont. He rushed troops to Naples to block Garibaldi’s march, and while he moved southwards occupied the papal states.
Who was declared king of Italy?
Victor Emmanuel of Piedmont.
When did Italy receive Venice? When did they receive Rome?
Italy received Venice in 1866 after Austria was defeated by Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War. They received Rome in 1870 following he withdrawal of French troops from Rome as a result of the Franco-Prussian War.
What was unified Italy like?
It was plagued by corruption and bribery. Romantic nationalists saw the new Italy as a cold bureaucratic state. There was an economic divide between the industrialized north and the economically backward south. The Catholic Church was also hostile to the new state.
How did German unification have implications for the rest of Europe?
It created a large state with great military and economic strength. It was also hostile to France for its defeat during the Napoleonic wars.
How did German nationalism occur?
Napoleon’s domination of large parts of Germany not only increased the demand among German patriots for the creation but also reduced the number of independent German states, which eventually aided the process of unification.
What were the two dominant states within the German Confederation?
Prussia and Austria
How and where was German unification delayed?
The Frankfurt Parliament looked as if a unified Germany was to be established, but Frederick William IV of Prussia rejected the crown.
How did Prussia have advantages over Austria in unifying Germany?
Prussia through the creation of the Zollverein had achieved economic preeminence over the other member states, while Austria was excluded from the Zollverein. By the mid 19th century, Prussia had seen a degree of industrialization, while Austria was largely agricultural. Prussia was a primarily German state, while Austria was made of many nationalities. Prussia also had Otto von Bismarck.
Who was Otto von Bismarck?
He was a conservative Junker who was an extreme nationalist, willing to do anything to advance the idea of a unified Germany.
What did Bismarck say in his “Blood and Iron” speech? What was he trying to do?
He said that Germany had to be united by Prussia using blood and Iron. He was trying to get parliamentary support for increasing the size of the Prussian Army.
