1. Unit 8: Unification & Politics of the 19th Century (1815-1914)

2. Germany Before Unification
39 States: The German Confederation
Two dominant states
Austria & Prussia
Prussia’s advantages
Mainly German population
Powerful Army
Industrialization

3. Early Action towards Unification
Zollverein (1834): German customs union
Purpose was to stimulate trade, increase revenues of member states
Left out Austria – why?
Wanted to weaken Austria’s power over German states
Relationship between Austria and other states deteriorate

4. Prussia Frankfurt Assembly (1848) Olmutz (1850)
Movement for German unification (excluding Austria) fails
Olmutz (1850)
Major European powers afraid of German unification
Prussia forced to give up unification plan and accept the renewed German Confederation, still dominated by Austria
Prussians refer to it as “Humiliation of Olmutz”
Move towards more liberal government under King William I (ruled )

5. William I & Bismarck William I: Conservative
Supported by Junkers (nobles)
Allowed liberals and moderates in government
Wanted to strengthen army and unify Germany
Liberals refused to approve army build-up
Calls upon Otto Von Bismarck for assistance in 1862 stalemate over budget
“Realpolitik” – politics through sheer force and power
To gain practical results, make no moral or ideological considerations – just do it
Ends justify the means

6. Bismarck’s Realpolitik
Bismarck urges king to ignore the liberals in government
Enforce taxes, build army
Bismarck becomes leader of unification movement – named Prime Minister by William
Bismarck a master politician
Would wisely assess a political scene, used cleverness and force to accomplish goals
“The great questions of the day will not be decided by speeches and resolutions, that was the blunder of 1848 and 1849 – but by blood and iron.”

7. UNITE GERMAN STATES Bismarck’s Main Goal:
Bismarck unites Germany in three steps…

8. STEP ONE Create alliance with Austria
1864 – Went to war with Denmark over bordering regions of Schleswig and Holstein
Prussia & Austria win in six weeks
Prussia got Schleswig
Austria got Holstein
Bismarck knew this arrangement would cause tension – Just what he wanted…
WHY?

9. STEP TWO Create conflict with Austria
Border conflicts between Prussia and Austria over Schleswig & Holstein
With war looming, Bismarck isolates Austria from allies
Convinces France to stay neutral
Promised Italy control of Venetia (still owned by Austria)

10. STEP TWO Lures Austria into war Austro-Prussian War
“Seven Weeks War”
Prussia defeats Austria at Battle of Sadowa (July 1866)
Results of war:
Austria lost Venetia to Italy (who helped Prussia)
Prussia gained control of northern German states
STEP TWO

11. STEP THREE
Needed the Catholics in the South to feel a sense of German nationalism
France was isolated by Bismarck’s diplomacy
“Ems Dispatch”
Bismarck altered a telegram sent from Prussia to France – outrages both nations
France declares war (1870)

12. STEP THREE Franco-Prussian War (1870)
France launches attack on southern German states
Outside attack stirred nationalism in south, desire for protection
Prussia sweeps down and defeats French at Battle of Sedan, Siege of Paris
French surrender

13. Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)
France owes compensation, forfeits Alsace and part of Lorraine
Second Reich proclaimed
(First Reich refers to Holy Roman Empire)
William I crowned emperor of German Empire

14. Mission Accomplished: Germany is United

15. The Second Reich
King William I (AKA Kaiser Wilhelm I) from House of Hohenzollern
Hohenzollern monarch had ruled in Prussia and parts of Germany for centuries
Kaiser headed federal union, 26 states, 41 million in population
Bicameral legislature:
Bundersat (upper house)
Reichstag (lower house)
Legislature does not have power over Chancellor…

16. Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck
Bismarck believes effective states have one faith, one law, one ruler
Distrusted Catholic Church, Socialist party
Launched: “Kulturkampf” – persecution against Catholics
Tried to suppress socialists, Socialist Democratic Party
Despite Bismarck’s anti-socialists laws, party gains popularity
Eventually compromised on both issues

17. New Kaisers William I dies in 1888
His son, Frederick III is crowned new Kaiser
More open to socialist and liberal movements
Plans to apply more liberal ideas in Germany…
Dies of cancer after 3 months of ruling
His son, William II (AKA Wilhelm II) crowned new Kaiser rules from
Will be last of the Hohenzollern rulers by 1918
New Kaisers

18. Kaiser Wilhelm II
New emperor lacked finesse, intelligence of father and grandfather
Resented Bismarck’s power, pressured him into retiring
Germany still progressed flourished
Highly competitive industry against Britain
Dominated world market in chemicals, electrical industries
High literacy, vocational training, government supported industry

19. The Austrian Empire: What is a big problem here?

20. Decline of Austria Nationalism rising throughout empire
Problem for Austrians?
NOT Austrian nationalism: Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, German, Czech, Italian, Slovakian, etc.
Hungarians demanding equality with Vienna
Revolution for independence in 1848 fails
1864 – Defeat in Austro-Prussian War
Afterwards, King Franz Joseph I (Habsburg) offers Hungary equal power
“Ausgleich” constitution accepted in 1867
Creates a Duel Monarchy:
Franz Joseph now king of Hungary and emperor of Austria

21. Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary
Both Austria and Hungary had own constitution, language, flag, economies, etc
Ethnic crises in both parts of the empire
8 different nationalities, languages, cultures, etc…
Hungarians try to force “Magyarization”
Forcing diverse citizens to practice only one language and culture: Hungarian
Complete disunity and disorganization
Chaotic, weak and inefficient empire would last until 1914

22. Italy Before Unification
Italy reorganized at Congress of Vienna in 1815
Austria ruled Lombardy & Venetia
Spanish ruled Kingdom of Two Sicilies
Piedmont-Sardinia was the most powerful of the Italian States, ruled by King Charles Albert – an Italian monarch

23. Early Action Revolutions of 1830 Revolutions of 1848
Giuseppe Mazzini attempts to organize a movement
Takes power from fleeing Pope Pius – forms a Roman Republic
France invades, restores Pope’s power
Revolutions of 1848
Many states granted temporary liberal constitutions
Both Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi involved in this movement

24. Piedmont-Sardinia Takes Control
King Victor Emmanuel II
Monarch of Sardinia
Prime Minister Camillo Cavour aristocrat
Liberal, uses diplomacy against Austria
Gains support of Britain & France
Uses “Realpolitik”
Together will lead unification
Goal at first: strengthen Sardinia’s power, not to necessarily unify Italy
Focused on Northern Italy
What empire was in their way in Northern Italy?

25. Austria Out Of Italy!
Made secret arrangement with Napoleon III to provoke a war with Austria
1858 – Austria is lured into attacking Sardinia, France comes to defense and Austrians are driven out
France will get Nice and Savoy
Italians get part of Northern Italy but not Venetia
They will get Venetia later by helping the Germans fight Austria in 1866
Things worked out well so Cavour
sets his sights on southern Italy.
…Unification?

26. Meanwhile in the South…
Garibaldi & his Red Shirts captured Sicily in 1860, inspiring Sicilians to join the cause for unification
Cavour secretly supports Garibaldi
Why is he helping?
Garibaldi marches north toward Rome and the Vatican
Cavour afraid of implications, calls for vote in conquered territories
Voted to unite southern areas with Sardinia
Garibaldi stepped aside

27. Italy Unified!
…almost.
What’s the problem?

28. Italian Unification Ruled by Victor Emmanuel II
1866 – added Venetia as a result of the Seven weeks War (also called the Austro-Prussian War)
1870 – added Papal States
Pope still governed Vatican City
Challenges:
Regional conflicts
Industrialized north vs. agricultural south
Peasant revolts, economic problems
Political conflict leads to violence
Mass emigration to United States
Italy enters 20th century a
poor and struggling nation