· One of the major features of the history of Europe in 19th century was the struggle for the national unification and independence. Italy & Germany were the two important nations which emerged as united, independent states in the 19th century.
· In the early 19th century, Italy was divided into number os states in which the kingdom f Sardinia was the most powerful.
· The struggle for Italian independence and unification was organized byu the two famous revolutionaries – Mazzini & garibaldi. The movement led by them is known as the ‘young Italy’ movement.
· After the revolution of 1848, count Cavour , the prime minister of Sardinia, took the initial active of uniting Italy under the leadership of Sardinia.
· By the year of 1861, the entire states (except Rome) had been united and then victor Emmanuel II, the king of Sardinia took the title of ‘king of Italy’.
· Rome was still outside the kingdom of Italy. It was ruled by the pope. Italian soldiers liberated the city of Rome in 1870, and in 1871, Rome became the capital of united Italy.
UNIFICATION OF GERMANY: 1848 – 71
· Like Italy, Germany was also divided into a number of states. At the end of the Napoleonic wars (1972 -1815) there were 38 independent states in Germany in which Prussia was the most powerful.
· In1815, the German states along with Austria were organized into as Germanic confederation.
· In 1848 revolts occurred in every German state and the rulers were forced to grant democratic constitutions. To unite Germany and to frame a constitution for the united Germany, a constituent assembly met in Frankfurt. The Frankfurt assembly proposed the unification of Germany as a constitutional monarchy under the king of Prussia who would become the eperor of Germany. However, the king of Prussia declined the offer. Repression soon followed.
· With the failure of the revolution of 1848 to unify Germany, one phase in the struggle for unification came to an end.
· Now Germany was to be unified not into democratic country by the efforts of revolutionaries but by the rulers into militaristic empire, the leader t\of this policy was Bismarck who belonged to a Prussian aristocratic family. He wanted to achieve the unification of Germany under the leadership of the Prussian monarchy.
· He defeated Austria and dissolved the Germanic confederation. Thataustria was separated from other German states. In place of old confederation, he united 22 states of germanium into north Germany confederation in 1866.
· The unification of Germany was completed as a result of Prussia – France war (1870) in which the French emperor Louis bonapartws was defeated and captured. This war enabled Bismarck to absorb the remaining German states into a iodinated Germany.
· The format ceremony at which William I , the king of Prussia, took the title of German emperor was not held on the German soil. It took place at Versailles in France, in the place of the French kings.
· After unification Germany emerged as a very strong power in Europe.