After the French Revolution, nationalism became like a religion to some and the governments of Europe found that it would be better to please its people. There were two stages of consolidation, territorial and psychological. Territorially, smaller states had to be combined or large empires had to be broken apart. Psychologically, ties between the governed and the government had to be made through the creation of representative institutions and public education. Austria and Russia were always the biggest opponents to change and after the Crimean War were greatly weakened.
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| This Painting Shows Nationalism in the French People |
Prior to 1860, Italy had been divided mainly under the control of Austria and the Pope. Between 1815-1861, Italians wanted national unity. The revolutions of 1848 failed and afterwards the Papacy was scared of nationalism and liberalism. The Prime Minister of Sardinia, Count Cavour, started things off by encouraging industrialization and productivity. Cavour secretly allies with France against Austria but then Napoleon III ditches Cavour. In 1860, the first Parliament of the new Northern Italy was established. Cavour and Garibaldi worked together to take over Southern Italy. By 1861 all Italy was unified.
In Prussia, its power was slipping since they were not involved in the Crimean War. Kaiser Wilhelm calls in Otto von Bismarck as Chancellor. Bismarck cleverly gets Austria to attack him, and in seven weeks Prussia defeats them and Northern Germany falls under Prussian control. Bismarck then moved to unite the Southern German states and take out France. France declares war on Prussia after Bismarck provokes them and all the Southern German kingdoms ally with Prussia against France. Prussia wins and in 1871, Napoleon III was overthrown and Bismarck creates the 3rd Republic in France. Prussia now dominated a unified Germany and was the second most powerful in Europe.
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| Unified Germany |
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| Unified Germany |
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