Unification of Germany and Italy

Points jara short kar ka likh digiye

The process of unification of Italy: 1. In the mid-nineteenth century, Italy comprised of 7 states out of which only Sardinia-Piedmont was a princely state. There wasn't even a common form of the Italian language. 2. In 1830, Giuseppe Mazzini established a secret society called Young Italy and bring about a revolutionary uprising but failed. 3. Chief Minister Cavour diplomatically joined SardiniaPiedmont, in an alliance with France. It defeated the Austrian forces. 4. Armed volunteers led by Giuseppe Garibaldi also supported the troops and they marched into South Italy and the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. They got the support of the peasants there. 5. In 1861, Victor Emmanuel ll was declared the king of unified Italy. However, most of the Italians were unaware of the idea of liberal-nationalist ideology.

The process of unification of Germany: (i) Nationalist feelings were widespread among middle class Germans, who in 1848 tried to unite the different regions of the German confederation into a nation-state governed by an elected parliament. (ii) This liberal initiative to nation-building was, however, repressed by the combined forces of the monarchy and the military, supported by the large landowners called Junkers of Prussia. From then on, Prussia took on the leadership of the movement for national unification. (iii) Otto von Bismarck, the chief minister of Prussia, was the architect of the German unification. He did this with the help of the Prussian army and bureaucracy. (iv) Three wars over seven years with Austria, Denmark and France—ended in Prussian victory and completed the process of unification. (v) In January 1871, the Prussian King, William I, was proclaimed German Emperor in a ceremony held at Versailles.

Unification of Germany