The Unification of Italy and Germany

1
The Unification of Italy and Germany

• In this lesson, students will be able to
  identify the actions of the following individuals
  as well as define the term Blood and Iron
• Count Cavor
• Giuseppe Garibaldi
• Otto Von Bismarck
• Blood and Iron

2
Nationalism is the belief that each ethnic group
should have its own national state and
government. For centuries, Italy had consisted
of smaller states. Italians wanted unification.
3
In 1852, Count Cavour became the Prime Minister
of the Kingdom of Piedmont or Sardinia.
With French help, Cavour drove the Austrians out
of Northern Italy after a war in 1859.
4
Cavour then annexed most of the other states of
northern and central Italy.
5
The nationalist leader, Giuseppe Garibaldi,
overthrew the king of Naples in the south. He
then joined Naples to Cavours enlarged Piedmont.
6
By 1860, Italy had become a united kingdom.
7
National unification failed to end the cultural
and economic divisions that separated Italys
north and south.
8
Like Italy, Germany consisted of many smaller
states. German liberals had failed to unite
their nation in the revolutions of 1848.
9
Prussia was one of the largest German states.
Its Prime Minister, Otto von Bismarck, used
skillful diplomacy and Prussian military power to
achieve German unification.
10
Otto von Bismarck followed a policy of blood and
iron to achieve his goals.
11
The greatest questions of the day will not be
settled by speeches and majority decisions but by
iron and blood. Otto von Bismarck
12
Germany achieved unification in 1871. The
Prussian king became the Kaiser (emperor) of all
Germany.
13
Although there was a national assembly, it was
controlled by conservative Prussian landowners,
not the working people.
14
Questions for Reflection

• Define nationalism.
• Who was Count Cavour and what did he do?
• How did Giuseppe Garibaldi help Count Cavour?
• Why did Otto von Bismarck believe in a policy of
  blood and iron?
• Describe German unification.