German and Italian Unification After the Congress of Vienna

German and Italian Unifications

German Unification

After the Congress of Vienna, Germany belonged to Austria and Prussia and was divided into 39 states. These states shared a common language, history, and culture. In 1834, several states formed a Zollverein, a union to promote trade between the German states.

Prussia was more powerful than Austria, and Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian Chancellor, guided the unification. He won victories against Denmark, France, and Austria. In 1871, the “Second Reich” was declared in Versailles, and King Wilhelm I was declared the Emperor of Germany, with Berlin as its capital.

Italian Unification

Before the Congress of Vienna, Italy did not exist as a state. After the congress, Italy was organized into 8 separate states. In 1820, the Carbonari started small revolts to unify Italy into one nation. This movement was called the Risorgimento, which included Mazzini, leader of the Young Italy nationalistic movement.

In 1859, after a war against Austria, Mazzini and Garibaldi welcomed the exiles. They, with Cavour, defeated the Austrians, and Lombardy became part of the Kingdom of Piedmont–Sardinia. In 1860, Cavour took over Tuscany, Parma, and Modena. In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy was proclaimed King of the new unified Italy. It was declared a constitutional monarchy, and Rome became the capital.

After the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815)

At the Congress of Vienna, the four major powers that had defeated Napoleon—Austria, Russia, and Great Britain—set out with the intention of reversing the Napoleonic effect. To do this, they:

• Returned the frontiers of France to their old pre-1789 boundaries.
• Restored legitimate monarchs to every European country.
• Tried to create a balance of power to avoid another Napoleon.
• Agreed to intervene in the internal conflict of a state if the monarch was in danger.
• Organized a congress system to solve possible disputes.

The Objectives of the Liberal Revolutions

The objectives of the Liberal Revolutions included:

1. Freedom to possess property.
2. Freedom to live under laws that guaranteed equality.
3. Freedom to live under a constitution.
4. Freedom based on the separation of political powers.
5. Freedom to elect a parliament by suffrage.
6. Freedom to develop commerce and industry.