German and Italian Unification

Between 1860 and 1880 both Italy and Germany experienced a great change in their borders, as it was at this time that the Unification occurred. Most historians agree that these occurrences can be traced back to the Revolutions of 1830 and 1848, as they sparked many conflicts and set the stage for these events. There are similarities and differences between the two unifications, and one thing we dominantly see in both is the different biases created among the nations of Europe. Therefore, we must be careful to interact positively with other people because we may never know if they might one day be in a position of power over us. 

            During this time, neither Italy nor Germany were united nations, they were simply a collection of states. In Italy, the northern section was ruled by Austria and the lower areas were controlled by the Bourbons, and all of the middle was controlled by the Pope, as they were Catholic states. However, at this time, Napoleon III was ruling France, and he wanted to control some of these states and allow the Italian locals to control the rest of Italy. He planned to do this by allying with the Italian ruler Camillo di Cavour, and together eliminate Austria and reorganize the states. As they had victory, the people rallied around Cavour because of his leadership, even though they did not have passion for his cause as a whole, and together they betrayed the French and united Italy under him instead, following which, they began to structure their nation much as we know it today.

Germany on the other hand, was also a grouping of states, however, it was not long before war broke out over who would control these states, more specifically the states of Schleswig and Holstein. During this time, Otto Von Bismarck arose in power in Prussia, he is recognized for his political exploits, his clever leadership, and his military prowess. He achieved control over the states by convincing Austria join him in his conquest against Denmark, and once they defeated them, Prussia turned on Austria and took control of the newly conquered land, and from there they were able to unite these areas into the country of Germany.

The German and Italian Unifications were very similar in the style of the methods in which these nations exercised conquest. In the case of Italy, the intention was not for unification, at least not completely, France saw an opportunity to take new territory, but was betrayed by the Italian powers. In Germany, Austria worked to thwart the Danes, only to be double crossed by Prussia. In both unifications, we see this same treachery at work, and in both situations the country of Austria took a hit, whether it be from losing it’s Italian territory or by being tricked out of it’s new states. Finally, both scenario’s concluded in bitterness, and this is an important fact to remember, especially approaching the age of war in Europe. The results of these fights would decide the fate of later wars, as alliances were broken and prejudices were created. By the time that World War One would arrive, we will see a very different alliance structure as compared to things prior to the Unifications. 

Despite the many elements in these events that are similar, we also saw several differences, the first being the reason for the betrayals. In Germany, Prussia planned to turn on Austria from the beginning, and it was through Bismarck’s clever leadership that they were able to achieve this. In Italy, Cavour betrayed France because of greed, he wanted the entire country for himself, and he had everything he needed to take it. Also, there was a difference in motives, Cavour wanted to control the nation of Italy to strengthen it, bring unity and ultimately have power for himself, and Otto Von Bismarck wanted to gain territory only to increase the power of Prussia as a nation. Finally, the people had different opinions on these Unifications, in the case of Germany they did not have any choice, these states were like a leaf in the wind, compared with these great military powers of Europe. In the case of Italy, they willingly rallied behind Cavour and successfully unified their own nation although they really did not know what they were fighting for. 

In conclusion, the Unifications of Italy and Germany showed both similarities differences, but more important is the consequences that they would bring in Europe. As a result, these nations would have to pay the price for betrayal, therefore, in life, individuals have to be careful to respect others and not make enemies, because a person may never know when the tables will be turned, and they will want to be respected, so it is wise to respect others.