The seeds of nationalism were sown in the 18th century. With the passing of the French Revolution, a powerful force of nationalism was unleashed in Europe. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 sought to bridle the new power of revolution, but these were too firmly entrenched. A feeling that men united by common tradition, language and economic interests should not be politically separated was prevalent among those without a nation-state. The July Revolution (1830) and The February Revolution (1848) sparked widespread popular movements all over Europe. At the beginning of 1848, Germany, Australia and Italy were in a restless state. Ernst Renan has rightly pointed out that it is nationalism that creates nations and not nations that create nationalism. The Making of Germany, Italy and Britain corroborates this argument.

The Making of Germany

Germany was an assortment of independently led principalities divided by regional politics. Till 1806, it comprised more than 300 separate political units. The Confederation of the Rhine created by Napoleon reduced the number to less than 50. The Germanic Confederation established by the Congress of Vienna brought the number down to 39 states. Prussian General Clausewitz had correctly diagnosed the situation. ‘Germany can achieve political unity only in one way, by the sword, by one of its states subjugating the others’. Also, the Crimean War had a bearing on the Unification of Germany and Italy.

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Unification of Germany

The Unification of Germany was not a smooth process. It had to overcome several hurdles, such as:

Austria controlled the Confederation of 39 states. It did not want a united Germany, as Metternich apprehended that spread of nationalism in Germany would lead to the disintegration of the Habsburg Empire.

• The spirit of regionalism was strong among the German people
• There were religious differences. North Germany was Protestant, and the South was Catholic
• There was a lack of unanimity about the territorial extent of Germany. There was a controversy between the idea of Greater Germany marked by the inclusion of Austria and Little Germany that advocated the exclusion of Austria

However, the twin processes of Zollverein (Prussian Customs Union) and Pan-Germanism facilitated the Unification of Germany.

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Count Otto von Bismarck

Prussia was the catalyst in the Unification of Germany. William I, the King of Prussia, appointed Bismarck as his Minister-President. Bismarck’s “Blood and Iron Policy” was instrumental in the Unification of Germany. Bismarck brought the Unification of Germany through 3 wars:

• War with Denmark arose on the question of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. In 1864, the Treaty of Vienna signed between Austria, Prussia and Denmark pushed the Danish King to renounce his claims over Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg
• The Austro-Prussian War ended with the Peace of Prague in 1866. Prussia acquired control over Schleswig and Holstein
• The Franco-Prussian War started due to deep rivalry between the two countries. France surrendered Alsace and Lorraine after the Battle of Sedan. Peace of Frankfurt concluded. It made Germany the Mistress of Europe and Bismarck Master of Germany

The Making of Italy

Since the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy had been a mere geographical expression. It was politically fragmented, with varying regional dialects and economies. Austria ruled in Venetia and Lombardy. The Pope ruled in Central Italy. Piedmont- Sardinia under King Victor Emmanuel III was immune to the reactionary influence of Austria. The Unification of Italy was a two-step process.

• It had to gain independence from Austria
• It had to unite the fragmented states into a single unit

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Unification of Italy

The Carbonari movement was the beginning point in the early phase of the nationalist movement. It was a secret society that included revolutionaries adamant about liberating Italy from Austrian control. The Italian nationalist movement was carried forward by three eminent personalities.

• Giuseppe Mazzini was the founder of the Young Italy movement in 1833. He encouraged younger generations to sacrifice their lives for the cause of unification
• The movement was known as Risorgimento, after a newspaper founded in 1847 by Count Camillo di Cavour. He wanted to establish Piedmont Sardinia as the powerhouse of Italian unification
• Giuseppe Garibaldi, along with his Red Shirts’ supported the cause of peasants, in the Kingdom of two Sicilies

Historians say that Cavour was the real brain behind the Unification of Italy while Mazzini was the heart and Garibaldi the sword.

Strange Case of Britain

The formation of nation-states in Britain was a long-drawn process. Ethnic identities such as English, Welsh, Scot or Irish were more prominent. The Act of Union(1707) between England and Scotland formed the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain’. Afterwards, the Catholic population inhabiting the Scottish highlands was suppressed by Protestant England. Similarly, the Act of Union of 1801 formalised a colonial relationship between Britain and Ireland. The Irish Parliament was abolished, and the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland’ was created. Land disputes, demands for Home-rule and suppression of Catholics increased the pressure for Irish independence from Great Britain.

Conclusion

The Making of Germany, Italy and Britain inaugurated a long era of peace in European history. It is interesting to compare the processes of The Making of Germany, Italy and Britain. There were several points of resemblance and differences between Bismarck and Cavour. Both sought the unification of their countries, confronted by the same foe, Austria. But Cavour was a liberal and Bismarck was a reactionary who relied more on the power of force. 

Also, the Unification of Germany left some unanswered problems for posterity, as Prussia’s pre-dominance became a source of resentment for other members of the Union. In Britain, both Scotland and Ireland continued to have unresolved nationalist movements. Moreover, the Irish Home-rule got delayed by the onset of the First World War. These seeds of tension sowed in the 19th century were bitterly reaped in the 20th century.