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L11 - DMP 11 - A - World History - Prahar 2025 - UPSC - English - Shakeeba Khatoon

The document discusses the factors leading to the unification of Italy and Germany in the 19th century, highlighting ideological, economic, and social reasons, as well as the roles of leadership and international events. It contrasts the unification processes, noting that Italy relied more on diplomacy and external support, while Germany's was driven by Prussian military power. The conclusion emphasizes the long-term impacts of these unifications on modern political events.

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13 views2 pages

L11 - DMP 11 - A - World History - Prahar 2025 - UPSC - English - Shakeeba Khatoon

The document discusses the factors leading to the unification of Italy and Germany in the 19th century, highlighting ideological, economic, and social reasons, as well as the roles of leadership and international events. It contrasts the unification processes, noting that Italy relied more on diplomacy and external support, while Germany's was driven by Prussian military power. The conclusion emphasizes the long-term impacts of these unifications on modern political events.

Uploaded by

sunaina2922
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© © All Rights Reserved
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1

World History – Mains Question 11

1. What were the factors that led to the Unification of Italy and Germany in the 19th century? How did
the processes of unification differ despite their common foundations? (10 Marks, 150 Words)

How to Approach the Question:


 Introduction: Introduce the answer by contextualising German and Italian unification amidst 19th century
nationalism.
 Body:
 In the first part, list factors which led to unification of Italy and Germany.
 In the next part, list differences in the process of unification despite common foundations.
 Conclusion: In conclusion, mention the long term impact of Italian and German unification.

Answer:
Introduction:
Nationalism and Enlightenment ideas energised people in Europe to push for more democratic forms of
government in the 1800's. It helped to unify people who felt they shared a common ancestry and culture to
come together as in the case of the unification of Italy and Germany.
Body:
Factors which led to the unification of Italy and Germany:
 Ideological Reasons: Thinkers contributed to mass awakening. Giuseppe Mazzini inspired not only
Italian unification, but republicanism across Europe. Johann Fichte gave the concept of German idealism
and strengthened German nationalism by glorifying German race, language and culture.
 Economic Reasons: Germany was a resource-rich country with plenty of coal and iron reserves. Italy was
the gateway to Europe and had strong economic potential as a unified state.
 International events: French Revolution and its aftermaths such as the Napoleonic code and the 1830
and 1848 revolutions accelerated the demise of numerous small feudal states in Germany and Italy.
 Role of other events: Containment of France and Austria-Hungary through realpolitik of diplomacy and
war were common elements in unification of both countries. E.g., the Franco-Austrian War 1859.
 Strong leadership: Bismarck with his ‘Blood and Iron policy’ in Germany and great leadership of Italy
by Count di Cavour was a crucial element for national unification.
 Dominant States: Emergence of dominant states viz Prussia and Piedmont-Sardinia was crucial for
German and Italian unification respectively.
 Social Factors:
 Common language provided cultural contiguity for unification of both the nations.
 Liberal elements such as demand for constitutional and social reforms intensified the spirit of
nationalism.
Differences in the process of unification despite common foundations:
 Role of Diplomacy: Role of diplomacy was much higher in unification of Italy as Piedmont was not as
strong a state as Prussia. To contain Austria and France, Italy needed help from major powers. E.g.
Piedmont-Sardinia's participation in Crimean war 1856 was motivated by the need to curry favour with
major powers of Europe for Italian unification.
2

 Stress on Constitutionalism: Constitutionalism was a strong element in policies of Piedmont-Sardinia to


improve its appeal among Italians. Prussia, on the other hand, rebuked the idea of constitutional monarchy
as a weakness. E.g., failure of Frankfurt parliament.
 Economic factors:
 German economic unification was encouraged by the German Confederation (1815) and more so by
Zollverin (1834) which established a customs union. Italian unification had fewer elements of
economic unity.
 The emerging capitalist class provided a major support for unification of Germany under Prussia. This
was absent in the case of Italy which remained backward.
 Role of masses: German unification was a process led from above by Prussia’s military might while
Italian unification was based on wider unity from below with support of liberals and nationalists. Self-
sacrificing personalities like Garibaldi have no parallel in German unification.
Conclusion:
The process of unification of Italy and Germany were similar yet different. Both regions shared ideological
and social factors, but Italy relied more on diplomacy and external support, while Germany's unification was
primarily led from above by Prussia's military power. Leadership played a crucial role in both cases, and the
unifications were the result of complex historical, political, and economic factors. The birth of two new nation-
states had long-term impact shaping the major political events of modern times, via, the world wars.


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