1.
Nationalism in the
19th Century:
The Creation of Nation-States
and
The Destruction of Empires

2.
“Italy”: A Geographic Expression
• Heroes of unification:
– Mazzini: “The Heart/Soul”
• Propagandist: writer, orator, “Young
Italy”
• Failed republic, 1848  exile
A Country is not a mere territory; the particular
territory is only its foundation. The Country is the
idea which rises upon that foundation; it is the
sentiment of love, the sense of fellowship which
binds together all the sons of that territory.” –
Giuseppe Mazzini

3.
– Cavour: “The Brain”
• Aristocrat, moderate nationalist
• Careful diplomacy, not vague &
impractical dreams
• Well-chosen alliances: FR, then
Prussia
• Provoked war w/ Austria
– Garibaldi: “the Sword”

4.
Italian Unification

5.
Problems of Italian Unification
• “I had hoped to evoke the soul of Italy, but
all I can see is a corpse.” – Mazzini, 1872
– Disunity!
– “Prisoners” of the Vatican
– Econ. problems
– Mass emigration (1860-1910: 4 million to
U.S.)
– Nationalism  overly ambitious Italy

6.
Austrian Empire

7.
Combating Nationalism
• Patchwork Empire, “doomed long before it could collapse”
• Resist movements that might endanger it (i.e. liberalism &
nationalism)
– “Carlsbad Decrees”:
• censored newspapers, created secret police force to
spy on students, ban nationalist fraternities, removed
liberal university professors, arbitrary prison terms
• 1848 Rev. shakes empire, but regains control through military
force
• Turning point: 1866: loses to Prussia…

8.
“Austria-Hungary”
(The “Austro-Hungarian Empire”)

9.
Austrian Empire, 1866

10.
Austria-Hungary, 1918

11.
Former Austrian Empire, 1920