European Balance of Power: Crimean War and Italian Unification

1. Changes in the European Balance of Power

2. Crimean War (1853-1856) • Started out as a dispute over religious issues between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. • Real issue was control of waterways– the Bosporus Strait and the Dardanelles—Mediterranean Sea • Russia wanted control of these extremely valuable passages that belonged to the Ottoman Empire. • Britain and France joined the Turks against the Russians. • Austria…having its’ own interest in the area, turn on Russia • Result-Russia was defeated/embarrassed—Austria left friendless---Concert of Europe destroyed

4. Italian Unification • After the Congress of Vienna, the Italian states were governed by Austria, the Roman Catholic Church, or France. • Italian nationalist sentiment had grown during Napoleonic occupation. • The Crimean War weakened Austria politically and militarily, and set the stage for Italian resistance. • A desire to promote Italian culture and unite under a sovereign Italian govt. began to grow, and secret societies promoting Italian independence sprang up. • Italian unification took 11 years because of the domination by several different foreign powers at one time.

5. Italy before and during unification (1859-1870)

6. Giuseppe Mazzini(1805-1872) • Italian patriot who founded the ‘Young Italy’ nationalist organization that favored violent revolution as a means of gaining independence. Took inspiration from the ideas of the French Revolution. • Wrote his ideas and plans in a book called On the Duties of Man; idea of liberty, fraternity equality. • Spent most of his life in exile in France, and had to smuggle his literature across borders. • While he did not initially succeed, Mazzini stirred up Italian nationalism to an all-time high.

7. Camillo di Cavour(1810-1861) • King Emmanuel of Piedmont-Sardinia appointed Cavour as Prime Minister. • He used diplomacy and ‘deal-making’ to help further the cause of Italian unification. • Commonly referred to as the ‘brains of Italian unification’, Cavour’s political maneuvers and alliance building were ultimately responsible for bringing the Italian states together. (In particular, his enlisting of French help from Louis Napoleon III to expel Austria.) • Together with the military leadership of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian states were unified and plebiscites(popular vote) revealed the people’s overwhelming desire to unite.

8. Giuseppe Garibaldi ( 1807-1882) • Italian nationalist who led the movement for unification in the south--- the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. • Founded an army known as the ‘Red Shirts’ to overthrow the monarch and the pope. • Cavour convinced Garibaldi to join with him in attempting to unite all of Italy. Garibaldi became known as the ‘sword of Italian unification.’ --- he became the leader of the military side of the movement. • The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 forced France to pull its army out of Rome where it was protecting the Pope, and Garibaldi’s men were able to move in and complete the Unification of Italy by adding Rome.

9. German Unification • Congress of Vienna maintained the 39 states that included Prussia and Austria. • Prussia and Austria—not friends • Germans looked to the powerful militaristic country, Prussia, led the unification. • King William I of Prussia appointed Otto Von Bismarck as the new prime minister when the Prussian legislature refused to raise taxes

10. Otto Von Bismarck • Realpolitik—practical politics with little regards for ethics and emphasized power. • Bismarck collected taxes and strengthen the army. • Allied with Austria to defeat Denmark. • Bismarck created friction with Austria over control of the area • Austro-Prussian War breaks out…Prussian wins

12. Prussia • Organized the North German Confederation • Problems with France soon arose bringing about the Franco-Prussia War • France surrender at Paris • January 18, 1871, William I of Prussia was proclaimed kaiser of the Second German Empire • Prussian leader and army combined with industrial resources made it the strongest power in Europe

13. Nationalism and Reform in Europe • Great Britain-avoided revolution two ways: • by giving industrial middle class the right to vote—lead to political interest • continued economic growth • Queen Victoria-embodied the national pride by her sense of duty and moral respectability. Ruled from 1837-1901

14. Reformed France • Louis-Napoleon asked his people to vote to restore the empire • Plebiscite, popular vote, the people voted 97% yes • Louis-Napoleon becomes Emperor Napoleon III of the Second Empire • Very successful at first but collapsed in 1870 after the Franco-Prussian War

15. Austrian Empire • Multinational empire • Fierce Hungarian nationalism forced the Austrians to establish a dual-monarchy • Compromise of 1867-Austria-Hungary was formed • Francis Joseph was the single monarchy ruling over A-H

16. Russia • As a result of the Crimean War and internal problems, Czar Nicholas II emancipated all serfs. • The emancipation led to millions of unhappy, land-starving peasants who would later rebel • Nicholas II was later assassinated in 1880

17. Nationalism in the United States • Federalist vs Republican fought bitterly early in the formation of the US • 1828-Andrew Jackson becomes president: HUGE WIN FOR THE POOR • Industrial Revolution’s impact…COTTON • Slavery, Cotton, and Money dominated the South

18. Nationalism in the United States • Abolitionism, movement to end slavery, challenged the life-style of the South • Lincoln becomes president-1860 • December 20, 1860: South Carolina secedes • Civil War 1861-1865 • Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863 • April 9, 1865—South surrendered

19. Ole Sweet Canada • Treaty of Paris 1763-Britain took control of Canada from France • Upper Canada-English Speaking • Lower Canada-French Speaking • John McDonald-strong voice for self-governing • British North America Act-established-Dominion of Canada