Download Nationalism Triumphs in Europe and the Growth of Western

Nationalism: A strong feeling of pride in
and devotion to one’s country.
The last half of the 1800s can be called the Age of
Nationalism. By harnessing national feeling, European
leaders fought ruthlessly to create strong, unified
nations. Germany and Italy unified under nationalism,
the Austrians and Ottomans fought to keep their
empires in tact, and Russians started to challenge the
power of the Czar (Tsar). Under Otto von Bismarck,
Germany emerged as Europe’s most powerful empire –
but at a considerable cost. Where once the world saw
Germany as a center for the Northern Renaissance, it
was now viewed as conquerors and destroyers. Neither
loved nor respected, only feared.
All the while Western
Democracies formed and grew
in Britain, France, and the
United States. A series of
political reforms during the
1800s and early 1900s
transformed Great Britain from a
monarchy and aristocracy into a
democracy, Manifest Destiny
saw the United States expand
from coast to coast (and
beyond), and under the
Napoleonic Code France
emerged as the largest
democratic country in Europe.
Building a German Nation
In the early 1800s , German-speaking people, Austrians, and
Prussians lived in a number of small and medium-sized states.
Under Napoleon’s control the people of the area united to
throw the French out.
With Napoleon gone the Congress of Vienna created the
German Confederation headed by Austria.
In 1848 people again
demanded German
political unity under
the leadership of
Frederick William IV
of Prussia – he
rejected the
notion of a throne
offered by “the
people”.
Under a Prussian, Otto von Bismarck, the German states were
united through a series of “wars of unification” against
Denmark, Austria, and France. In the Franco-Prussian War
Napoleon III surrendered after a mere few weeks. Due to
this Bismarck is considered the architect of German unity.
In January 1871, William I of Prussia took the title of
kaiser (emperor) of Germany – ushering in the
Second Reich (empire) – heir to the First Reich, the
Holy Roman Empire.
Germany Strengthens
In the aftermath of unification Germany emerged
as the industrial giant of the European
continent; it’s shipping was second only to
Britain.
Germany had many advantages, its iron and coal
deposits, along with a population surge (from
41 million in 1871 to 67 million in 1914) served to
propel Germany forward.
The Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, sought
to keep France isolated and weak, while
building strong links with Austria and Russia,
as well as erase local loyalties within by
attacking the Catholic Church and the
Socialists. His moves backfired, forcing him to
make peace with the church and woo the
workers of Germany. Because of this Germany
became the model of social reform for other
European countries.
Unifying Italy
Although the people of the
Italian peninsula spoke the
same language, they had not
experienced political unity
since the Roman times. By
the early 1800s Italian
patriots were determined to
build a new, united Italy.
Under the Congress of Vienna,
Austria controlled northern
Italy, the Hapsburg
monarchs ruled various
other Italian states, and the
French Bourbons were put
in charge of Naples and
Cicily.
Between 1820 and 1848
nationalist revolts
exploded across the
region – each time Austria
sent troops to crush the
rebels.
Under the shrewd
leadership of Count
Camillo Cavour appointed prime minister
in 1852, and Giuseppe
Garibaldi – a long time
nationalist, Italy was
united in 1861 with Victor
Emmanuel II its king. Later
wars would add Rome and
Venitia.
Though united, strong regional divisions between the
north and south, as well as disputes with the Catholic
Church served to impede growth. Growth did come with
industrialization in northern Italy by 1900, which saw a
population explosion and emigration to the Americas.
Nationalism Threatens Old Empires
In Eastern and Central Europe, the Austrians and Ottoman
Turks ruled lands that included diverse ethnic groups.
Nationalist feelings among these subject peoples
contributed to tensions building across Europe.
Austria
• Of its 50 million people in the mid-1800s, fewer that a
quarter were German-speaking Austrians, and almost half
belonged to different Slavic groups including Czechs,
Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.
• Under a new leader, Francis Joseph, and inspired by 1848
revolts, limited reforms were made. These reforms failed to
satisfy Hungary in their calls for independence.
• In 1867 the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary was formed;
they were separate states, but would share ministries of
finance, defense, and foreign affairs.
• Ethic unrest continued to rise however…
Ottomans
• After the independence of Serbia and Greece earlier,
various other groups staged revolts against the
Ottomans.
• By the mid-1800s European powers had begun to see the
Ottomans as weak, referring to them as “the sick man of
Europe”. Eagerly they scrambled to divide up the lands;
Russia pushed south, Austria-Hungary pushed west into
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Britain and France set their
sights on lands in the Middle East and North Africa.
• A complex web of competing interests developed in the
region between regional and European powers, leading
to what many would call the region as the “Balkan powder
keg.
Russia: Reform and Reaction
By 1815, Russia was not only
the largest, most populace
nation in Europe but also a
great power. However,
despite efforts by Peter
and Catharine to
westernize Russia, it
remained economically
undeveloped.
Under Alexander II the serfs
were freed (emancipated)
from the land, freeing
them to move to the
growing cities for work in
Russian industries.
In the early and mid-1800s
liberals and radicals
created turmoil that
culminated in the
assassination of Alexander
II in March of 1881. His
son, Alexander III
responded with a harsh
backlash, suppressing the
cultures of non-Russian
peoples through
persecutions and pogroms.
Under Alexander III’s son, Nicholas II, Russia entered the
industrial age in the 1890s with railroads and industry.
Poor conditions saw Marxist ideas gain popularity.
Following the defeat of Russia to Japan in the Russo-Japanese
wars of 1904-5, as well as “Bloody Sunday” that saw
hundreds dead at the Czar’s Winter Palace on January 22,
1905, discontent exploded all over Russia.
By 1914 Russia was still an autocracy, but one simmering with
unrest…
Democratic Reform in Britain
Reforming Parliament
The Reform Act of 1832 gave
representation to newer
population centers and
granted suffrage to more
men, giving the middle class
more power.
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The Victorian Age
Queen Victoria became symbolic of Britain and of
Victorian ideals of morality. She believed that the lower
classes should be given more of a voice.
A New Era in British Politics
In the latter part of the 19th century, the Liberal and
Conservative parties each made reforms that increased the
size of the electorate. Britain became a parliamentary
democracy, and the power of the House of Lords was
diminished.
Social and Economic Reform in Britain
A Series of Reforms
During the early and mid 1800s, Parliament instituted reforms in the
areas of protective tariffs (repealing the Corn Laws), slavery (banning
it in all British colonies), and criminal punishments (reducing the
number of capital offenses).
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Victories for the Working Class
In the 1800s and early 1900s,
Parliament passed laws aimed at
improving social conditions. Such
laws limited the workday of
women and children, regulated
workplace safety, improved
workers’ housing, and established
old-age pensions and
unemployment insurance.
A Struggle to Win Votes for Women
Parliament finally granted suffrage to women over 30 in 1918.
When peaceful protests saw no results, radical suffragists
had made their cause more apparent by destroying property
Instability in Ireland
Irish nationalists campaigned
for freedom from Britain and
made gains in the 1829
Catholic Emancipation Act
and the home rule bill, which
passed in 1914. The
southern counties of Ireland
gained independence in 1921.
Division and Democracy in France
Challenges of the Third
Republic
France Under Napoleon III
Napoleon III eventually extended
Civil war erupted in 1871 as a result
some democratic rights to French
of the conditions that ended the
citizens, but many of them lived in
Franco-Prussian War. The Third
poverty, which was exacerbated by
Republic emerged with a two-house
the Franco-Prussian War and the
siege of Paris.
legislature that gave power to a
premier. A multitude of parties led
to a coalition government that was
unstable.
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Anti-Semitism and the Dreyfus Affair
The rise of anti-Semitism in
Europe was evidenced in the
Dreyfus affair in which a Jewish
army officer, Alfred Dreyfus, was
accused of spying for Germany.
The Dreyfus case and Russian
pogroms led to the establishment
of the modern Zionist movement.
Reforms in France
The Dreyfus Affair led to a
campaign to reduce the power of
the Roman Catholic Church,
which had supported the
condemnation of Dreyfus, and led
also to a lack of support for
women’s suffrage, for fear that
women would vote for Church
causes.
Expansion of the United States
In the 1800s, the United States extended the nation’s boundaries to
include the land west of the Mississippi River gained in the Louisiana
Purchase, as well as Florida, Oregon, the Republic of Texas, California
and the Southwest, Alaska, and the Hawaiian Islands.
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Expanding Democracy
The abolition movement and the
women’s rights movement both
intensified in the mid 19th
century. The women’s rights
movement grew stronger out of
frustration with the inability of
women to have a voice against
slavery.
The Civil War and Its Aftermath
Economic differences and the issue of slavery separated
the North and the South and led to the Civil War. Even
after African Americans were freed, segregation still
restricted their opportunities in the South.
Economic Growth and Social Reform
After the Civil War, the U.S.
economy grew and giant
monopolies came to
dominate industry. Workers—
largely left out of the new
prosperity—organized labor
unions, and farmers also came
together to defend their
interests.