Answer:
We
will focus on the development of the German and Italian nation-states in the
19th century, considering the following points
(i) Political Fragmentation Till the
middle of the 19th century, the present-day states of Germany and Italy were
fragmented into separate regions and kingdoms ruled by different Princely Houses.
(ii) Revolutionary Uprisings 19th century Europe was characterised by
both popular uprisings of the masses and revolutions led by the educated and liberal
middle classes.
In the case of the German people, the middle classes
belonging to different German regions came together to form an all German
National Assembly in 1848. However, on facing opposition from the aristocracy
and military and on losing its mass support base, it was forced to disband.
In the Italian region, during the 1830s, revolutionaries
like Giuseppe Mazzini tried to establish an Italian Republic. However, the revolutionary
uprisings of 1831 and 1848 failed to unite Italy.
(iii) Unification with the Help of the Army After the failure
of the revolutions, the process of unification was pursued by the aristocracy
and the army in both these nations.
Germany was united by the Prussian Chief Minister Otto von
Bismarck with the help of the Prussian Army and bureaucracy. Prussia fought three
wars with Anotria, Denmark and France over seven years and won. It completed
the process of unification. Finally, the German empire was proclaimed in 1871.
The Italian state of Sardinia-Piedmont played the role of
uniting Italy, similar to that played by Prussia in the case of Germany. Count
Camilo de Cavour (the Chief Minister of Sardinia-Piedmont) led the movement
to unite the separate states of 19th century Italy with the help of the army and
an alliance with France.
The regions annexed by Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Red
Shirts joined with the Northern regions to form a united Italy in 1861. The
Papal states joined it in 1870.
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