Until the late 1800’s, Germany and Italy were not their own nations. Parts of each of these countries were controlled by princes, dukes and other nobles. When Napoleon invaded it brought the many different Italian speaking people together to fight him. They soon realized they had much in common and the Risorgimento (Italian Nationalist/Unification Movement) began. The same applied to German speaking people as they fought Napoleon. Throughout the 1800s, they sought to unify with each other as well. After Napoleon I was defeated at Waterloo, the rulers of Europe agreed at the Congress of Vienna to restore power to Europe’s royal families. These conservative rulers believed that the monarchy was the best form of government and had no desire to upset the balance of power with new unified nations. The leader of the Congress of Vienna, Austrian Prince Klemens von Metternich, did everything in his power to prevent any Italian or German unification. Slowly though, these nations would emerge.
However, In 1860, there was no German nation. Those who considered themselves to be "German" lived in Prussia and 39 other small states ruled by princes, dukes and kings, all part of the Austrian Empire. German nationalists were encouraged by the success of the Italian unification and began to look for ways to unite the German states. Prussia, the largest of these states, was the logical leader for this movement, and its Prime Minister, Otto von Bismarck, became the planner and face of the unification effort. Below, you will find websites/links about Bismarck and German unification. Use those sites to answer the questions below!