European Political Changes 1799-1871

Napoleon

Seized power in France in 1799 through a coup d'état and crowned himself emperor in 1804

Napoleonic Wars

Occurred from 1803-1815, during which Napoleon's armies conquered much of Europe

Grand Empire

At its height, almost all of Europe was part of Napoleon's dominion

Congress of Vienna

Held in 1815 to redraw the political map of Europe after Napoleon's fall

Conservatives

Upper class individuals who desired minimal change in government

Liberals

Educated middle class individuals who sought individual freedoms and more say in government

Radicals

Working class individuals who wanted drastic changes to government and equal rights for all

Nationalism

Resulted from the terms of the Congress of Vienna, leading to widespread discontent in Europe and the desire for independent nation-states

Nation-state

A country where people of the same culture and heritage live together

Revolutions of 1848

A series of political upheavals throughout Europe influenced by liberalism and nationalism, aiming to establish independent nation-states and democratic governments

Glorious Revolution

Occurred in 1689 in Britain, granting power and protections to British citizens

Nation

A group of people with a shared history and culture living in a specific geographical location

Nationalism

Belief in the superiority of one's nation and the desire for its advancement, sometimes including the desire to create an independent nation-state

Italian Unification

A movement to unite Italy into a nation-state, involving political, cultural, and economic challenges

Giuseppe Mazzini

Italian politician and activist who started the group Young Italy to promote the idea of uniting Italy into a nation-state

Risorgimento

The movement for Italian unification

Victor Emmanuel II

King of Sardinia and central figure in the unification of Italy

Count Cavour

Prime Minister to Victor Emmanuel II, who negotiated an alliance with France and engineered a war with Austria to gain Sardinia's independence

Garibaldi

Nationalist revolutionary who invaded Italy from the south and played a key role in the unification of Italy

Red shirts

Garibaldi's troops who used guerrilla warfare tactics

German Unification

The process of uniting Germany into a single nation, involving political, military, and diplomatic strategies

Prussia

Became the leader for German unification, improving trade and currency through the Zollverein system

Otto von Bismarck

Prime Minister of Prussia who embraced the policy of realpolitik and played a key role in the unification of Germany

Seven Weeks' War

A war in June 1866 where Bismarck defeated Austria to establish Prussian domination in German affairs

Franco-Prussian War

A war in 1870 where the Prussian army defeated the French, leading to the unification of Germany under Prussian rule