Europe 1848 to 1871 Study Guide - 11th Grade Modern History

Purpose: Use this guide to prepare for the test on the Revolutions of 1848, the Victorian Era, Italian unification, and German unification. Focus on explaining cause and effect, identifying major leaders, and connecting nationalism to political change.

What were two major goals of the Congress of Vienna?

Restore stability and traditional monarchies; maintain a balance of power.

Name three causes of the Revolutions of 1848.

Possible answers include poor harvests, food shortages, low wages, long workdays, liberalism, and nationalism.

What happened to Louis Philippe, and what government replaced him?

Louis Philippe abdicated; the Second French Republic replaced his monarchy.

Why were the Revolutions of 1848 mostly unsuccessful in the short term?

The uprisings lacked coordination and military strength, and established armies restored royal control.

Give two long-term results of the revolutions.

Possible answers include later reforms, the end of feudalism in Austria and Prussia, greater middle-class influence, and stronger nationalism.

When did Queen Victoria rule?

1837 to 1901.

How did railroads change Victorian Britain?

They made travel and trade faster and helped industries and towns grow.

What were workhouses, and why did poor people fear them?

They gave aid to the desperately poor but maintained harsh conditions to discourage entry.

Why did cholera spread easily in industrial cities?

Crowding, contaminated water, and poor sewage systems spread the disease.

What major contradiction existed in Victorian Britain?

Great wealth and global power existed alongside poverty, disease, inequality, and dangerous work.

What was the Risorgimento?

The Italian movement for national unification, meaning rebirth or resurgence

Why are Mazzini, Cavour, and Garibaldi called the heart, brain, and muscle?

Mazzini inspired the dream, Cavour planned through diplomacy, and Garibaldi conquered territory.

What was the Expedition of the Thousand?

Garibaldi and roughly 1,000 Red Shirts captured Sicily and Naples in 1860.

Why was Garibaldi's decision to surrender his territory important?

It helped unite northern and southern Italy under Victor Emmanuel II and avoided conflict over control.

Define Realpolitik.

Politics based on practical results, power, and national interest rather than ideals.

What did Bismarck mean by Blood and Iron?

Blood meant the human cost of war; iron meant industry, weapons, railroads, and military strength.

Name Bismarck's three wars in order.

Denmark in 1864, Austria in 1866, and France in 1870 to 1871.

What was the Ems Dispatch used to accomplish?

Bismarck edited it to increase tension and provoke France into declaring war.

Where and when was the German Empire proclaimed?

At the Palace of Versailles in January 1871.

What moral concern can be raised about Bismarck's methods?

He achieved unity through war, manipulation, and deception, raising the question of whether a successful result justifies harmful methods.