Napoleon III and the Crimean War

• Napoleon III strived to be a disruptive nation builder.
• He aimed to create a lavish court and boost the economy.
• He also looked to establish banks, build railroads, and modernize France.
• Napoleon III established a rubber stamp legislature and outlawed worker activism.

The Crimean War

• Napoleon III promoted the Crimean War, during which France, Britain, and the Ottoman Empire fought against Russia.
• Russia was challenging British interests in Asia.
• Napoleon III ensured Austria remained neutral, breaking the Holy Alliance of Russia, Prussia, and Austria.
• Russia's defeat led to internal reforms.
• The Tsar recognized the need to free the serfs, reform the military, and modernize the judicial system.
• The Crimean War disrupted the Holy Alliance.

Russia's Response to Defeat

• Russia's defeat prevented it from suppressing revolutions, unlike in 1848.
• The Tsar freed the serfs, reformed the military, and modernized judicial procedures.
• Serfs were individuals tied to the land with some rights.
• Napoleon III transformed Paris into a modern capital post-Crimean War while Cavour sought to unify Italy.

Modernization of Paris and Italy

• Cavour sought to create a unified Italian state through economic modernization.
• He established steamship companies, experimented in agriculture, and studied modernization projects across Europe.
• As prime minister for the king of Piedmont-Sardinia, Cavour advanced modernization plans and allied with Napoleon III against Austria.
• Piedmont would gain Austrian territory while Napoleon would control central Italy and the Pope would lead an Italian confederation.
• Piedmont provoked Austria into war in 1859 and achieved victories, undermining Napoleon's plans as Italians rallied behind Cavour.

Garibaldi and the Unification of Southern Italy

• In 1860, Guiseppe Garibaldi led a revolutionary movement and captured southern Italy.
• Garibaldi united with Piedmont's forces to expel Austrians and French.
• Italy became a unified kingdom.

Realpolitik and Political Pragmatism

• Realpolitik involves political actions based on practical considerations.
• Realpolitik replaced romantic ideals of national unification with realism in politics.
• It prioritized achieving concrete goals.

Realpolitik and Otto von Bismarck

• Realpolitik focuses on immediate, practical problems and power dynamics.
• Otto von Bismarck was a key figure using realpolitik, playing a pivotal role in creating the modern German empire.
• He came from a well-to-do, landed aristocratic family, known as Junkers.
• Bismarck aimed to become a major player in German and international politics.
• He served as Prussia's delegate to assemblies of the German states and later as an ambassador to Russia and supported Prussian King William I.

Unifying Germany Under Prussian Leadership

• Bismarck favored a unified Germany under the leadership of a king.
• In 1862, when King William I faced resistance, Bismarck bypassed parliament by collecting taxes.
• The key question in the post-1848 era was whether Austria or Prussia would lead the Germans.
• Bismarck's loyalty to King William I was instrumental in promoting Prussia as the dominant power.
• Historians suggest that Bismarck's political moves were a result of his gift for improvisation instead of a grand plan.
• In 1864, he allied with Austria to settle the status of Schleswig and Holstein.

The Schleswig-Holstein Conflict

• Bismarck got Austria to join Prussia in a war against Denmark to resolve the contested rule of Schleswig-Holstein.
• After victory, Prussia administered Schleswig, while Austria got Holstein.
• Prussia and Austria went to war against each other over these provinces two years later.
• The Austro-Prussian War lasted about six weeks due to Prussia's modernized army.
• Bismarck's strategy resulted in Prussia gaining control of Schleswig-Holstein.

Consolidating Power

• Bismarck brought the northern German kingdoms and states into the North German Confederation.
• He aimed to draw in the remaining German states, employing the power of mass media like newspapers.
• Bismarck faked a telegram supposedly from the King of Prussia to Napoleon III of France, containing insults towards the French.
• The goal was to provoke France into declaring war on Prussia to create a common enemy and unite the German states.
• The Prussian people would feel more united as a country, giving them a national identity and a common cause.

Franco-Prussian War

• France declared war on Prussia in August 1870, incited by Bismarck's manipulations.
• Prussia defeated France, capturing Napoleon III and 150,000 soldiers by September 2nd.
• The victory led to the Bavarians and smaller states joining Prussia.
• In January 1871, the German Empire was declared in the Hall of Mirrors at the Versailles Palace.

Negative Integration

• Building a community or nation by finding enemies or targeting certain categories of individuals to be outcasts is negative integration.
• Bismarck used negative integration to unite the German states.

Outcomes of the Franco-Prussian War

• Prussia won the war against France.
• Germany became united under Prussia's rule.
• Bismarck's goal of uniting Germany was achieved through this conflict.