Comparing Italian and German Unification

Italy and Germany were unified within a decade of each other, and comparing them reveals both common patterns and important differences. In both cases a strong state, Piedmont or Prussia, led the process, and a skilled statesman, Cavour or Bismarck, used diplomacy and limited wars. Both exploited the weakening of Austria and the breakdown of the Concert of Europe after the Crimean War. But the differences matter: Prussia had a powerful army and industrial economy and largely won its own wars, while Italy depended heavily on French and Prussian victories.

Popular movements, such as Garibaldi's expedition, played a larger role in Italy than in Germany. Germany emerged as a major industrial and military power, while Italy remained economically weaker and divided between north and south. Both states were created largely by elites, with limited popular participation, and both then faced the challenge of building a national identity across regions, religions and classes.