Through a focus on any two countries, explain how nations developed over the nineteenth century.

Development of Germany and Italy can be focused on as two countries developing over the nineteenth century.

Nationalist feelings were widespread among middle-class Germans, who in 1848 tried to unite the different regions of the German confederation into a nation-state governed by an elected parliament. This liberal initiative to nation-building was, however, repressed by the combined forces of the monarchy and the military, supported by the large landowners (called Junkers) of Prussia. Otto von Bismarck, was the architect of the process that carried out movement for unification of Germany with the help of the Prussian army and bureaucracy. Three wars over seven years – with Austria, Denmark and France – ended in Prussian victory and completed the process of unification. In January 1871, the Prussian king, Kaiser William I, was proclaimed German Emperor in a ceremony held at Versailles.

During the middle of the nineteenth century, Italy was divided into seven states, of which only one, Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs, the centre was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under the domination of the Bourbon kings of Spain. In Italy, Giuseppe Mazzini had sought to put together a coherent programme for a unitary Italian Republic. Finally Chief Minister Cavour who led the movement to unify the regions of Italy engineered the defeat of Austria in 1859. Giuseppe Garibaldi joined in 1860 and they marched into South Italy and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and succeeded in winning the support of the local peasants in order to drive out the Spanish rulers. In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed king of united Italy.

It can be said that the nations developed because of following reasons:

• Unrest in people regarding monarchy and autocracy.
• Making common culture as the base to unify the nation.
• Strong leaders
• Liberal movements and expectation of economic development.