Nov
12
Alfred Dreyfus
November 12, 2014 | 3 Comments
In 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus was accused of providing military intelligence to the Germans earlier that year in December. What made this case so controversial wasn’t so much the actual person, who wasn’t of major importance in the military, but the anti-antisemitism that arose in France as a result. Below is a cartoon from a […]
Oct
29
Victor (Vittorio) Emmanuel II
October 29, 2014 | 3 Comments
Victor Emanuel II VITTORIO EMMANUEL II Was origionally the Prince of Naples and King of Piedmont-Sardinia until 1861, then assumed the title of First king of Italy(1861-1878).Victor Emmanuel succeeded his father Charles Albert to the throne of Piedmont-Sardinia on March 24, 1849, following the abdication of Charles Albert after two humiliating defeats (1848 and 1849) by […]
Oct
27
Russian Social Movements in the late 19th Century
October 27, 2014 | 4 Comments
Alexander II (1855 – 1881) came into power in the aftermath of the Crimean War. Russian standards of living were not good during in the 1850s. 90 percent of the population lived at the subsistence level. Alexander II did attempt to reform Russia internally, though. The tsar freed Russia’s peasants, in total around 22 million, […]
Dec
7
Prussia at War: Face-offs with Austria and France
December 7, 2013 | Comments Off on Prussia at War: Face-offs with Austria and France
While in the process of becoming a unified, Prussia’s leader, Otto von Bismarck, went to work, discussing the territories of Schleswig and Holstein with their neighbors, Austria. Simultaneously, Bismarck was building a supportive relationship with Italy by supporting their claims to Venetia and gaining Russian trust by supporting the destruction of the Polish Rebellion. Austria, […]
Dec
6
Falling Empires: Russia, The Habsburgs, and the Ottoman
December 6, 2013 | Comments Off on Falling Empires: Russia, The Habsburgs, and the Ottoman
The Habsburg, Ottoman, and Russian Empires all faced the challenge of nationalism in the wake of Nationalist movements throughout Western Europe. Both the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires ended up losing much territory during these uprisings and rebellions and both were dissolved after the First World War. The Russian Empire faced the challenge of not only […]
Nov
30
Jewish Nationalism
November 30, 2013 | Comments Off on Jewish Nationalism
During the mid- to late-nineteenth century, nationalism as a global trend was on the rise. In Germany especially, nationalism skyrocketed, due to rapid industrialism, changes in power, urbanization, class tensions, and other factors. Because of this nationalistic sentiment characteristically prevalent in Germany during this time, an emphasis on the unique cultural heritage of Germany came […]
Nov
30
German Nationalism
November 30, 2013 | Comments Off on German Nationalism
The unification of Germany is a recent occurrence compared to most other nations in Europe. Notions of unification did not even begin to become fully articulated or acted upon until the beginning of the nineteenth century, with the advent of the 1815 German Confederation as well as the […]
May
2
Maps of Italy Before and After Unification
May 2, 2012 | Comments Off on Maps of Italy Before and After Unification
This map represents Italy in 1858 before the unification of the states. This map represents Italy after its unification under the rule of King Victor Emmanuel II in 1861, known as the Kingdom of Italy. Jessica Elder
May
2
The Source of Evil speech by Prince Klemens von Metternich
May 2, 2012 | Comments Off on The Source of Evil speech by Prince Klemens von Metternich
Man’s nature is immutable. The first needs of society are and remain the same, and the differences which they seem to offer find their explanation in the diversity of influences, acting on the different races by natural causes, such as the diversity of climate, barrenness or richness of soil, insular or continental position, &c. &c. […]
May
2
The Hermannsdenkmal (“Hermann Statue”) is a famous monument that resides in Ostwestfalen-Lippe in Germany, placed there after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. The monument portrays Hermann, a war chief of the Germanic tribes in 9 AD. This monument represented (and to this day still represents) the unification of Germany (when it was being built it […]