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Mexico was under a caste system which meant there were different levels of society and you got treated differently based on who you were. They came up with a plan to silently arrest all the Peninsular people and take over Mexico. The original date for this was December 8th, 1810. A spy found out about the plan and on September 15th, 1810 the Puninsulars went to arrest Father Hidalgo. Father Hidalgo rang the church bell a bunch of time's and it looked kinda like a pep rally and he stared shouting Long Live Mexico.

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Father Miguel Hidalgo kicked off Mexico's war for independence from Spain on September 16, 1810, when he issued his famous "Cry of Dolores" in which he exhorted Mexicans to rise up and throw off Spanish tyranny. There were a lot of wars that went on while he was in charge of Mexico.

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Father Miguel Hidalgo kicked off Mexico's war for independence from Spain on September 16, 1810, when he issued his famous "Cry of Dolores" in which he exhorted Mexicans to rise up and throw off Spanish tyranny. For almost a year, Hidalgo led the independence movement, battling Spanish forces in and around Central Mexico. He was captured and executed in 1811, but others picked up the struggle and Hidalgo is today considered the father of the country.

Father Miguel Hidalgo was an unlikely revolutionary. Well into his 50s, Hidalgo was a parish priest and noted theologian with no real history of insubordination. Inside the quiet priest beat the heart of a rebel, however, and on September 16, 1810, he took to the pulpit in the town of Dolores and demanded that the people take up arms and free their nation.

By September 1810, Mexico was ready for a revolt. All it needed was a spark. The Mexicans were unhappy with increased taxes and Spanish indifference to their plight. Spain itself was in chaos: King Ferdinand VII was a "guest" of the French, who ruled Spain. When Father Hidalgo issued his famous "Grito de Dolores" Or "Cry of Dolores" calling for the people to take up arms, thousands responded: within weeks he had an army large enough to threaten Mexico City itself.

As charismatic as Hidalgo was, he was no soldier. It was crucial, then, that at his side was Captain Ignacio Allende. Allende had been a co-conspirator with Hidalgo before the Cry of Dolores, and he commanded a force of loyal, trained soldiers. When the war of independence broke out, he helped Hidalgo immeasurably. Eventually, the two men had a falling out but soon realized that they needed each other.

On September 28, 1810, an angry mass of Mexican insurgents led by Father Miguel Hidalgo descended on the hapless mining city of Guanajuato. The Spaniards in the city quickly organized a defense, fortifying the public granary. The mob of thousands was not to be denied, however, and after a five-hour siege the granary was overrun and all inside massacred.

The Battle of Monte de las Cruces

In late October of 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo led an angry mob of close to 80,000 poor Mexicans towards Mexico City. The residents of the city were terrified. Every available royalist soldier was sent out to meet Hidalgo's army, and on October 30 the two armies met at Monte de Las Cruces. Would arms and discipline prevail over numbers and rage?

The Battle of Calderon Bridge

In January of 1811, Mexican rebels under Miguel Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende were on the run from royalist forces. Picking advantageous ground, they prepared to defend the Calderon Bridge which leads into Guadalajara. Could the rebels hold out against the smaller but better trained and equipped Spanish Army, or would their vast numerical superiority prevail?

When Hidalgo was captured in 1811, the torch of independence was picked up by a most unlikely man: Jose Maria Morelos, another priest who, unlike Hidalgo, had no record of seditious leanings. There was a connection between the men: Morelos had been a pupil at the school Hidalgo directed. Before Hidalgo was captured, the two men even met once, in late 1810, when Hidalgo made his former student a lieutenant and ordered him to attack Acapulco.

Hidalgo and History

Anti-Spanish sentiment had been simmering in Mexico for some time, but it took the charismatic Father Hidalgo to provide the spark the nation needed to start its war of Independence. Today, Father Hidalgo is considered a hero of Mexico and one of the greatest founders of the nation.

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Father Miguel Hidalgo kicked off Mexico's war for independence from Spain on September 16, 1810, when he issued his famous "Cry of Dolores" in which he exhorted Mexicans to rise up and throw off Spanish tyranny. For almost a year, Hidalgo led the independence movement, battling Spanish forces in and around Central Mexico.

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There was a lot going on in Sicily, Italy.  The only thing left to create a united Italy was the capture of Rome. This would prove to be difficult as the Papal states had a French army to protect the pope and the city. Italy’s luck would change thanks to a seemingly unrelated event. The Battle of Sedan. For those not familiar, the Battle of Sedan marked the end of the French 2nd Empire and the defining moment of the Franco-Prussian War.

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When we think of Italian history, we of course think about the Roman Empire, and how it turned the Mediterranean Sea into a "Roman Lake". Now the next thing that comes to mind is the Fascist state that supported Adolf Hitler led by Benito Mussolini. What happened in between is often not discussed or studied. The key reason why is that there was no Italy! Ever since the fall of the Western Roman Empire, a unified nation of Italy did not exist. Instead, the Italian Peninsula was controlled by City-States that usually served as Proxy Wars for the powers of Europe. However, the people of Italy wanted a unified nation, and the sentiment of Italian nationalism ran strong through the boot-shaped land. Italians made several attempts to throw off foreign rule and unite the country but it would not be until a rabble-rouser named Giuessepe Garibaldi entered the scene. Read on to read all about Italian Unification and Giussepe Garibaldi and the founding of Modern Italy.

Background: Post-Roman Italian History

Immediately following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire the Italian Peninsula came under the control of the Ostrogoths to form the Ostrogothic kingdom. While this occurred, emperor Justinian I of the Byzantine Empire sought to restore the Roman empire by bringing most of Europe under Byzantine Control. To begin his grand scheme, Justinian set his eyes on Ostrogoth controlled Italy, and the Gothic War (535-554) began. The Gothic War saw short-term success for Justinian and the Byzantine Empire, but long-term damage to Italy and dreams of a new Roman Empire. Justinian's forces were able to conquer some parts of Italy, but in the process, set ruin to the Italian Peninsula. It would take a long time for Italy to truly recover. Justinian's control of a ravaged Italy proved temporary as an invasion of the Lombards, a German tribe, resulted in losses of most of Italy. Italy would remain under Lombarian control for 200 years, and Byzantium ultimately lost all of its Italian possessions. Lombardian dominance in the treason was broken by an invasion of the Franks, a germanic people who controlled Modern-Day France. Frankish forces gave much authority to the Pope, and the Papal States, a key player in our story was born. After Chalremnage's short-term control of CEntral Europe, the Italian peninsula fell into disorder, as Communes took hold of Northern Italy, and the Emirate of Sicily, an Islamic Kingdom, took control of parts of Southern Italy. In 1130, a group of Normans (yes the very same Norman who conquered England,) overthrew Islamic rule and established the kingdom of Sicily. The 12 and 13 centuries mark the period when city-states dominated the Italian Peninsula. These city-states threw off Feudalism and thrived off of the early capitalist-Esque economy of trade. While these city-states thrived, they fought with each other constantly contributing to the defining characteristic of political instability. In 1494, the period of city-states came to a scr4eaming halt as foreign powers began to sue Italy as a battle royal for Supremacy of Europe, known as the Italian Wars. These wars devastated Italy and further shattered the peninsula into disunion. Spain gained control of the Kingdom of Naples and created Habsburg hegemony in Italy. Throughout the next two centuries, Italy would face intense competition between France and Spain over who could control the Peninsula. Italy was seemingly caught in a perpetual state of warfare and chaos.

Background: Napoleonic wars

Italy played a key role in the Napoleonic wars, serving as a battlefield between Napoleon's forces and the Austrian Empire. Northern Italy fell ravage to Napoleon's "let the army live off the land". Napoleon's armies took control of Northern Italy and then attacked Austria through Italy. Causing Austria to sue for peace. The Italian campaign was a major success for Napoleon. However, Italians resented such strong foreign influence, and the experiences during the Napoleonic war helped push Italy closer to nationalism and calls for a united Italy.

Background: 1848 Revolutions

Attempts at Italian unification fall into the larger historical context of the 1848 revolutions. The 1848 revolutions were a series of rebellions against the conservative political institutions that dominated Europe. By "conservative" I don't mean like the Republican Party, but conservative, as support for monarchies, and little autonomy for the people. The rebels called for liberal reforms. By liberal, I don't mean Bernie Sanders, I mean liberal like enlightenment thinkers. Calls for democracy separation of church and state, greater rights for the people. The 1848 revolutions were mostly unsuccessful, as their efforts were either crushed by the ruling institutions or later devolved into an undemocratic system. The French 2nd Republic only lasted three years before becoming the 2nd French Empire. The Italian revolutions were unsuccessful but showed the strong penchant for a united early and weaknesses in the old system.

Background: Garibaldi early life

Ok, so that was a lot. Let's talk a little about the man who would help redress 13 centuries of a disunited Italy. Giuseppe Garibaldi. Take a guess of where Garibaldi was born. If you guessed somewhere in Italy, you're wrong. Garibaldi was actually born in Nice, the French city on the Mediterranean. Nice was conquered by the French 1st Republic, but when little Giuessepe was 7 his homeland became the territory of the King of Sardinia. Garibaldi was drawn to the open seas and began life as a merchant. It was during his time on the seas that he first came across prospects of a unified Italy. Garibaldi met Giuesseppe Manzizni, a key member of a secret Italian nationalist group known as Young Italy. Inspired by these ideas, Garibaldi took part in a short-lived rebellion and ultimately futile revolution in 1834. As punishment, Garibaldi was sentenced to death. To avoid an untimely death, Garibaldi fled to Marseille and hopped a ship to Tunis. From there, Garibaldi would wind up in a most unlikely destination: The sprawling Empire of Brazil. While in Brazil, Garibaldi became active in Brazillianian politics, joining the cause of the Riograndenese republic in the Ragamuffin War. The Ragamuffin war was a secession effort by the Brazilian state of Rio Grande de Sul. While the Ragamuffin war would last until 1845, Garibaldi abandoned the cause and in 1841 and moved to Uruguay. Garibaldi got involved in the Uruguayan Civil War, supporting the rebelling Colorados. Garibaldi was a principal figure in the siege of Montevideo, helping the embattled city survive. In 1848, political agitation arose in Italy and Garibaldi felt it was time to return home. Garibaldi returned to Italy with 60 men and a passion to unite his homeland.

Garibalidis' impact

Garibaldi could not have picked a better time to arrive back in Italy. Sicily was in the midst of a revolt, which presented the vacuum necessary for Garibalid's plan. Garibaldi landed in Sicily with a thousand men ready to conquer the island and unite the country. Garibaldi achieved several key victories and soon controlled the Island of Sicily. Garibaldi established a dictatorship there to temporarily rule and his forces soon cross into mainland Italy. When Garibaldi landed in Southern Italy, he was welcomed as a liberator and not as an enemy. When Garibaldi did meet opposition, his ragtag army dealt with them quickly and continued their march to Naples. At this point, Garibaldi overthrew the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and was ready to capture the capital of Napoli. Most of Southern Italy was ready to join a united Italy along with the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. On the proverbial to-do list was to expel the Austrians in the North, take control of the papal states, and make Rome the capital of Italy. GAribadli essentially captured all of Southern Italy and handed it over to Victor Emmanuel II, the man who would be the first King of Italy. Garibaldi's work was done. He played a principal role in the unification of Italy and without him would likely not have happened

The Capture of Rome

The Austrian-controlled region of Lombardy-Venetia joined the kingdom of Italy as a result of the Austro-Prussian War. The only thing left to create a united Italy was the capture of Rome. This would prove to be difficult as the Papal states had a french army to protect the pope and the city. Italy's luck would change thanks to a seemingly unrelated event. The Battle of Sedan. For those not familiar, the Battle of Sedan marked the end of the French 2nd Empire and the defining moment of the Franco-Prussian War. With France in deep peril, they could not spare 20,000 soldiers to protect Rome and in 1870, the French army was recalled to stave off the Prussians. This prevented a golden opportunity to unite the centuries-long quest for unification. The Italian republic besieged Rome and it capitulated. On September 20, 1870, the Italian army captured Rome. Italy was united.

Impacts & effects

The Italian unification and Garibaldi's contributions are some of the most consequential events in Italian History and deserve to be remembered as such. The Italian unification falls into the same trend of rising nationalism in Europe, such as the Unification of Germany and the unraveling of the multi-ethnic Austr-Hungarian Empire. Garibaldi's expeditions in Sicily were critical to uniting Italy and Garibaldi should be remembered as one of the most important figures in Italian history.

Thanks for reading and if you liked what you read make sure to follow me here @nicktopia 17 and @thehistorycorner blog

When we think of Italian history, we of course think about the Roman Empire, and how it turned the Mediterranean Sea into a "Roman Lake". Now the next thing that comes to mind is the Fascist state that supported Adolf Hitler led by Benito Mussolini. What happened in between is often not discussed or studied. The key reason why is that there was no Italy! Ever since the fall of the Western Roman Empire, a unified nation of Italy did not exist. Instead, the Italian Peninsula was controlled by City-States that usually served as Proxy Wars for the powers of Europe. However, the people of Italy wanted a unified nation, and the sentiment of Italian nationalism ran strong through the boot-shaped land. Italians made several attempts to throw off foreign rule and unite the country but it would not be until a rabble-rouser named Giuessepe Garibaldi entered the scene. Read on to read all about Italian Unification and Giussepe Garibaldi and the founding of Modern Italy.

Background: Post-Roman Italian History

Immediately following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire the Italian Peninsula came under the control of the Ostrogoths to form the Ostrogothic kingdom. While this occurred, emperor Justinian I of the Byzantine Empire sought to restore the Roman empire by bringing most of Europe under Byzantine Control. To begin his grand scheme, Justinian set his eyes on Ostrogoth controlled Italy, and the Gothic War (535-554) began. The Gothic War saw short-term success for Justinian and the Byzantine Empire, but long-term damage to Italy and dreams of a new Roman Empire. Justinian's forces were able to conquer some parts of Italy, but in the process, set ruin to the Italian Peninsula. It would take a long time for Italy to truly recover. Justinian's control of a ravaged Italy proved temporary as an invasion of the Lombards, a German tribe, resulted in losses of most of Italy. Italy would remain under Lombarian control for 200 years, and Byzantium ultimately lost all of its Italian possessions. Lombardian dominance in the treason was broken by an invasion of the Franks, a germanic people who controlled Modern-Day France. Frankish forces gave much authority to the Pope, and the Papal States, a key player in our story was born. After Chalremnage's short-term control of CEntral Europe, the Italian peninsula fell into disorder, as Communes took hold of Northern Italy, and the Emirate of Sicily, an Islamic Kingdom, took control of parts of Southern Italy. In 1130, a group of Normans (yes the very same Norman who conquered England,) overthrew Islamic rule and established the kingdom of Sicily. The 12 and 13 centuries mark the period when city-states dominated the Italian Peninsula. These city-states threw off Feudalism and thrived off of the early capitalist-Esque economy of trade. While these city-states thrived, they fought with each other constantly contributing to the defining characteristic of political instability. In 1494, the period of city-states came to a scr4eaming halt as foreign powers began to sue Italy as a battle royal for Supremacy of Europe, known as the Italian Wars. These wars devastated Italy and further shattered the peninsula into disunion. Spain gained control of the Kingdom of Naples and created Habsburg hegemony in Italy. Throughout the next two centuries, Italy would face intense competition between France and Spain over who could control the Peninsula. Italy was seemingly caught in a perpetual state of warfare and chaos.

Background: Napoleonic wars

Italy played a key role in the Napoleonic wars, serving as a battlefield between Napoleon's forces and the Austrian Empire. Northern Italy fell ravage to Napoleon's "let the army live off the land". Napoleon's armies took control of Northern Italy and then attacked Austria through Italy. Causing Austria to sue for peace. The Italian campaign was a major success for Napoleon. However, Italians resented such strong foreign influence, and the experiences during the Napoleonic war helped push Italy closer to nationalism and calls for a united Italy.

Background: 1848 Revolutions

Attempts at Italian unification fall into the larger historical context of the 1848 revolutions. The 1848 revolutions were a series of rebellions against the conservative political institutions that dominated Europe. By "conservative" I don't mean like the Republican Party, but conservative, as support for monarchies, and little autonomy for the people. The rebels called for liberal reforms. By liberal, I don't mean Bernie Sanders, I mean liberal like enlightenment thinkers. Calls for democracy separation of church and state, greater rights for the people. The 1848 revolutions were mostly unsuccessful, as their efforts were either crushed by the ruling institutions or later devolved into an undemocratic system. The French 2nd Republic only lasted three years before becoming the 2nd French Empire. The Italian revolutions were unsuccessful but showed the strong penchant for a united early and weaknesses in the old system.

Background: Garibaldi early life

Ok, so that was a lot. Let's talk a little about the man who would help redress 13 centuries of a disunited Italy. Giuseppe Garibaldi. Take a guess of where Garibaldi was born. If you guessed somewhere in Italy, you're wrong. Garibaldi was actually born in Nice, the French city on the Mediterranean. Nice was conquered by the French 1st Republic, but when little Giuessepe was 7 his homeland became the territory of the King of Sardinia. Garibaldi was drawn to the open seas and began life as a merchant. It was during his time on the seas that he first came across prospects of a unified Italy. Garibaldi met Giuesseppe Manzizni, a key member of a secret Italian nationalist group known as Young Italy. Inspired by these ideas, Garibaldi took part in a short-lived rebellion and ultimately futile revolution in 1834. As punishment, Garibaldi was sentenced to death. To avoid an untimely death, Garibaldi fled to Marseille and hopped a ship to Tunis. From there, Garibaldi would wind up in a most unlikely destination: The sprawling Empire of Brazil. While in Brazil, Garibaldi became active in Brazillianian politics, joining the cause of the Riograndenese republic in the Ragamuffin War. The Ragamuffin war was a secession effort by the Brazilian state of Rio Grande de Sul. While the Ragamuffin war would last until 1845, Garibaldi abandoned the cause and in 1841 and moved to Uruguay. Garibaldi got involved in the Uruguayan Civil War, supporting the rebelling Colorados. Garibaldi was a principal figure in the siege of Montevideo, helping the embattled city survive. In 1848, political agitation arose in Italy and Garibaldi felt it was time to return home. Garibaldi returned to Italy with 60 men and a passion to unite his homeland.

Garibalidis' impact

Garibaldi could not have picked a better time to arrive back in Italy. Sicily was in the midst of a revolt, which presented the vacuum necessary for Garibalid's plan. Garibaldi landed in Sicily with a thousand men ready to conquer the island and unite the country. Garibaldi achieved several key victories and soon controlled the Island of Sicily. Garibaldi established a dictatorship there to temporarily rule and his forces soon cross into mainland Italy. When Garibaldi landed in Southern Italy, he was welcomed as a liberator and not as an enemy. When Garibaldi did meet opposition, his ragtag army dealt with them quickly and continued their march to Naples. At this point, Garibaldi overthrew the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and was ready to capture the capital of Napoli. Most of Southern Italy was ready to join a united Italy along with the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. On the proverbial to-do list was to expel the Austrians in the North, take control of the papal states, and make Rome the capital of Italy. GAribadli essentially captured all of Southern Italy and handed it over to Victor Emmanuel II, the man who would be the first King of Italy. Garibaldi's work was done. He played a principal role in the unification of Italy and without him would likely not have happened

The Capture of Rome

The Austrian-controlled region of Lombardy-Venetia joined the kingdom of Italy as a result of the Austro-Prussian War. The only thing left to create a united Italy was the capture of Rome. This would prove to be difficult as the Papal states had a french army to protect the pope and the city. Italy's luck would change thanks to a seemingly unrelated event. The Battle of Sedan. For those not familiar, the Battle of Sedan marked the end of the French 2nd Empire and the defining moment of the Franco-Prussian War. With France in deep peril, they could not spare 20,000 soldiers to protect Rome and in 1870, the French army was recalled to stave off the Prussians. This prevented a golden opportunity to unite the centuries-long quest for unification. The Italian republic besieged Rome and it capitulated. On September 20, 1870, the Italian army captured Rome. Italy was united.

Impacts & effects

The Italian unification and Garibaldi's contributions are some of the most consequential events in Italian History and deserve to be remembered as such. The Italian unification falls into the same trend of rising nationalism in Europe, such as the Unification of Germany and the unraveling of the multi-ethnic Austr-Hungarian Empire. Garibaldi's expeditions in Sicily were critical to uniting Italy and Garibaldi should be remembered as one of the most important figures in Italian history.

Thanks for reading and if you liked what you read make sure to follow me here @nicktopia 17 and @thehistorycorner blog

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The Father of Modern Italy: Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Italian Unification - The History Corner

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When we think of Italian history, we of course think about the Roman Empire, and how it turned the Mediterranean Sea into a "Roman Lake". Now the next thing that comes to mind is the Fascist state that supported Adolf Hitler led by Benito Mussolini.

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Giuseppe Garibaldi they called him hero of the two world. He was a rebel fighter and the main name behind creation of a unified Italian state. Garibaldi was sentenced to death but instead of dying he chose to escape to South America. Giuseppe finally decided to settle and leave all that rebelling behind him. He started to working as a teacher and a merchant. He kept on moving from one place to the next. He decided to take 5 gap years. People started rioting in Sicily against the Neapolitan kingdom.

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Giuseppe Garibaldi: Uniting Italy | Tooky History

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There were alot of wars going on under Otto Von Bismark such as The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 and The Seven Weeks’ War. Nationalistic war against France masterminded by the “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck.

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Otto von Bismarck, often referred to as the "Iron Chancellor," was the mastermind behind the unification of Germany. Through strategic diplomacy and nationalistic fervour, Bismarck paved the way for the birth of a united German nation.

With its newfound unity, Germany rapidly emerged as a formidable force in Europe. Bolstered by its industrial prowess, economic growth, and a powerful military, the nation exerted its influence on the global stage.

Under his leadership, the German Empire was formed, ending centuries of fragmentation. The symbolic significance of the unification ceremony cannot be understated. By deliberately choosing the Palace of Versailles, located outside Paris, as the venue instead of Berlin, Bismarck sent a powerful message. This decision represented a bold statement of military might and conquest, foreshadowing Germany's ambitions and its trajectory as a dominant European power throughout the first half of the 20th century.

Otto von Bismarck's legacy as the architect of German unification would shape not only the country's trajectory but also the geopolitical landscape of Europe for years to come.

A motley collection of states

Before 1871 Germany had always been a motley collection of states sharing little more than a common language.

Over 300 distinct states existed within the region, each differing in customs, systems of rule, and even religion. Unification seemed improbable and was often dismissed, much like the contemporary notion of a United States of Europe. However, the vision and determination of Otto von Bismarck would change the course of history.

As the 19th century progressed, a wave of nationalism began to sweep through Germany. The defeat of Napoleon by several German states played a significant role in fueling this nationalistic fervor. Initially, the call for unity was championed by students and middle-class liberal intellectuals who emphasised the importance of a shared language and a somewhat tenuous common history as unifying factors.

Few people took much notice beyond a few mildly nationalistic festivals, and the fact that the movement was confined to intellectuals was illustrated poignantly in the European revolutions of 1848, where a brief stab at a national German parliament quickly fizzled out and this attempted Reichstag never held much political power.

After this, it seemed that German unification was no nearer to happening than ever. The kings, princes and dukes of the German states, typically opposed to unification for obvious reasons, generally retained their power.

The power of Prussia

The power balance of the German states was important, for if one was ever more powerful than the others put together, then it might attempt conquest of intimidation. By 1848 Prussia, a conservative and militaristic kingdom in the east of Germany, had been the strongest of the states for a century.

However, it was restrained by the combined strength of the other states, and, more importantly, by the influence of the neighbouring Austrian Empire, which would not allow any German state to have too much power and become a possible rival.

After a brief flirtation with revolution in 1848, the Austrians had restored order and the status quo, humiliating Prussia in the process. When the formidable statesman von Bismarck was appointed Minister-President of that country in 1862, he aimed to restore Prussia as a great European power.

After effectively taking command of the country unconstitutionally, he vastly improved the military for which Prussia would become famous. Bismarck harnessed the aspirations of the German people and united them under a singular cause.

The defeat of Austria in the Seven Weeks' War

The war that followed in 1866 was a resounding Prussian victory which radically changed a European political landscape which had remained virtually the same since the defeat of Napoleon.

Many of Prussia's rival states had joined Austria and been cowed and defeated, and the Empire then turned its attentions away from Germany in order to restore some of its severely battered prestige. The ethnic tensions that this move created would later kick-start World War One.

Prussia, meanwhile, was able to form the other beaten states in North Germany into a coalition which was effectively the beginnings of a Prussian Empire. Bismarck had masterminded the whole business and now reigned supreme - and though not a natural nationalist he was now seeing the potential of a fully united Germany ruled by Prussia.

This was a far cry from the heady dreams of the earlier intellectuals, but, as Bismarck famously said, unification would have to be achieved, if it was to be achieved, by "blood and iron."

He knew, however, that he could not rule a united country dogged by infighting. The south remained unconquered and the north was only tenuously under his control. It would take a war against a foreign and historic enemy to unite Germany, and the one that he had in mind was particularly hated across Germany after Napoleon's wars.

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71

France was ruled at this point by the great man's nephew, Napoleon III, who did not have his uncle's brilliance or military skill.

Through a series of clever diplomatic tactics Bismarck was able to provoke Napoleon into declaring war on Prussia, and this seemingly aggressive move on France's part kept the other European powers such as Britain from joining her side.

It also created a furious anti-French feeling across Germany, and when Bismarck moved Prussia's armies into position, they were joined - for the first time in history - by men from every other German state. The following war was devastating for the French.

The large and well trained German armies won many victories - most notably at Sedan in September 1870, a defeat which persuaded Napoleon to resign and live out the last miserable year of his life in exile in England. The war did not end there however, and the French fought on without their Emperor.

A few weeks after Sedan, Paris was under siege, and the war only ended when it fell in late January 1871. In the meantime, Bismarck had gathered the German generals princes and Kings at Versailles and proclaimed the new and ominously powerful country of Germany, changing the political landscape of Europe.

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Otto von Bismarck: Architect of German Unification

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Otto von Bismarck, often referred to as the "Iron Chancellor," was the mastermind behind the unification of Germany. Through strategic...

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His father was a 5th Generation Junker. His Mother came from a successful family of academics. He went to a protein school in berlin. Fallowed by the university of Goodingem. In 1864 Otto began a series of wars to establish Prussian power in Germany.

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Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898) / German Unification