Week Summary

This week, everyone seems to agree that the primary issue was nationalism - it was all about what a nation was, as we discussed in class whether the US was a nation - and in our modern world, it is - and the history involved two very important events, the unification of Italy and Germany, both of which were driven by nationalist feeling.

However, I feel that this focus on nationalism as the central focus of the week undermines something else that was equally important - the conflict between conservatism and liberalism that drove so much of this period. I believe that this was at least as important a factor as nationalism in the revolutions of 1848 and the unifications that occurred afterward - conservatism and liberalism divided people, and they were ultimately united in nationalism or more powerful forces.

In France, the country had revolutions that went back and forth with becoming more liberal and more conservative, until ultimately they were united by Louis Napoleon, who was a symbol of the power of France through his relation to Napoleon.

In Italy, the country again had conflicts between liberalism and conservatism, between Mazzini/Garibaldi and Cavour, prevented unification until it was ultimately enabled by the power of Piedmont-Sardinia to conquer. Germany functioned similarly, with Bismarck ultimately uniting the nation with his political power.

This week was not only about nationalism - it was more about nationalism as a response to the liberal/conservative conflict.