The War and DemocracySeton-Watson, R. W. (Robert William)
History
The War and Democracy
Seton-Watson, R. W. (Robert William)
Europe -- Politics and government -- 1871-1918; Nationalism -- Europe; World War, 1914-1918
First, then, why was it that, while the unification of Italy led to the
inclusion of the whole Italian nationality within the State frontiers, with
the trifling exceptions above referred to, the unification of Germany was
only brought about, or even made possible, by the _exclusion_ of a large
section of the nationality? Germany, like Italy, was hampered by traditions
inherited from the mediaeval Roman Empire, represented by an ancient
capital which stood in the path of unity. Why was it that, while Italy
could not and would not do without Rome, Germany was compelled to surrender
Vienna and to exclude Austria? The answer is: because the unification of
Germany was only possible through the instrumentality of Prussia, which
would not brook the rivalry of Austria, and therefore the latter had to go.
The problem of the making of Germany as it presented itself to the mind
of Bismarck was first of all a problem as to which should be _supreme_ in
Germany, Prussia or Austria; in other words Bismarck cared more for the
aggrandisement of Prussia than for the unity of Germany.[1] To the mind
of Cavour the problem of the unification of Italy presented itself in
a totally different light. For him there was no question of the
aggrandisement of Piedmont, though he no doubt felt pride in the thought
that the House of Savoy was to possess the throne of Italy. Austria was
expelled from Italy in 1860, not that Piedmont might take her place as
ruler of the peninsula, but that Piedmont might disappear in the larger
whole of an emancipated Italy. Austria was expelled from Germany in 1866 in
order that Prussia might rule undisturbed. Thus, though the Austro-Prussian
War of 1866 was an essential step in the foundation of the modern German
State, its motives and results were not in the least comparable to those
which inspired and followed the Italian War of Liberation in 1859-60. In
the first place the Austrians were not foreigners but Germans, whom it was
necessary for reasons of State not of nationality to place outside the rest
of Germany. Germany had, in fact, to choose between national unity and
State unity; and she chose the latter, partly because Prussia really
decided the matter for her, partly because she realised that the
establishment of a strong German State was the essential prelude to the
creation of a strong united nation. Austria had to be shut out in 1866 in
order that she might be received back again at some later date on Germany's
own terms. In the second place Austria was in no sense the oppressor of
Germany as she had been of Italy. She was simply the presiding member of
the German Confederation who, as the rival of Prussia, as the inheritor of
the mediaeval imperial tradition, as the ruler of millions of non-Germanic
people, would have rendered the problem of German unification almost
insoluble. It was therefore necessary to get rid of her as gently and as
politely as possible. After the crushing victory at Königgrätz, Bismarck
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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