Introduction

From your study in Lesson 7.01, you'll recall that Austria's chief minister, Prince Klemens von Metternich, was the primary person who pushed for Europe to "turn back the clock" and return the balance of power in Europe to what it was before the French Revolution. As you think about this expression, consider the fact that Metternich and the other European powers had become very weary of the political and social changes that had come about during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era that followed. So, their first goal was to put a stop to the further spreading and developing of those revolutionary ideas such as liberty, equality, and brotherhood, because in their view, Europe was much more stable and peaceful without them.

As you considered in the previous unit, once the people (particularly the lower classes) had grown accustomed to more rights — such as freedom the press and equality before the law — it was going to be extremely difficult for the rulers to take away the freedoms without facing resistance from the people. Essentially, Metternich and the other rulers learned very quickly that even if they changed the laws, people would not abide happily by them. Apply that basic premise as you begin your study of the Unification of Italy. First, you're going to see that Italy in the first half of the 19th century remained a collection of states rather than a unified country.

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Describe the impact of European nationalism and Western imperialism as forces of global transformation, including the unification of Italy and Germany, the rise of Japan's power in East Asia, economic roots of imperialism, imperialist ideology, colonialism and national rivalries, and United States' imperialism
  • Describing resistance to European imperialism in Africa, Japan, and China

The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: World History: 1500 to the Present Objective(s): 11, 11B1.

This lesson incorporates the following Literacy Standard(s):

 

NextNext