Unification of Italy, Germany, and Spanish Independence War
Baiona:
Baiona was the main port in southern Galicia and northern Portugal, and the most difficult maritime point to combat. It contributed to the reconquest of Vigo.
Italian Unification:
In 1848, Italy was divided into 7 kingdoms. There was a desire to unify the country, but there were debates about the leadership. The king of Piedmont, governed by the house of Savoy, was eventually chosen.
- 1st Stage (1859-1861):
Piedmont and Prime Minister Cavour received support from France. The Austrians were defeated, leading to the annexation of Lombardy and Central Italy. Garibaldi overthrew the Bourbon dynasty in the south, and Victor Emmanuel II became king of Italy in 1861.
- 2nd Stage (1866):
Italy gained Venice after Austria’s defeat in the Austro-Prussian war.
- 3rd Stage (1870):
In 1870, Italy conquered Rome after the Franco-Prussian war, completing the unification.
German Unification:
Main figures were William I, king of Prussia, and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. The unification of Germany excluded Austria, Prussia’s rival.
- 1st Stage (1848-1866):
Wars such as the Second Schleswig War and Austro-Prussian war led to Austria’s expulsion from Germany.
- 2nd Stage (1870):
The Franco-Prussian war resulted in the proclamation of William I as kaiser of the Second German Empire.
Spanish Independence War:
The war began with the Dos de Mayo Uprising in 1808 and ended in 1814. The French occupation led to the fragmentation of the Spanish administration into quarrelling provincial juntas.
War of Succession:
Charles II died childless, leading to a war with European powers opposing Philip V’s succession.
French Revolution:
The revolution in France from 1789 to the 19th century aimed to end absolutism and establish equality among citizens.