Italy and Germany

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that German and Italian history has always been intertwined, from the powerful Hapsburgs who ruled Austria, and thus much of Italy, to Mussolini and his alliance with Nazi Germany. The paper states that Germany's history has always revolved around power and control, and Italy has always been a weaker and less dominant country. The author concludes that it is not surprising that Germany and Italy had such close political ties because, historically, they were very much alike and faced many of the same historical struggles side by side.

From the Paper:

"Eventually, Napoleon conquered Italy and Austria. Austria gained Venice, and many of Italy's cities joined and turned themselves into republics. France gained some of Northern Italy. "Thus in the short space of eighteen months the whole of Italy was transformed into a group of republics kept in existence by the presence of French armies." In time, the French were deposed, and Italy gained her freedom, but the treatment of Italy by France, who professed to "liberty and freedom," had been a time of oppression and violence, and it embittered Italians to the French. This hatred of the French was one thing that drew the Germans and Italians together in later history. However, while Napoleon ruled Italy for fourteen years, the lifestyle of most Italians improved, the feudal system disappeared, and improvements that are more modern came to the country, such as roads and bridges. France built up Italy much more than Austria did, but Austria still ruled much of Italy, and Austria also fought Napoleon, but not for revolution, but for liberation. "Thus, the War of Liberation (1812-14) against Napoleon became Germany's substitute for the national revolution; notably in Prussia, it hammered the king, the upper classes, and the people into one fatherland." Napoleon ultimately created a more unified Germany, and a more unified Italy, and both countries detested the French."

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