Activity 1

Nationalism was expressed in a variety of media, from newspaper editorials and pamphlets to monumental paintings and patriotic verse. For example, read the following two German nationalist poems, "The Watch on the Rhine" and "The German Fatherland." What kind of response do you think these poems were meant to prompt from readers? What image of the German nation do these poems project? How would you characterize the nationalism expressed by these poems? Now consider some documents on German unification pertaining to Prussian conflict with Austria and France. Begin with the remarks of Bismarck and Helmuth von Moltke from 1856 and 1866. How do they present Prussia's relationship to Austria? What gains to they hope to achieve? What outcomes do they wish to avoid and why? How do these comments express both nationalism and realpolitik? Finally, read the Proclamation of 1871 from this selection of documents: In what terms does this proclamation define the new Germany? How does it describe the origins of the new state? How do the nationalist sentiments its articulates resemble and differ from those expressed by the two poems above and those expressed by Bismarck and von Moltke?

Activity 2

When Austria, in response to Magyar nationalist demands, recast itself into a dual monarchy, it adopted a new constitution. Read the Austrian Constitution of 1867 with the following questions in mind: What are the underlying principles of this constitution? According to this constitution, what is an Austrian citizen? How do you think the various ethnic groups of the empire regarded this new constitution? Why? As you know, once the Magyars gained autonomy within the Austrian Empire, they sought to consolidate their rule within the territory of Hungary. Take a look at the following excerpt from the Hungarian-Croatian Compromise of 1868. What is the nature of the compromise? What relationship does it articulate between Hungary and the Slavic peoples listed? Do you think this document is truly a compromise: why or why not?