The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-31

Prussia had risen to greatness, Sweden
had fallen from her temporary hegem-
ony in Northern Europe, the Spanish
Netherlands had belonged since 1713
to the house of Austria and the French
Bourbons held parts of Italy.
With the French Revolution began
the series of changes by which Napo
leon extended his empire all over Ger
many west of the Rhine, over large
areas in Northern Germany. embrace
ing the Netherlands and most of Italy,
part being incorporated with the en-
pire and part being held by himself as
King of Italy, while his brother was
King of Spain and his brother-in-law
was King of Naples. 1t was a Won
derful piece of ACKNOWLEDGMENT. This
ACKNOWLEDGMENT was, however, not des-
tined to survive. When Nemesis over
took Napoleon France shrank to her
original dimensions, the minor German
princes confederated, with Austria at
their head; Italy was parceled out into
principalities, Austria taking the Vene-
tan dominions, and the Netherlands
becoming again a kingdom, though
afterward split up into Holland and
Belgium.
The most important change of all
has been that in Germany which, from
being "a more geographical express
sion,' applied to a number of German
speaking states. obtained in 1871 that
unity which had ben the dream of
ages. When Napoleon overthrow the
Holy Roman empire in 1906 there grew
up considerations which oscillated to-
ward and were dominated in turn by
Prussia on the one hand and Austria
on the other. Midway in the century
it seemed as though a German empire
would be achieved in connection with
prI1GGia hut Erndnrfolr nv In hale
hearted way, refused the imperial
crown, and through the irritation of
Austria against her exclusion from the
confederation the scheme was delayed
for a couple of decades. 1t was not I'M
til the Italians were victorious under
Cavour that the movement obtained a
fresh impetus, and when Prussia had
beaten Austria at the battle of Konig-
gratZ, the great northern federation
was formed. Hanover, Hesse-Cassel
and the Danish duchies being joined to
Prussia, and Austria being kept out
altogether The South German states
also formed a confederation in alliance
with the north, and five years later
the King of Prussia was proclaimed
Emperor of a United Germany in the
Hall Of Mirrors, at Versailles.
Next to the founding of the German
empire ranks the unification Of Italy.
the map of Italy showed a kingdom
of Sardinia. a kingdom of Naples, the
Papal States, with various independent
duchies, and Austria having a large
holding in the fertile regions of the
North. The first movement came from
the Emperor Of Austria, who caused
himself to be crowned at Milan as
King of Lombardy and Venice. but
Austria becoming Temporarily paralyz-
All nv instrumentation An Wanna TIM
Hungary's claim for independence,
movement for the unlfcation of Italy
commenced.
Mazzini inhamed the national feel
ing against Austria, and when an In
surrection broke out in Milan the King
Of Sardinia declared war against Aus
tria, and Radetsky, the Austrian gen
eral, had to retreat. But the san
culinary struggle thus begun ended in
favor of Austria, and for ten years,
during which Austria dominated the
whole of Italy, no further movement
was undertaken. Then Cavour came
upon the scene as minister of the
youthful Victor Emmanuel. King OF
Piedmont and Sardinia, and, forming
an alliance with Napoleon ILL.,, in
1859, they won the battle of Magenta
occupied Milan and had occupied Sol
ferino when Napoleon came suddenly
TO terms with Austria. IT seemed as
though a deathblow had been given
to italian unity, but Victor Emman-
uel and Cavour were not cowed by
the detection Of Napoleon. And now a
new hero came forward. Garibaldi,
with his volunteers, destroyed the
Bourbon dynasty in Sicily. and the
Independent duchies one after the other
declared for the young Piedmontese
King. Venice regained It's freedom in
1866, and in 1870, when the Italian
forces took Rome and forced the Pope
to take up the role OF prisoner OF the
Vatican, the final stage of italian unity
was reached.