Nationalism was the most powerful force in the 1880’s. Nationalism could be a uniting or a dividing force. Nationalism united people into nation-states toppled on many empires of ethnic minorities and contributed to wars. Nationalism contributed to the unification of Italy in the 19th century. Nationalism contributed to the fall of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires. Nationalism also contributed to the outbreak of World War 1. These contributions all show how powerful nationalism was back then.
Nationalism contributed to the unification of the Italian empire in the 1880s. “Between 1815 and 1848, fewer and fewer Italians were content to live under foreign rule.” Nationalist wanted unity, but regional differences worked