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 Compare and contrast 2 main features of Italian unification (nation-building) in the mid-19th Century with 2 corresponding main features of German unification (nation-building) in the mid-to-late 19th Century.

Both were led by one of the more powerful states; Prussia for Germany Piedmont for Italy. Both states were kings. Both relied on intense diplomacy and wars with and hatred of external oppressors / neighbors that were more powerful larger and had taken territory which ethnically belonged to the unifying state; France had taken two duchies which it was forced to give back, the Austrian Empire had taken Lombardy and Venetia, which it also was forced to return. Both had figurehead kings while the real work was done by ambitious prime ministers from the upper/middle class; Bismark the Junker and Cavour gentleman farmer. The difference is that Germany was forced to return the duchies because they were ethnically French while Italy was not because they were Italian.

The difference is that the Italians had no large multi-ethnic empire that claimed to represent all Italians. The difference is that the Italians relied on a huge wave of popularity with the advance of the thousand men army under Garibaldi to sweep across southern Italy destroying the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies - originally founded by Norman mercenaries. The difference is that Garibaldi was forced to stop at Rome to avoid dragging in foreign Catholic powers.