From the 19th to the 20th century, nations united behind the belief of nationalism; the belief that their loyalty was owed to the nation as a whole. This loyalty was thought to be due to a nation made up of people sharing a common history and language. Due to the growing need for true self-government in Europe, people began to call for unity. Once these nations were created, governments wanted their country to be the strongest and most powerful. A growing sense of pride among people, believing that their nation was the greatest, led to wars to prove who really had the better army. This feeling of unity gave many goals their personal identity. Loyalty to one's nation was a core belief of nationalism and allowed many to support their nation with this belief. Napoleon Bonaparte of France brought this idea to many during his revolution and war in Europe. Through the belief of nationalism, the free states of the German confederation became a nation. The unification of Germany in 1871 was not a merger of culturally similar countries but a divided political landscape. A trend toward unification began more than 40 years ago by revolutionaries from various German-speaking territories. In 1815, after the convocation of the Congress of Vienna, 39 German states were dissolved to create the Germanic Confederation. This confederation was largely dominated by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Prussian Empire. Prussia was considered to be composed mainly of Germans. At the time, it had the most powerful army in Europe and an industrial capacity far greater than that of other German states. This friendship created between Prussia and the German states would eventually lead to conflict in hopes of unifying Germany. In 1848, the Democrats... middle of paper ...... ate "Bismarck's guilt and responsibility for the catastrophe – after he left office, struck the German nation and the civilized world whole” (Darmstaedter 407). Works CitedEmilio Castelar, “Prince von Bismarck,” The North American Review 167, no. 500 (July 1898)106. Darmstaedter, Friedrich. Bismarck and the creation of the Second Reich. New York: Russell & Russell – Inc, 1965. Print. Kassner, Kenneth R., Lt. Corporal. “Otto Von Bismarck and the unification of Germany. » COERCIVE DIPLOMACY: OTTO VON BISMARCK AND THE UNIFICATION OF GERMANY (2012): 1-28. USAWC STRATEGIC RESEARCH PROJECT. Internet. December 9, 2013. tic.mil/cgibin/GetTRDoc%3FAD%3DADA561542+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&cli ent=firefox-a>.Williams, Kristen P. Despite Nationalist Conflicts. Connecticut. Praeger, 2001. Print