In the eighteenth century, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland were divided into monarchies, dioceses and cantons, with some autonomous regions in between. Similarly, the regions of Eastern and Central Europe were under autocratic monarchies and different types of people lived in these areas who were related to some tribe in ancient times.
Because of this they were unable to see their collective identity as a large country and viewed each other's culture with an unacceptable view. The only factor that bound these groups together was their loyalty to the emperor. Napoleon Bonaparte's invasions in the last years of the 18th century spread the feeling of nationalism in Europe. In Italy, Poland, Germany and Spain, it was Napoleon who carried the message of 'New Age'.
A new chapter began in Italy and Germany with the invasion of Napoleon. Nationalism in Europe in the 19th Century ( Nationalism) There was a wave of revolution which transformed many European countries. This wave created and unified countries like Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece, Poland, Bulgaria etc. Many countries, inspired by the spirit of nationalism, fought the freedom struggle and liberated their countries from the demon of colonialism.
Rise of Nationalism in Italy
The feeling of nationalism also spread in Italy during the period of fast growing nationalism in Europe. The Italians also realized the need for unity in the whole country, rising above the identities of ethnic groups and tribes, and they decided to organize the small states of Italy into a single nation. He knew the history of Rome's ancient glory.
He used to lead the world in ancient times in the field of learning, art and science. So they once again started dreaming of establishing Italy as a country and giving it a glorious place in the world again. Due to this, despite many failures, this movement continued till the goal of unification of Italy was achieved.
The history of this movement is very long. 'Resorgimento' for the unification of Italy in the Italian language i.e. 'Resurrection' is called. It was a political and social campaign that took place in Italy in the 19th century, which united the various states of the Italian peninsula into one nation. This whole process lasted from AD 1814 to AD 1870.
In Italy, the work of turning the spark of nationalism into a fire started after the Vienna Congress organized by the European giants who boasted of calling themselves a superpower.
Contribution of poets and writers in the spread of nationalism
Italian poets and writers had a great contribution in the rise of national sentiments in Italy, but the presence in Italy of writers from outside Italy was no less important.
English poet Keats dies in Rome
Rome was so dear to European writers and English poets that one of the three great English poets of the nineteenth century - Shelley, Keats and Byron - left his country and came to Rome and lived here in poverty and deprivation, writing poems. Keats died in Rome in AD 1821 at the age of only 26. Then no one in the world knew Keats, not even Rome. After Keats's death his literature gained worldwide fame and is still taught in universities around the world.
English poet Shelley dies on the coast of Italy
Today there will be hardly any university in the world in which English poet 'Shelley' is not taught to the students of English literature. Shelley wrote a long poem on 'Slavery' whose meaning was as follows-
What is freedom?
You can tell this a lot,
What is slavery,
Your name is only Gunjan.
This is slavery-
That work you keep doing with wages,
Only that bus by which
Keep your soul stuck in your body,
Like a prisoner in a dungeon
To work for the benefit of the oppressor.
You become their loom, plow, sword, shovels
And get involved in their defense, in their nourishment,
Irrespective of whether you want or not.
This is slavery-
that your children die of hunger,
And their mothers dry up and become thorns-
Cold winter winds
From whom the poor people started dying.
You have to keep craving that food,
One who is rich, drunk,
Throwing in front of his fat dogs,
Who under his eyes.
Have fun sleeping.
This is slavery-
In which you have to become a servant of the soul,
So that you don't have control over your desires,
And be you the way others make you.
And finally when you start complaining,
Weeping slowly,
Then the tyrant's servant
crushing you and your wives under horses,
Drops of blood are spread like dew on the grass.
Shelley 'the need for atheism' Wrote an English poem titled Because of this poem, the British of England became so angry with him that Shelley was expelled from Oxford University. He left his country and came to Italy. Shelley died by drowning off the coast of Italy in AD 1822, about a year after Keats' death.
Both Keats and Shelley left England and came to Italy, and both of them wrote poems, rebelling against the social system, living a life of poverty, both these events automatically reveal the social, political and economic plight of Rome in the nineteenth century. .