"By 1850 political nationalism had made little progress in Germany." How valid is this view?

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Germany in 1850 was composed of 39 states under the German

confederation, which had been created by Napoleon to replace the Holy Roman

Empire. Many historians believe that the missed opportunity at the Hambach

festival contributed to the reason why nationalism had made little progress in

Germany. Others believe that the opponents to nationalism were a large deterent

to the unification of Germany. The German princes also opposed nationalism and

so, worked hard to avoid the nationalist movement growing. However, the threat

to the Rhineland fron the French in the 1840s lead to a surge in support for

the nationalists as people believed that they would be stronger together. All

of this considered, however, it was the 1848 revolution that showed the true

extent of the nationalistic feeling in Germany by 1850.

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