Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/425

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THE RHINELAND.
375

away her Bourbons who would learn nothing and had forgotten nothing. England secured an extension of popular power by the Reform Act of 1832, in spite of the Duke of Wellington, who after the most strenuous opposition to the measure, sullenly walked out of the House of Lords with a hundred other peers, when further opposition was unavailing! Belgium freed herself from the yoke of Holland and became a separate kingdom. Italy became united and independent after endless troubles through the endeavours of Mazzini, Cavour and Garibaldi. Norway secured for herself a free constitution after some struggle. The Hungarians too have secured freedom of internal administration after many disappointments and disasters. All Europe, except Poland, have reaped the benefits of the French Revolution.

Italy at last became free in 1860, and in February 1861, the first Italian Parliament assembled, and Victor Emanuel was proclaimed king of united Italy. A great question was thus solved, and the evil done by the victors of Waterloo was undone after nearly half a century. Five years after, the old question of the leadership of the Germanic nations ripened again for solution. The decision of the previous century required amendment. Frequent jealousies between Austria and Prussia pointed to the conclusion that there could be only one leader of the German nation, not two.

The war of 1866, ending in the battle of Sadowa, decided that the Northern and Protestant Austro-Prussian War and Sadowa, 1866.power was to be supreme not only in North Germany, but