How did the unifications of Italy and Germany occur?

The unifications of Italy and Germany were primarily achieved through military force, making the selected answer accurate. In both cases, key figures employed strategic military campaigns and confrontations to consolidate various independent states into unified nations.

In Italy, figures such as Giuseppe Garibaldi and Count Camillo di Cavour played pivotal roles during the Risorgimento. Cavour, as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, engaged in diplomatic maneuvering but also utilized military strength, particularly during conflicts like the Second Italian War of Independence against Austria. Garibaldi’s military actions, especially the Expedition of the Thousand, were instrumental in unifying the southern states with the north.

Similarly, in Germany, Otto von Bismarck was a master of realpolitik and utilized military force effectively to achieve German unification. He orchestrated three critical wars—the Danish War, the Austro-Prussian War, and the Franco-Prussian War—which not only united the German states under Prussian leadership but also galvanized nationalist feelings among Germans, leading to the proclamation of the German Empire in 1871.

The other options do not reflect the actual processes employed in the unifications. Peaceful negotiations and treaties played a minimal role, as most unification efforts were marked by conflict. Alli