Realism and nationalism, 1852-1871

The age of science: synthesis, popularization and utility

Science and life

Realism and materialism

The church and the secular dogmas

The land and the people

The world of business enterprise, and industrial relations

The politics of reaction

The concert and the Crimean War (1852-1856)

The crisis of federative polity (1857-1858)

Confederation and unity in Italy (1859-1860)

The federative crisis in central and eastern Europe (1860-1864)

Civil war and reconstruction

Denouement.