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

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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