National ambitions had been put to one side for the upkeep of an all round defence against the French.
The continuous expansion of Prussia throughout the 19th Century, eventually culminating in the unification of Germany, was matched by the expansionist programmes of Great Britain and Russia's movements to the East and down towards their southern borders. Added to the expansion of the Habsburg Empire in Italy there was also an increase in Austrian influence in South Eastern Europe as the power of the Ottoman Empire declined and suffered the loss of territory to the European powers. .
Via an interaction with and a complete involvement in the engagement of industrial innovation coupled with a global maritime dominance, Great Britain's emergence in the 19th century can be viewed as more of a worldwide expansion of empire. Russia on the other hand was slow to benefit from .
the technological discoveries of the industrial revolution; their economy grew at a much more sedate pace. France, where on the fall of Napoleon the Bourbon dynasty .
had been restored, although losing a great deal of its empire after the defeat of Napoleon re-emerged as a major power through its expanding commercial entrepreneurial ventures and its growing economical powers. To consolidate their standing as the major powers of Europe, there was a concentrated effort in the spread of industrialisation throughout a previously predominate agricultural based European economy. .
The development of modern state systems throughout a previously static governmental system also came to the fore through constitutional reforms of the great powers. Until the 19th century the major states of Europe had ruled their populations via an indirect rule, local and regional authorities had collected taxes, administered justice, maintained order and gathered troops in times of war.