How similar were the methods of Bismarck and Cavour in the unification of Germany and Italy?

The
similarity between the methods that Cavour and Bismarck used in their attempts to unify their
respective nations can be summed up in their employment of the concepts of
realpolitik, war, and diplomatic manipulation.

Both men
were strong nationalists and monarchists, but that seems to be where their ideals ended. They
did not shy away from lying and cheating to achieve their goals. In their efforts to unite their
nations, they focused on "practical" matters, even if many would find their actions
immoral. To Cavour and Bismarck, the ends justified the means.

For instance,
Cavour knew that he could not achieve his goals without outside help from a strong foreign
power. Napoleon III seemed like a good potential ally for him. Cavour secretly negotiated an
alliance with the French and then instigated a fight between Sardinia and Austria to get them
involved. Following this short war, Sardinia and Lombardy were joined. Later, Cavour organized
votes in other Italian lands his army had...

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