Italian Unification

Front 1

Congress of Vienna

Back 1

• ‘politically fragmented’
• ‘geographical expression’ ‘Italian affairs do not exist’ – Metternich
• The central Duchies (Tuscany, Moderna and Parma) returned to Austrian-appointed rulers
• Papal states returned to control of the Pope
• Italy largely controlled by Austria

Front 2

Seperatism

Back 2

• Economic barriers – rich statesgrouped geographically (north), poor in south – also created social division
• Variation of Language – e.g. Piedmont Sardinia = French, Papal States = Latin, Austrian rulers = German – limited communication
• Regionalism- loyalty to their states – e.g. Neapolitans

Front 3

Failure of Revolutions

Back 3

• Lack of co-operation between revolutionary groups – e.g in Piedmont army volunteers from other states not accepted until they became Piedmontese
• Aims were divided – e.g. Naples + Sicily revolution from 1820-21 some people wanted Sicily to be an independent state while others inly wanted rise in agricultural prices to stop
• Lack of military resources, experience and power

Front 4

Failure of Revolutions (2)

Back 4

• Austria’s military supremecy
• However, ideas of liberalism and nationalism spread. Temporary unity betwwen states + resignation of Metternich

Front 5

Influence of Papacy

Back 5

• Power to hinder rather than encourage unification:
- Series of hard- line popes, known as ‘zealots’
- Established tight holdon government, education, culture and politics
- All opposition forcibly repressed
- Communication within states hindered – Pope’s refusal to allow railways in Papal States

Front 6

Influence of Papacy (2) - Pope Pius IX

Back 6

• Pope Pius IX seen to contribute to unification to some extent
- Believed to have liberal sympathies
- Freed 2,000 political prisoners
- Reformed education, the law and papal admissions
- HOWEVER, he sent 20, 000 men from French army to restore power in roman republic revolution 1848-9: this shattered any expectations of Pius being a supporter of national unity

Front 7

Mazzini

Back 7

• Wanted ‘brotherhood of people’ – unification of Italy
• Wanted a democracy
• Founded ‘young Italy’ in 1831 – Italy’s first real political party
• Became president of Rome in 1849
• Involved in uprising in Naples (1832), a mutiny in the Piedmontese army + rising in Savoy – however none come anywhere near to success
• Converted many to the cause – especially Guiseppe Garibaldi
• Assessment: kept ide of unification alive BUT ideas too intellectual for many and too radical for most middle class reformers

Front 8

Garibaldi

Back 8

• Soldier
• Quickly converted to dream of a united Italy
• Brought up ‘southern question’
• Joined ‘young Italy’ movement + became involved with Mazzini’s revolutionary plans in Piedmont 1833
• Abandoned republic preference for Charles Ablert
• Converted ‘The Thousand’ man army to 60,000 men – played an important part in fighting war against Austria in northern Italy and Naples

Front 9

Cavour

Back 9

• Statesman/ Politician
• Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Foreign Minister by 1855
• Expressed vague wish for Italy to be united + to be free from Austrian domination
• In 1850s referred to idea of Italian unity as ‘rubbish’
• Made acquaintances with French figures (e.g. Louis Napoleon and Emperor Napoleon III) by joining the Crimean War in 1854
• After Plombieres meeting in July 1858 - made Italy into 4 states

Front 10

Cavour (2)

Back 10

• At peace conference in Paris, 1856- able to negotiate almost equal terms with great powers
• Developed railways (railway link between Turin – Genoa – Milan)
• Increased trade by 300%
• Mobilised Piedmontese army provoking War of 1859
• Assessment: gave Piedmont economic and political leadership + gave military and diplomatic strength to Italy. Made important foreign contacts. Contributed to Crimean War (further declining Austria’s strength)
• However, wanted ‘piedmontisation’ rather than unification of Italy? Not a true nationalist?

Front 11

Napoleon III

Back 11

• Main aim was to increase France’s power and decrease that of Austria. Not Italian unification
• Hatched plot with Cavour to lure Austria into war
• Provided military strength for war of 1859 – 200,000 men
• Defeated Austria + gained both Nice and Savoy

Front 12

Napoleon III (2)

Back 12

• Withdrew troops from Rome in 1870
• Assessment: Napoleon provided Italy with force to defeat Austria and eventually unify Italy. However, his ambitions were more self-orientated (e.g. defeated Mazzini’s Roman Republic in April 1849)
• According to critics, he was more of a French imperialist than a true supporter of Italian unification

Front 13

The impact/limitations of Liberalism + Nationalism

Back 13

• Mainly middle class – involvement of peasants/workers almost unknown
• Nationalist ideas spread through secret societies (e.g. Carbonari – mainly in southern states and Naples- 60,00 member = 5% of male population, however numbers uncertain)
• Great weakness of societies was their unwillingness to act together and overall lack of organisation. Most societies small and scattered
• Denis Mack Smith – these ideas made little progress before 1848
• Failure of revolutions of 1848 kept nationalist and liberalist ideas on agenda

Front 14

Role of foreign powers

Back 14

• Britain didn’t provide support for Italian unification but had liberal sympathies
• Napoleon III/France
• Events: Crimean War (1854), Peace Conference in Paris (1856), Plombieres Meeting (1858)

Front 15

Economic Factors

Back 15

• Piedmonts’ trade increased by 300% in the 1850’s
• Free trade treaties with Britian, France and Belgium – forged international links and gave Piedmont raw materials and machinery for its development
• However, public debt of Piedmont rose between 1847 and 1859 from 120 million lire to 725 lire
• Of Italy’s 1,798 kms of railway tracks in 1859 Piedmont had 819 kms

Front 16

Strengths of Piedmont, weaknesses of Rome

Back 16

• Many liberals and nationalists moved to Piedmont
• Piedmont had more economic strength: much more poverty in Rome
• Rome only really had spiritual power

Front 17

War

Back 17

• War of 1859/ ‘second War of Independence) – Austrians defeated at Megenta on 4th of June
- Austrians defeated at Solferno on 24th of June
- Piedmont received Lombardy + Rulers of Modena, Tuscany and Parma never returned
- However, Austria still had Venetia
• Garibaldi’s gain of Naples and Sicily in 1859