Unification of Italy

After Years of Struggle, Italy Became a Unified Nation

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Early Mov’t Toward Unification

Risorgimento: “resurgence”; nationalistic mov’t w/ goals of liberation and unification
Giuseppe Mazzini: member of Carbonari (secret nationalist society); envisioned a united Italy (& separation of church and state)
Young Italy: Mazzini called for patriots to join this (liberal) mov’t to spread ideas of Risorgimento; “a brotherhood of Italians who believe in Progress and Duty”
Rebellions in several Italian states, actually went as far in some as overthrowing gov’t and setting up republic, but this was all temporary (only Sardinia remained independent) but still provided inspiration
Italian patriots unsure of how to achieve unity or what form of gov’t afterwards
Catholic clergy wanted federation headed by pope
Liberals wanted republic (papacy had turned against liberalism after 1849)
Some wanted constitutional monarchy under sympathetic King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia
(none of them wanted foreigners)

Cavour in Sardinia

Count Camillo Benso di Cavour: governed Sardinia; well-educated aristocrat; disliked absolutism, admired British parliamentary gov’t; wanted Italy to be united & industrialized under Sardinia; strengthened army, domestic affairs, increased trade; “a free church in a free state”-reduce political influence of RCC, expelled Jesuits; brought Sardinia to prominence though its participation on France & GB’s side in Crimean War & in peace conference

Napoleon III and War with Austria:

Country	Reason for War	Role Assigned	Role Played	Results
Sardinia (Cavour)	Austrian control of northern Italy was an obstacle to unity; believed w/o Austria, other states would join Sardinia against France & Austria	Provoke Austria into war	Military buildup, which Austria disliked, war declared on Sardinia; at first, combined forces drove Austrians outàItalian patriots overthrew rulers & asked to be annexed	Received only Lombardy; setback for nationalists; rebellions continued & voted in favor of joining Sardinia
France (Napoleon III)	Increase French prestige; w/o Austria France could dominate weak Italians states; note: at first hesitated, feared antagonizing pope & French Catholics; promised Nice & Savoy	Send troops to Sardinia’s defense to drive Austrians out of Lombardy & Venetia	Did not want Italy strong & united & didn’t want long war (feared Prussia would join Austria)à signed secret armistice w/ Austria	Received Nice & Savoy

Garibaldi’s Red Shirts

Bourbon king ruled the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (now target of nationalists)
Giuseppe Garibaldi: w/ Cavour’s financial assistance, recruited Red Shirts & invaded Sicily, seized capital Naples & drove Francis II & forces to northern border of Papal states
Garibaldi to capture Rome & Venetia but Cavour (feared he’d set up a republic)
Sardinia annexed most of the Papal States territory
Cavour convinced Garibaldi to give up goal of conquering entire Italian Peninsula & support kingdom united under Victor for sake of unification

Final Unification

1860 elections (held everywhere but Venetia & Rome) favored unity under Sardinia’s king
1861, Victor confirmed king of Italy “by grace of god & the will of the nation”
European gov’t either recognized it or fought it
Napoleon III sent troops to prevent them from seizing Rome
Gained Venetia in Seven Week’s War of 1866
Gained Rome when Franco-Prussian war 1870 broke out
Rome-capital of Italy
Pope upset cuz has no power

Problems of a United Italy

Little experience w/ self-gov’t; traditions divided regions (industrialized north, agricultural south)
Mafia (corruption) organized in Sicily, central gov’t powerless to control it
Admired Germany’s military strengthà Italy built world’s third largest navy & third largest merchant marine
To pay for this, heavy taxesà strikes, riots
Expensive colonial ventures in Africa
Brief war w/ Ottoman Empire 1911 very expensive