Unification of Italy

Unification of Italy

1. Pre unification congress of Vienna was divided into 8 states

   • Different dialects
     • Cultural Problems
       • Few people had been involved in the unification process and so were instead loyal to there local region rather than italy
       • Little sense of Italian pride and what it meant to them
       • Problems the Liberal Government faced
         • Religion
           • Opposition from the Church
             • Pope lost land and power
             • Previous domination of the papal state diminished and believed that it blocked religious freedom
               • Priests hesped set up unrest amongst peasantry
               • Pope warned people not to participate in the new state and no to vote
           • Catholics only true religion opposed socialism
         • Economic and social
           • Little development in industry compared to the great powers and the rest of the nations
             • South lacked resources
           • War of unification left the government with extortionate debt which led to rise in taxes
             • segragation between Northern elite and southern peasentry
         • Politics
           • Army was a prop to royal authoriy
           • Priorities to budget, increase tax without concern for the poor
           • Transformio
             • Bribery manoevering corruption
           • Notion of real Italy concerning the daily lives of ordinary people and legal Italy refering to the government and individual interests and concerns as elite
           • Vote based upon literate skills
           • Opposition groups begin to form = increase in instability
         • International/ regional issues
           • Italia Irredenta
           • Areas populated with Italians owned by Austria
           • European affairs dominated by the great powers

2. Achieved between 1859 - 1870

   • The once all powerful Roman empire long since passed
     • Founded upon beliefs of risorgmento (Italy rising again)

3. 1886 Italy gains Venetia from the Austro-Prussian war, and in 1970 the French garrison which had been guarding the pope dince 1848 revolutions withdrew

4. Count Cavour ( PM Piedmont 1857- 61) unified the North

   • Moderate liberals aimed to create a liberal independent state in the North of Italy
     • Geographical unity all they could claim
     • 1870 the new kindgdom of Italy encompasses the majority of the Italian Peninsular]

5. Revolutionary Garibaldi Unified the south

   • 1861 Garibaldi hands over his conquests to the King of the newly unified North Victor Emmanuel
   • Garibaldi and Napolean were also important in the role of the unification of Italy
     • Napoleon sent over 100,000 troops to help expel Austria in exchange for Nice and Savoy for France
     • Garibaldi radical nationalist popular with the masses, aimed to liberate the masses, trusted Emmanuel. Attempted several marches on Rome to gain it for Italy
       • Rome becomes capital in 1971
     • Joins a peasant revolt in Sicily and conquers SIcily and Naples