Post on 14-Apr-2017
Italian Unification
Machiavelli was the first
one to discuss Italian
unification, written in his
book The Prince.
Italian City-States The Italian
Peninsula was a series of competing city-states since the fall of the Roman Empire
The Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia emerged as the leading city-state at the time of unification
Italian Unification LeadersCount
Cavour
Giuseppe
Mazzini
Giuseppe
Garibaldi
King Victor
Emmanuel II
Count Cavour He is “the head”
of Italian unification
Prime minister of Piedmont-Sardinia
Originally never wanted unification
“Realpolitik” – put the people’s needs ahead of his wants
Giuseppe Mazzini Was considered
“the heart” of unification
Wanted to create a unified, independent, Italian republic
Believed that revolts would result in a unified Italy
Giuseppe Garibaldi He is “the
sword” of Italian unification
He was obsessed with fighting and helped unite Southern Italy
United Sicily and gave it to Piedmont-Sardinia
King Victor Emmanuel II
He is the ruler of Piedmont-Sardinia
He helps Cavour unify Italy
He is unsatisfied with being the ruler of Piedmont-Sardinia and wishes to rule all of Italy
BASED ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDES:
WHAT OBSTACLES DID THE LEADERS OF
UNIFICATION RUN INTO?
Italian Unification - Obstacles
“’Italy’ is nothing more than a mere geographical expression.”
Prince Klemmens von Metternich “Italian unification is impossible as long as
Austria dominates much of central and northern Italy. Italian unification is impossible without the blessings of either France or Great Britain or both. Piedmont-Sardinia is too weak to defeat Habsburg Austria alone.”
From Camilio di Cavour to King Victor Emmanuel
Italian Unification - Obstacles
“The nationalists in our army do nothing but shower each other with flowers, drink red wine, dance, sing and shout slogans of the Carbonari. There is only naïve enthusiasm, no organization, few supplies, and little military training. They recite slogans of Mazzini, yet they know nothing of war.”
Anonymous Piedmontese Commander “The patriotism of the Italians is like that of the
Ancient Greeks, and is love of a single town, not of a country; it is the feeling of a tribe, not of the nation. Only by foreign conquest have the Italians ever been united.”
Marshal Count Joseph Radetzky, Austrian General
STILL, PIEDMONT-SARDINIA WANTED TO UNITE ALL THE CITY-STATES UNDER ONE
FLAG
HOW DID THEY ACCOMPLISH THAT WITH
SUCH A SMALL ARMY?
They entered the Crimean War
The Crimean War (1854-1856)
Russia vs. Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France and Piedmont-Sardinia
Russia wanted control of the aging Ottoman Empire
Would disrupt balance of power and Russia went to war against the English, Ottomans, and French
Piedmont-Sardinia joined to gain allies to help with unification
Cavour and Napoleon III Meet at Plombieres
Napoleon III agreed to help Cavour if France was granted the territories of Nice and Savoy
Austro-Sardinian War, 1859 Nicknamed the
Second Italian Independence War
The Austrian army had 140,000 men and Sardinia only had 70,000
Napoleon III aided the Sardinians
Piedmont-Sardinia gained Lombardy from Austria
Austro-Prussian War, 1866
Austria is not able to keep Venetia Italy gains the city-state of Venetia
The Red Shirts Red Shirts are
the followers of Garibaldi
In July 1860, they gained control of Sicily
In September, they had Naples
The Final Step to Unification In 1870, Garibaldi’s Red Shirts and
Cavour’s troops surround the French occupied Rome
Napoleon III withdraws from Rome, unifying the final Italian city-state
The Papal States is reduced to Vatican City within Rome
Kingdom of Italy is Founded The Kingdom of Italy
is founded in 1871 The capital of Italy is
Rome King Victor
Emmanuel of Piedmont-Sardinia becomes the constitutional monarch of Italy
WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS
WITH A UNITED ITALY?
Italian Unification - Government
“Your Highness! Congratularions on crushing the followers of Mazzini in Lombardy and for your intense efforts to root out the viper of republicanism where ever it may lay.”
Note from King Victor Emmanuel to Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria
“We will fight forever for a democratic republic, based on universal male suffrage. Italy in revolution would be strong enough to defeat three Austria’s!
Giuseppe Mazzini