Cavour's role in strengthening Piedmont

Explain how Cavour strengthened Piedmont between his coming to power and 1859?

Cavour during the 1850’s had a large role to play within Piedmont itself, due to the failed revolutionary period prior to the 1850’s, there where many reforms that he implemented and aspects of attitudes that he influenced.

In the policy that Cavour implemented there where specific aims that he placed on Piedmont and Italy, this was his Domestic Policy and the aims that where established where, the restriction of church power, Reducing the radical threat of revolution, the stabilisation of politics and also to develop Piedmont’s strength economically.

The restriction of the church was established through the Catholic church being the recognised church in Piedmont. In 1850 the Siccardi laws where introduced, these laws controlled the power of the church, these laws where different to most because they where passed without consultation with the church. The Siccardi laws where not set up by Cavour but rather he expressed a large amount of support towards the laws. The reasoning being of the anti-clerical views that the Siccardi laws represented, in that if the church has less influential power it paved the way for political power and influence to grow and have more impact, therefore benefiting him. The Statuto was the ruling of which Piedmont was now under, article 5 under this ruling stated that all justice was dictated from the king. This therefore led to the abolishment of separate law courts for priest and other religious figures. There where other abolishment’s made in regard to the church, the right of criminals to see protection in churches, the number of days in which people where not allowed to work was restricted as was the amount of property monasteries where able to buy.

The Connubio was an alliance in politics set up between Cavour and Rattazzi to combine centre left and centre right politics. This contributed to the aim that Cavour had of the stabilisation of politics for the peninsula, stabilisation would restore faith within the political system and if he could be seen to be a figure who achieved this it would benefit his cause of gaining the majority of the population. As well as this a stronger political force would help to decrease the Radical political views, such as the Mazzini followers, the revolutions and uprisings caused by Mazzini failed ...

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Economically Italy didn’t have a great deal of strength in the world scheme. However within Italy itself there where dominating trades and industries. Italy had a number of industries, Textile, Wool, Silk and cotton. The Cotton industry was the main industry at the time employing around 114000 workers in Piedmont. There where a number of reasons for the lack of industrialisation in the peninsula. There where restrictions on the ability of growth in the north, Due to a lack of coal there was a damaging effect on the ability for a factory system to be implemented, in order to replace the cottage system that already existed. Cavour however wanted to push Piedmont into industrialisation. He was actively interested in the building and benefit of the railways. Cavour can be seen as being active in implementing this change into Piedmont through a number of different ways. He observed the London to Birmingham Railway construction in Britain, and he wrote an article in a French magazine in an attempt to openly persuade Charles Albert that a large scale railway would greatly benefit Piedmont. Cavour was also actively changing his status of power, from 1850 he was appointed as Minister of Trade and Agriculture, which gave him additional responsibilities in shipping, this then changed in 1851, when Cavour was made Minister of Finance and he was given the responsibility of raising capital for large scale project, of which he hoped the railway would become, as a result of this power Cavour had the ability to make treaties, influence people, from a much higher standing than was previously available to him. By the end of 1852 Cavour made a treaty with Britain, Belgium, France and Portugal. This treaty was one of two elements in Cavour’s favour. The first being economic growth, through the reduction of tariffs which lead to a growth in trade so much so that between 1850 and 59 trade had increased by 300%. Secondly the political support that was gained through this new alliance.

It wasn’t just in Italy and Piedmont that Cavour had an impact. Whereas economy and the Connubrio where within the domestic policy. Cavour also was involved in a foreign policy. The main aims of this where to reduce the Austrian influence by weakening their power, and also to promote the idea of a unified Italy.

The Crimean war was a time when Cavour and Piedmont grew in power whereas Austria grew weaker. Piedmontese troops took over Russia, as a result of this Austria signed a Four Point agreement with Britain and France, however they already signed an alliance to Russia. This began the political isolation of Austria. Following this was the Congress of Paris, Cavour being present at this meeting, held proof of the Growing power that Piedmont held, and also how large an impact he was seen to be having. At this congress the Italian Questions was discussed briefly, this is one of the first times that occurred. This showed that Italy was being recognised by the outside countries, some of this recognition can be linked with Cavour and his continual influence and action.

The event that’s occurred over sea’s from Piedmont where still effecting the level of status and stability that was obtained. In 1858 4 Italians made an assassination attempt on Napoleon. As a result of this assassination attempt Napoleon organised a meeting with Cavour, a treaty was signed known as Plombieres. It was assumed that this meeting was set up to ensure no further assassination attempts would be made. The basic idea behind Plombieres was that France would support Piedmont in the fight against Austria. However this was not agreed upon lightly, the terms of the agreement where the signing of the treaty. Savoy and Tuscany where to be controlled by the French, Italy received 200 000 French troops, Rome and Naples where to remain unaltered. However Cavour did not agree to every demand without thought, Napoleon wanted control of Nice, however this was not agreed until1859 due to the potential political impact. Cavour was particularly influential here to the power that Piedmont gained. It was through him that the treaty could be agreed and the support against Austria was established.

Cavour greatly influenced the strength that Piedmont maintained, through his Reactionary method of politics and action, and also his ability to manipulate situations. However it can be said that Cavour changed his opinion on situations and event based on their consequence, if something had ended successfully Cavour publicised and expanded on this in a much greater way than he did if he supported something that was not directly beneficial to the increasing power, this was especially found when a plan was unsuccessful.

Foreign Policy