How and why was most of Italy unified by 1861?

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Natalie Simmons

How and why was most of Italy unified by 1861?

        By 1861 all of Italy was united apart from Venetia and Rome. There were years of struggle to get this achievement. Between the years 1859 and 1861, there were dramatic changes. Risings in the past had all failed. Peninsula was divided into ten separate Italian states. All the states wanted to keep their independence. Although there was a common religion and a common literacy language appeared there were many disagreements, mistrust towards leaders. After these failers, piedmont took lead in the process of unification. Piedmont had a constitution still so this helped them a lot. Piedmont also had full support form the ambitious king Victor Emmanuel II who wanted piedmont to be an influential and modern state.

        Cavour founded the “IL Resorgimento” in 1847. He stood for election in 1848 but failed. A few months later he entered politics and made himself known as a liberal. He had two main aims firstly, he set out to make Piedmont a strong and more modern state. Secondly, he wished to extend the influence and territory in peninsula. Cavour was pressurised into the Crimean war by Britain and France; this achieved some success. Cavour also attended a peace conference in Paris in 1856 but unfortunately this gained him nothing except a second meeting with Napoleon. Napoleon was triggered into taking action wen his life was nearly taken in a bomb plot. This gave Orzini an excuse to get involved in the war. In July 1858 Cavour was invited to meet Napoleon at Plombieres. It took place in great secrecy. Cavour wrote to Victor Emmanuel II giving his version of the discussion. Their main aim was to expel Austria from Italy.

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They wanted to gain Nice and Savoy as part of Italy and for Piedmont to become richest and most dominant state in Italy. Cavour and Napoleon had to provoke Austria into war to put their operation into practice. Piedmont stirred up an anti-Austrian feeling and eventually Austria mobilised an army and war began. This war against Austria was short and violent. This war and the influence resulting from it had a large influence on the process of Italian unity. It resulted in major defeats for Austria. Suddenly on 11the July 1859 Napoleon made a truce with Austria although he ...

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