Réka Szepesvári
History 20 IB
March 24, 2010
Notes on Italian Unification
Italy in the Early 19th century
- Late 18th century – 11 states in the Italian peninsula
- 1790s – 1814: France ruled most of the peninsula
- Because of the fear of revolution Austria took over the peninsula. Lombardy and Venetia were placed under direct Austrian rule, some Habsburgs ruled most states.
- No federation under Austrian control (Italy is no more than a 'geographical expression'.
- Carbonari – grievances (did not agree about the means to achieve their ends or even about the ends). All wanted to get rid of the monarchs and free Italy from Austria.
Mazzini
- Revolutions in 1820-21 and 1831 were unsuccessful
- 1831 – Mazzini – 'Young Italy' – make Italy 'one free, independent republican nation'
- wanted war of national liberation against Austria (hoped for the support of the educated middle class and urban artisans, little fate in the peasantry – little interest in land reform)
- Mazzini's efforts of war failed
- 1836 – Mazzini was forced to disband 'Young Italy' – his movement was too idealistic, his writings on a united Italy influenced people
1848-49 Revolutions
- 1846-47 – poor harvests → potential revolutionary situation
- 1848-49 revolutions – changed everything, seen as evidence of growing national consciousness, local grievances were more important than Italian nationalism; Pope Pius dissociated himself from war against Austria and called on Italians to remain loyal to their present rulers
- Mazzini appealed to France, Austria and Spain for help
- Garibaldi led a gallant defense of Rome before the city fell in July 1849
- Pius set up a reactionary gov
- King Charles Albert – reactionary → 1848 – granted a constitution (the Statuto) and went to war with Austria (more concerned to annex Lombardy and Venetia than to pursue the goal of a united Italy)
- Charles Albert abdicated in favour of his son Victor Emmanuel II after he was defeated at Novara.
- None of the constitutions except the Statuto (far from democratic) survived
- lesson of the revolutions – romantic idealism could not succeed against the existing order unless supported by force
- popular idea: Italy could only be unified by force (military strength of Piedmont)
- National Society (1857) promoted this view – only few thousand member but substantial influence.