Describe how Cavour, Garibaldi, Mazzini and Victor Emmanuel II helped to bring about the unification of Italy.
2) Describe how Cavour, Garibaldi, Mazzini and Victor Emmanuel II helped to bring about the unification of Italy.
In the Italian Unification, Cavour, Mazzini, Garibaldi and King Emmanuel II played an important role. Cavour, a clever prime minister, was regarded as the 'brain of modern Italy'. Mazzini, the 'soul of the Risorgimento, was the propagandist of the Italian unity. Garibaldi, the 'sword' of the Italian Unification, was a guerrilla leader who provided Italy with the necessary military force. King Victor Emmanuel II completed the unification of Italy. Each of them contributed greatly to the course of unification.
Cavour is the individual credited the ingenuity which resulted in the unification of Italy. In 1847, He founded 'Risorgimento', a newspaper which became the official voice for the Italian national movement. He became a member of parliament briefly from 1848-1849. He learnt from the failure of the 1848 revolutions. He realized that internal strength and external aid were necessary for the success of Italian unification. His policy was to modernize Piedmont to make her strong enough to lead the national movement against Austria. He also intended to ally with a powerful foreign power for expelling Austria domination. Subsequently, he became the prime minister in 1852. As prime minister, his plan of action developed programs which helped the Kingdom for Sardinia become the leading Italian state. He introduced progressive internal reforms, reorganized the administration, the financial system, the legal system, industry and the army. His programs won for Sardinia the prestige and a position among the powers of Europe.
Cavour was a skilful diplomat too. Since Cavour had realized that Piedmont-Sardinia was too weak to fight alone, he tried to use every opportunity to gain foreign support. The chance came when the Crimean War broke out in 1885. He brought Piedmont- Sardinia into the war. During the war, Piedmont-Sardinia sided with Britain and France against Russia. Though this alliance, Cavour established friendly relations with the French emperor, Napoleon III. Finally, Russia was defeated and the war ended in 1856.
As one of the victors, Piedmont-Sardinia was able to attend the Paris Peace Conference. He succeeded in gaining the sympathy of Britain and France in this war and the Conference.
The help from France had been decided by a pact between Napoleon III and Cavour at Plombieres in 1858. Under the terms of the pact, France would ally itself with Sardinia if the Austrians attack Sardinia. In return, if plans were successful, Italy would consist of a federation of weak states, nominally under the presidency of the Pope. The strongest country would be that of Northern Italy ...
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As one of the victors, Piedmont-Sardinia was able to attend the Paris Peace Conference. He succeeded in gaining the sympathy of Britain and France in this war and the Conference.
The help from France had been decided by a pact between Napoleon III and Cavour at Plombieres in 1858. Under the terms of the pact, France would ally itself with Sardinia if the Austrians attack Sardinia. In return, if plans were successful, Italy would consist of a federation of weak states, nominally under the presidency of the Pope. The strongest country would be that of Northern Italy which was to include Piedmont, Lombardy, Venice and the papal Adriatic dominions. There would be a Central Italian State with the Pope as leader and Rome as its capital. Naples and Sicily were to be reformed but to remain under the power of the French. In return for the states of Lombardy and Venetia, Sardinia was to cede Savoy and Nice to France. At this stage, what Cavour wanted was to unite Italy under the leadership of Piedmont-Sardinia.
From his internal and external policies, it can be seen that Cavour was capable and realistic politician. He was also a skilful diplomat who could make use of every opportunity to win foreign support. However, he did not live to see the completion of Italian unification. He died in 1861, ten years before the formation of a united Italy. Although he died, his king Victor Emmanuel II continued his policy and completed the unification.
Mazzini was a propagandist of Italian unity. He contributed greatly in promoting national feelings among Italian in 1831. He played an important role in propaganda. He promoted the ideas of nationalism to the Italians so that most of the Italian knew about the ideas of unify, and they wished to unite their own country. Mazzini believed that without people's support, he would never success in unifying Italy. He set up the society of 'Young Italy' in 1831. Its chief aim was to unite Italy under a republic. But The failure of the 1820 and 1830 revolts was due to the misdirection of the revolutionary elements. So he suggested that to attain unity, both education and insurrection were equally important. He also urged his follower to co-operate the workers people and try to arouse a sense of unity among them.
By 1833, membership of 'young Italy' had risen to 60000. In 1833, Mazzini attempted a rising in piedmont against King Charles Albert but it failed. Mazzini escaped to France. He had set up Roman Republic in 1848 with Garibaldi. Elected to the Triumvir ate, the republic's executive body, Mazzini finally had the opportunity to participate actively in laying the foundations for what he hoped would be a new united republican Italy. Now, as Triumvir of the Roman Republic he became an active participant in what was to remain his supreme revolutionary experience. But after a year, the Roman Republic was defeated and Rome was occupied by French troops.
The failure of Roman Republic just ended the revolutionary phase of the Risorgimento but marked the beginning of a realignment of political forces in Italy, and elsewhere in Europe. The Italian nationalists began to turn to the monarchical leadership offered by Cavour and his king Victor Emmanuel in Piedmont-Sardinia. So that we can see that Mazzini's idea of unity was still remained in people's mind. It seems that his role in awakening Italians' patriotism was very important.
Garibaldi was another important leader of the Italian unification movement. He was a guerrilla leader (Thousand red shirt) who provided Italy with the necessary military force. He led the 'Red Shirts' to conquered Sicily in August and invaded Naples. Soon, they took the Southern Italy. In the situation, Italy was divided into Northern Italy and Southern Italy. So Cavour persuaded Victor Emmanuel II to send troops to stop Garibaldi from taking states. To avoid civil war, Garibaldi handed over his conquests in the Southern Italy to Victor Emmanuel II when the two met near the Volturno on October 26. Angered at not being named viceroy in Naples, however, Garibaldi retired to his home on Caprera, off Sardinia. Nevertheless, he continued to plot to capture the Papal States. In 1862 the Italian government, fearing international complications, had to intercept him at Aspromonte, where he was wounded in the heel. When he led another private expedition toward Rome in 1867, French troops halted him at Mentana. Subsequently, during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), Garibaldi led a group of volunteers in support of the new French republic.
Up to this stage, we can see that he loved his country so much. He wished to see a unified Italy. He was so great that he refused all honours but retired to the island of Caprera. Even he retired, he still fought for his country for liberalism.
Because of his great contribution in the Italian Unification, he was regarded as the 'sword' of Italian unification since he unified southern Italy by military force. Maybe we can say without Garibaldi's support, the unification of Italy may not have taken place when it did. A gifted leader and man of the people, he knew far better than Cavour or Mazzini how to stir the masses, and he repeatedly hastened the pace of events. Disillusioned in later life with politics, he declared himself a socialist.
Victor Emmanuel II, an Italian king, was also an important leader in the Italian Unification. He was a propagandist too. He also wished to unify Italy. He retained the liberal constitution of 1848 and 1852. He was good at choosing people to help him. He had appointed Cavour as prime minister and gave him full support. His decision to appoint Cavour marked a turning point in the Italian unification movement because Cavour had helped him a lot in the unification, such as internal reforms and foreign aid etc. This showed that Victor Emmanuel II was good at personal matters. . He secretly encouraged G. Garibaldi in the conquest of Sicily and Naples and led the invasion of the Papal States. It seems that King Victor Emmanuel was a skilful diplomat too. By 1860, most of Italy had come under his rule, and in 1861, he was proclaimed the king of Italy. In 1870, he made Rome his capital. . The Italy Unification was completed. This showed that he was smart enough to quiet down the civil resisted power He was clever enough to unify a completed Italy.
By the way, due to these four people's able leadership and contribution, the Italian unification was completely success. They recreated a new Italy. They had turned Italy from 'geographical expression' to a unified country. They had rewritten the history of Italy. Up to this stage, we can see that these four people, Cavour, Garibaldi, Mazzini and King Victor Emmanuel II were really great in the Italian Unification.