The election of Pope Pius the IX in 1846 played a central role foremost up to the revolution of 1848. He was a not a liberal though he wished to be loved by his people. He removed press censorship, by 1848 almost a hundred different newspapers existed in the Papa; States, introduced financial and legal reforms even suggested a custom union, much like the Zollverien in Prussia. The Pope granted amnesty to hundreds of exiles and more than thousand political prisoner, who later became leaders of the revolution. In January 1814, Sicily against Naples, to gain its independence, Pope Pius refused Metternich’s request to send troops through the Papal States to down the revolt. These actions encouraged the liberals and nationals that he was a potential forerunner for those who seek hope for change in the Italian states.
The growth of nationalism and liberalism had long term beliefs that were fundamental to the cause. The nationals, or the “Risorgimento” an ideological and literary movement for Italian unification, and helped provoke the national awareness of the Italian people. One of its influential leaders, Mazzini, a republican, who’s idea was to unify Italy without a monarchy. In 1831, there was dissatisfaction with the inadequate progress of secret societies lead to the birth of “Young Italy”, Italy’s first political party and a secret society much like the Carbonari, representing the domestic aspects of the Risorgimento in hope to educate the Italian people of their nationhood and inspire to rise against reactionary regimes expecting a united Italy and freedom from foreign occupation. This certainly inspired a national revival promoting the outbreak of the 1848 revolution. The liberals were enfolded in Mazzini’s national inspiration. The liberal middle classes demanded for a constitutional reform which had little significance for the majority of the deprived who only cared about getting food and battling diseases and evictions. Bound up in an economic crisis in 1846 to 1847, there were poor harvest formed a potential radical situation. The liberals were frustrated of the lack of reforms, political and economic, and the lack of meritocracy. Like the nationals, the liberal aspirations evidently were a momentous factor in the outbreak of the revolution in 1848.
Another cause of the revolution was the economic crisis. In 1845, a blight occurred which threw Italy into an economic crunch. Only 95 percent of the population was affected as rapid growth in population caused shortage of land and was pressured on available food stocks. There was no economic reforms, little money was spent on social projects like education, about 75 to 80 percent of the population were illiterate, and hospitals, and the average life expectancy was very low. There was poor communication between the powers themselves and the people, leaving the people discontented. Industrial industry was underdeveloped, Italy had only 620km of railways compared to almost 1000km in Britain and nearly 6000km in Germany. Trade with other Italian states was as well hindered while Austria was highly promoted.
The February Revolution in France unsettled the Italian States and the fall of Metternich was a symbol of reaction, a real opportunity for Italy to determine its own potential and future without the fear of Austrian troops breathing down their necks.
