The Sicilian fought the Neapolitan army in the name of independence and an Italian confederation. Ferdinand II, King of Naples and Sicily, granted a constitution to his Kingdom. As a result the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the King of Piedmont promised constitution and the Pope followed their example, while the rulers of Modena and Parma had to leave their Duchies. These were the first successes of the revolutionaries.
There were different factors that inspired the revolutionaries in 1848. First of all the writings, cultural changes and the ideas of Mazzini had encouraged many young people to take action. Idealist like Mazzini and Charles Albert had spread though the people the idea of a united Italy. Nationalism had grown stronger and a national language had encouraged people to think of themselves as Italians. Also the bad harvest of the previous two years had badly affected the peasants who together with the middle class started the revolutions.
Trevellian said: “1848 was a turning point in history, when history failed to turn”.
The risings of 1848 failed because of a number of different reasons. First of all the rebels were uncertain of their aims and not everyone was inspired by the ideas of nationalism and liberalism. For example the risings in Sicily occurred because they sought separation from the mainland, Naples. The rebellions were localized and had a lack of co-ordination and co-operation. National unity was rarely considered before 1840 and nationalism never affected the mass of Italian people, the peasants were never much involved in the troubles and the small minority who participated in the risings of 1848 did it for economical reasons. Also the 1848 harvest was good. The supporters were middle classes because it was this group of people who was most affected by the cultural revival. The Italians did not share a national language and therefore communication between people of different states was difficult. They spoke different languages or dialects and also membership in the Italian societies were small.
There were a number of people who tried to unify Italy before 1850, however they did not succeed. Mazzini was one of the persons who helped Italy the most before 1850. It was Mazzini who gave birth to the Risorgimento and the revolutionary ideas. He founded Young Italy and his ideas inspired many young people in the years to come. He was a romantic figure and believed that true liberty would only be possible when Italy was united as a single nation. He believed in a republican kind of government. He also believed that Italy did not need foreign help, as Mazzini said: “Italy will make herself”. It can however be argued that Mazzini wasn’t quite right on this point. Italy did need foreign help to sustain the revolutionaries to expel Austria. Mazzini did organized risings in Ganova and Savoy but they were crushed by the King of Piedmont. However it cannot be said that Mazzini achieved nothing by 1850 because he gave birth to the ideas of liberalism, nationalism and created the Roman Republic, even so it did not last for very long. Garibaldi was also a member of Young Italy, which shows that many young people who fought for the unification of Italy were inspired by Mazzini’s ideas.
Charles Albert, King of Piedmont, also helped though legal, administrative, financial and military reforms in the unification of Italy. He, like Mazzini, did not achieve a lot in the short run but the freedom of the press he introduced in Piedmont helped the spread of revolutionary’s ideas. He said: “At present there is nothing to be done, but when the opportunity comes, my life, the life of my sons, my treasure and my army will all be spent in the cause of Italy”. He was a nationalist and wanted a united Italy. ************
Pope Pius IX also gave his contribution in trying to unify Italy. He introduced political amnesty and believed in a confederal state. As Metternich said: “We expected everything, except a liberal Pope”.
The reasons why the revolution of 1848 failed are quite obvious but why did Mazzini, Charles Albert and Pope Pius IX failed to unify Italy before 1850?
Mazzini, Pius IX and Charles Albert even so wanted a united Italy had different political philosophy on how to achieve it.
Mazzini did not want foreign help to unify Italy: “The tree of liberty will be fructified by the blood of patriots”. He was however wrong on this point as it is clear from the failure of the revolutions of 1848 that Italy was not powerful enough to fight Austria by herself.
Charles Albert showed a greater willingness to reform. Piedmont-Sardinia was the only Italian state capable of leading a national crusade against Austria. At the Battle of Novara Charles Albert fought the Austrian’s army but unfortunately he was defeated. The King of Piedmont went different times at war against Austria but he always lost except when Napoleon III gave his support. This shows that foreign help played an important part in Italy’s independence.
Pope Pius IX also wanted a unified country but he was not prepared to go against Austria’s authority. He condemned the war between Charles Albert and a catholic Austria which made him look like an enemy of the independence of Italy.
Another reason that Italy was not unified before 1850 is maybe the fact that no foreign power took interest in its unification and therefore did not help the risings of 1848. Austria suppressed all the revolts in the north, Papal States as well as the south. France also crushed the Roman Republic of Mazzini. However after 1850 Napoleon III said: “Something must be done for Italy”. His help, after 1850, played an important part in the unification of Italy; it was thanks to him that the Italians gained Venetia and later Rome in 1870.
Cavour, Garibaldi and Napoleon III played a fundamental role, after 1850, in the final unification of Italy. Cavour understood that the Risorgimento needed foreign help but he had to ‘make his hands dirty’ with his politics to achieve successes. Garibaldi wanted a united Italy, he put Italy’s independence before personal ambitions and this is what makes him a national hero. He was a romantic nationalist and a republican. Napoleon III was a romantic nationalist too. However it can be discussed that his interest in the independence of Italy may have been the completing of the Bonaparte Legend: making Europe a liberal, national country.
Cavour was described as Italy’s brain, Mazzini was Italy’s soul and Garibaldi was Italy’s sward. During the revolution it was proved that the Risorgimento had now progressed a long way. However Italy could not gain her independence by herself, foreign help was needed and eventually this help arrived from Napoleon III of France.
As a conclusion there were different attempts, like the revolution of 1848, and different people, like Mazzini, Charles Albert and Pope Pius IX, who tried to unify Italy before 1850, but maybe because foreign help was not offered and maybe because important figures like Garibaldi, Cavour and Napoleon III had still not come in the scene Italy was not unified before 1850. It may also be argued that national unity and the idea of a unified Italy were barely considered before 1840. Italy was a divided county and the majority of people, the working class, were not interested in the political life.
Bibliography:
● Beales D. – ‘The Risorgimento and the Unification of Italy’ – 1981 – Longman
● Brendon V. – ‘The making of modern Italy 1800-71’ – 2002 – Hodder & Stoughton
● Hearder H. – ‘Italy in the Age of the Risorgimento 1790-1870’ – 1983 – Longman
● Morris T., Murphy D., Staton R. & Waller S. – ‘Europe 1760-1871’ – 2005 – Haper Collins
● Price R. – ‘The Revolutions of 1848’ – 1988 – Macmillan Education
Lediana Fratari
