Discuss briefly about the Unification of Italy

“The Italian Unification or Italian Risorgimento is known as the chain of political and military events that produced a united Italian peninsula under the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. These events can be broken down in five stages: 

1. Pre-Revolutionary, 
2. Revolutionary,
3. Cavour’s Policy and the Role of Piedmont, 
4. Garibaldi’s Campaign in Southern Italy, and 
5. the creation of the Italian Kingdom.

1. Pre-Revolutionary Phase:

After the Napoleonic Wars and Napoleon Bonaparte’s second defeat, the major powers that has resisted met at a conference called the Congress of Vienna in 1815(under klemens von Metternich). The topic of discussion was to limit France’s power, set limits on nations so no one nation become too strong, and divide up the territory conquered up by Napoleon.

In this phase Italy was divided into several independent states. This are major stumble blocks in unification of the italy. Those independent states were:

• Kingdom of Sardinia
• Lombardy
• Venetia
• Parma
• Modena
• Tuscany
• Papal States
• Kingdom of two Scillies.

Among all these independent states, Kingdom of Sardina had major power. Venetia and Lombardy administration was put under the Austrian control by Congress in Vienna. Rome was under pope and sicily and naples were under control of Bourbon dynasty.

II. Revolutionary Phase:

During the first half of the 19th century, only aristocrats, intellectual, and upper middle class took the cause for unification. The masses showed no concern. However, the people with a passion for unification started to form secret societies, namely the Carbonari. Although at first, they only demanded more rights from their respective government, the cause began to grow. By 1820, the Carbonari were involved in numerous failed revolutions against the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, the Kingdom of Sardinia, Bolonga, and other Italian states. However, the Austrian Empire crushed all of these revolutions; thus leading to more resentment from the Italians. The soul and spirit of the Carbonari and the revolutions was a man named Giuseppe Mazzini. Mazzini was an idealized who

wanted not only wanted a united Italy, but an Italy with a republican form of government. Mazzini brought the campaign for unification into the mainstream.

MAZZINI

when in 1831 he created Young Italy, a group created for the sole purpose to spread the ideas unification, revolutions, and republicanism. In 1846, a liberal pope, Pius IX, was elected who enacted numerous reforms. Soon, other states followed but these reform movements were not enough. A series of uprising known as the Revolution of 1848 occurred throughout Europe including France, Germany, the Austrian Empire, and northern Italy. The revolution also occurred in the Kingdom of Two Sicilies were the king signed a constitution. In the Papal States, radical took over Rome, causing the Pope to flee. 

Victor Emanuel-II

In the absence of the pope, Garibaldi and Mazzini created a republic called the Roman Republic. In Piedmont, after the insistence of nationals, the King Charles Albert sent to Lombardy in their fight for freedom from Austrian rule. Although some of the revolutions were successful in the beginning, they were quickly crushed. In 1849, France sent troops to Rome and destroyed the short-lived Roman Republic. Piedmont lost to Austria and the king was forced to abdicate, causing his son, Victor Emanuel II to become king in 1849. After the unsuccessful events of the last few years, unification would seem as a distant dream. However, things were about to change with the appointment of Count Camillo di Cavour as prime minister of Piedmont in 1852. With the use of all the political and military tricks in the book, Cavour tackled and succeeded in making this dream into a reality. Italy and Europe would never be the same again.

Till now, there was no much progress in the unification of the Italy. Mazzini and garibaldi left the country after recapturing short-lived republic by France. Abdication of Sardinian throne to Victor Emmanuel-II and Election of the Count Camilio di Cavour are significant events. Though it didnt progress, it had created Unification consciousness among the people of Italy.

III. Cavour’s Policy and the Role of Piedmont

Camillo di Cavour

After the numerous failed uprisings throughout Italy, Camillo di Cavour became the prime minister of the Piedmont (Kingdom of Sardinia) in 1852. By the use of bargaining, putting great powers against each other, war, and political cunning, Cavour was able to unite Italy in a short time. Although Piedmont was a small state, it had considerable influence due to its military strength, conservative philosophy, and admirable political leader. In addition, Victor Emmanuel II ruled in conjunction with a parliament, thus establishing a legitimate stable form of government and not giving cause to an internal revolution.

Although Piedmont exercised a conservative policy, it was loose and constructive in many areas, especially commerce and industry. With the use of commercial treaties, Piedmont began to play an increasing role in commerce in the region as it started to win trade away from Austria. These actions served very popular with the public and were received further progress with Cavour’s appointment in 1852. Cavour had a strong belief in scientific and economic progress, and was a firm supporter of unification. However, he did not share the same republic views as Mazzini and Garibaldi. In Cavour’s view, unification needed a strong state to lead, namely Piedmont. And Piedmont can only become strong with railroads, economic freedom, stable finances, and a higher standard of living. Cavour immediately began by implementing some liberal (but necessary) ideas. He encouraged people to participate in government, started to change public opinion by skilfully using the press and the government, and economic freedom, and most importantly spread the propaganda of Italian unity under Victor Emanuel II. 

This phase saw the full potential of Camillo di Cavour. He made kingdom of sardina a model state, which could be dreamt by other neighbouring states. In the war  between turkey and russia(crimean war), Cavour supported English and France to win their support in fighting against Austria. When he was invited to meeting after the war, he internationalised the problems of Italy. It can be said that “Italy Took birth from the mud of the CRIMEA”.

In order to achieve his goals, Cavour needed the help of a strong ally, the leader of France, Napoleon III. France proved to be a good partner because it was a traditional enemy of Austria and any loss of Austrian influence would be beneficial. Also, Napoleon III showed favour to a liberated and united Italian peninsula. To seal the deal of this partnership, both leaders met secretly at Plombieres(This is also known as plombieres Agreement), a French spa. Piedmont would stir up trouble in Lombardy and Venetia,territories controlled by Austria, thus forcing Austria to go to war against Piedmont. France would help Piedmont in exchange for Nice and Savoy(from now onwards, it was never be part of again). In April 1859, war broke out between Piedmont and Austria. The plan worked very well the joined forces of Piedmont and France won at Magenta and Solferino. Pretty soon, Prussia started to mobilize an army in Austria defense and more Italian provinces wanted to join Piedmont under one nation. Both of these events alarmed Napoleon III because Prussia was starting to have a strong presence in European affairs and more Italian states wanting unification greatly exceeded what he had envisioned for Italy. So he signed an Villafranca armistice with Austria and ended the war. Piedmont received Lombardy from Austria as a result of the war. After the war and the political manoeuvring, Piedmont had greatly increased its size.

By the 1860, With help of the France, Cavour able integrate the Central states such as tuscany, parma, bologna,modena and piyokenja except Nice and Savoy, which will be forever with france according to the Plombieres agreement. He did it with referendum.

IV. Garibaldi’s Campaign in Southern Italy

If Mazzini was the soul of the unification process, then Garibaldi was the hero. In early 1860, he started to gather volunteers in Genoa for an expedition to Sicily. As Cavour neither opposed nor helped, thousands of soldiers from Romagna, Lombardy, and Venetia set sail for Sicily in May 1860. The Expedition of Soldiers, as it was called, was an instant hit with the public. The Kingdom of Two Sicilies had long been a corrupt government and now it was seeing its last days. Although the Garibaldi Red Shirts were less skilled and ill equipped, they were a tremendous success. They occupied Sicily within two months and already Garibaldi was setting his eyes on mainland Italy.

Garibaldi

However, after his declaration to advance to Rome, instead of stopping in Naples, Cavour became increasingly worried. If Rome was attacked, France and Austria would immediately help the Pope and crush the opposing army, thereby discrediting and destroying the unification agenda. In yet another brilliant move, Cavour encouraged riots and uprisings in the Papal States thus giving the Piedmontese troops a reason to come under the pretext of maintaining order. In 1860, two thirds of the Papal States joined Piedmont and Rome was left alone. As the Piedmontese army bypassed Rome and the remaining Papal States and marched south, Garibaldi would surprise everyone with one of the most memorable gestures in history. On September 18, Garibaldi gave up command of his army and shook hands with Victor Emanuel II, signifying the unity and formation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Garibaldi piousness was conspicuous to the people of italy,when He left to Island of Caprera with a bag of seeds to sow after merging the territory to kingdom of italy. 

Still Rome and Venetia are left out of the kingdom. Cavour was designing a new plot to take out the rome, which is under the control of France and Venetia, which under the control of Austria.

V. Creation of the Italian Kingdom

Venetia and Rome couldn’t be gained easily because

Rome was under the protection of Napoleon III and French troops while Venetia was controlled by Austria and its troops. But an opportunity arrived and Venetia was annexed in 1866. That opportunity was the Seven Weeks’ War between Austria and Prussia. Austria promised Venetia if Italy stayed neutral and Prussia promised Venetia if Italy joined them in the war. Italy decided to join Prussia due to a previous agreement. Although the Italian army did poorly, Prussia won the war and it held up its part of the bargain.

 In 1870, the Franco-Prussian War occurred between France and Germany and Napoleon III was forced to pull the French troops from Rome to aid the war effort. While Rome and the remaining Papal States remained unprotected, Italian troops marched in unopposed. In October 1870 Rome voted to join the union and in July 1871, it became the capital. The unification was a long and arduous process. But all the problems that remained before the unification were not solved after the unification. As the last quarter of the century unfolded, this was evident. But, Italy stayed united and focused on solving its new problems. In the end, Cavour, Garibaldi, and Mazzini became the founding fathers of a nation and were immortalized.”