ITALY DS1: Challenge to the Restored Monarchs

Austrian strength in the 1830s

The Holy Alliance (Sep. 1815)

• Coalition between Russia, Prussia and Austria

• Restrain Republicanism and Secularism

Troppau Protocol (Nov 19th 1820)

• Declaration of intention taking collective action against revolution

• July 1820: Congress decided to take decisive action against democratic revolution in Naples

Klemens Von Metternich

• Insisted autocratic absolutism was the ONLY form of government

• Failings: Metternich ordered the occupation of Papal occupied Ferrara in Summer of 1847

15-20k Austrian Troops deployed during 1830 revolutions

Reasons for the failure of 1830 revolutions

Middle Class and Peasant revolutionaries divided

• Sicily revolt crushed 1821

Failure of foreign powers

• Following 1815 Vienna, Italy under proxy rule

• Lord Palmerstone wanted to maintain status quo

• Favoured the monarchies and conservative systems established in 1815

Political thinking within Italy

Giuseppe Mazzini

• Risorgimento

• Wanted to include peasantry

• 1831 created Young Italy - 60,000 members by 1833

• Inspired ideas of revolution in 1844 in Calabra

• 1849: The Kingdom of God - linked religion with nationalism

• 1849: Founded Roman Republic

Cesare Balbo

• Federation led by Piedmont Sardinia

• Did not want to include peasantry

• Saw military leadership as necessary

Vincenzo Gioberti

• Wanted a federal system led by Pope

Language

‘Biblioteca Italiana’ founded in Milan 1816

‘Il Poltenico’ produced in 1839 & 1845

Illiteracy rate was 67% of the population by 1871

Northern Piedmont 39%

25% of women literate

Only 630k / 27 million population spoke the Tuscan dialect

Linguistic diversity was at the heart of Metternich’s dismissal of Italy

National Organisations

‘Congresso degli Scienziata’ est. 1839

• Delegates from EVERY region attended

Initial Revolutions / Revolutionaries

Italian Jacobins

• Buonarotti & TPSM ( The Perfect Sublime Masters ) - 1808

• Used ideas from the French revolution

1821 Revolution in Abruzzi - Sicily

1821 Revolution in Piedmont put down by Austrians

‘Del Risorgimento’

16th Century writers such as Machiavelli and Dante wrote of Italians cultural identity

• 18th / 19th cent. writers began to link Italian Culture w/ Political Liberty

The Enlightenment ( 1685 - 1815 )

• Rousseau and others questioned the place and position of institutions

• Enlightenment figures favoured science over ideas of tradition / religion

Romanticism

Giuseppe Verdi

• ‘Nabucco’ (1841) talked of the subjugation of Italians

Manzoni: 1827 the Betrothed

Pope Pius IX ( 1846 - 78 )

Reforms in the Papal States

• Appoints P.M Pellegrino Rossi

• Hostile to Austrian influence ( 1847 occupation of Ferrara )

• Many hailed him as ‘The Redeemer of Italy’

• 1/6 of the Roman population farmers

• Abolished requirement for Jews to attend Christian services ( 5% of population )

• Freed 1000 political prisoners

Opened Papal Charities for the needy

Population

17.8 - 22 million population increase

Economic

Slow growth 0.5% per annum ( 1830 - 60 )

Lack of Industrialisation

• 114k industrial workers in Piedmont

1847 depression ( result of 1844 Bank Charter Act )

• Milan price of wheat up 80%

• Grain prices rose up to 100%

• 9 million southerners considerable unrest resulting in 1848 Revolution January

• 1840: silk industry employed 70k workers in Lombardy

Piedmont: The First War of Independence

Five Days of Milan ( 18-22nd March 1848 )

• Tobacco Boycott (Jan 3rd 1848) - 5 milanese killed 59 wounded

• Radetzky’s 20k men driven out by 1700 barricades

Declaration of War ( March 23rd 1848 )

• Charles Albert proclaims, “the help a brother expects from a brother”

• Austrians captained by 83 year old Radetzky

Novara March 23rd 1849 - Charles Albert defeated

Custoza July 1849 - C.A wholeheartedly defeated

March 23rd 1849: Charles Albert abdicates

• abdicates in favour of son Victor Emmanuel

Total Casualties - 33,000

110k Austrian Troops deployed

70k Austrians VS 75k Piedmontese

1849 Statuto

Promulgated March 4th 1849

• Statuto is a liberal constitution

• Granted suffrage to wealthy males over 25

• Expansion of civil liberties

Attracted 50,000 political prisoners

The Roman Republic 1849

April 1848: Papal Allocution

• States that Charles Albert was the aggressor in the First War of Independence

• 20,000 Neapolitan & Papal Troops left - Pepe & Durango

Autumn 1848: Pius IX flees

• Nov 1848 Pellegrino Rossi assassinated

• In Pope Pius’s absence, Mazzini formed the Roman Republic

• ‘Constituente’ formed in 1849 following the news of Novara

• ‘Triumvir’ governed Rome ( Mazzini, Staffi, Armedlini )

Papal Restoration

• Oudinot’s 30k troops VS Garibaldi and 5k

• Giacomo Antonelli absolutist

• 1855 de Felici executed

Sicilian Revolution 1848

Causes

• Ferdinand II disastrous agrarian reforms

• Outbreak of Cholera ( 65,000 dead )

• 1815 Kingdoms United: Sicilains hated Neapolitan rule

Sicilian Revolution ( 12th January 1848 )

• The first revolution in 1848

• Sicilian nobles resuscitated 1812 constitution

• Quasi-independent state for 16 month

• March 13th: Ferdinand II abolishes the parliament

• Anti-constitutional Giustano Fortunato

Modena 1831

Caused

• Menotti and Carbonari Enrico Misley - 41 conspirators

Consequences

• revolution in Parma - Francesco fled to Mantua and Menotti hung May 1831

Failed

• Duke Francesco IV returned to Central Duchies with Austrians

Parma 1831

Caused

• neighbouring Modena revolt and demand for constitution

Consequences

• Marie Louise fled and Linati creates provisional government

• Battle at Fiorenzuola - 170 insurgents

Why did it fail

• Austrian Intervention

Papal States 1831

Caused

• Artisans resented the oppressive rule of the Church

• 1831 Ultramontanist Gregory XVI appointed

Consequences

• Feb 1831 Provisional Government formed

Why did it fail

• Austrian forces

Tuscany October 1848

Leopold II initially grants liberal constitution

Appoints the democratic Montanelli

Leopold reclaimed Tuscany following the failure of the Roman Republic

Venetia March 1848

Venice declared independent and Daniele Manin headed the new republic of San Marco

June 1848 Austrian 7 month siege of Venice