POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY IN 1830

ITALY PRE-INVASION (Pre-1796)

‘Heartland of world civilisation’
Dominated politically and then culturally (Romans+Renaissance)
Italy declined, languished under foreign rule
More than an art gallery than it was a state
Austria mainly governed Italy with the Pope ruling the Papal States

LIFE UNDER RESTORED MONARCHS

Rulers allowed to come back to Italy, granted by Congress of Vienna 1815
Judged as reactionary (favouring a return to previous political conditions)
FERDINAND III
Improved education,
Reorganized University of Pisa and Siena,
Expanded health facilities, refused Jesuits (members of the Society of Jesus, extreme loyalty to the papacy) entry to the Duchies,
Allowed freedom/expression (moderately,)
Antologia 1821: intellectual figures, ‘cultural’ and political centre of Italy,

PIEDMONTESE KING VICTOR EMMANUEL I

Wanted the older days back, replaced middle class government (Chamber of Deputies) + law courts + non-noble officers excused and replaced with old nobles
Special abilities for nobles restored
Controlled education - limit ideas and freethinking

Papal States - THE ZEALOTS

Tight hold on government/education/politics etc.
“Lay population”, no say - Pope control
Napoleonic Code abolished, strict censorship
Inquisition allowed torture against modenists

HOW NAPOLEON CONQUERED/CHANGED ITALY

Invaded 1796,
Attacked the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardania,
Acquired Nice and Savoy, and gained control of the army in Italy,
Took some of the peninsula away from Austria during the war /w Austria,
Simplified Political boundaries - 1798
Crowned King - 1805
Introduced tricolour flag
Divided the country into 3 on 1810:
Kingdom of Italy,
Kingdom of Naples,
French Empire

HOW DID THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA 1815 CHANGE ITALY?

1815 - Old ruling families return to Italy
Churches suffered, poor suffered, wealthy gained from the aftermath of the war,
Restored state boundaries,
King Ferdinand and other rulers takeover,
Austria’s authority and visible still in control
Try return to Pre-Napoleonic times, absolute government
Alliance with the church,
Italians took French ideas of liberty,
Army- 80,000 conscripted men
80/90% Italian peasants are separated from society
Young girls married, ‘dowry gifts’ to make connections among aristocracy
Pellagra - 95,000 cases among peasants
80 people in house
Vienna settlement of 1815 gave Piedmont control of the former republic, Genoa. Important port - Genoese resented the loss of former leader + their political/commercial independence.

WHAT POLITICAL GROUPS/ORGANISATIONS EXISTED IN ITALY BY 1815?

LIBERALS -
Right to say in government, against both absolute monarchy - favoured a constitution
RADICALS -
Extremists - fairer distribution of wealth, used violence to achieve goals
NATIONALISTS -
People of some culture united in one state. Secret societies, revelations broke out in Sicily. Lack of free speech, freemasonry, failed totally
Small group, political matters

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE REVOLUTIONS OF 1820-21?

NAPLES//
1818 King Ferdinand increased church power. Freedom of speech impossible, promised to meet demands 1812
SICILY//
1818 King Ferdinand kingdom. Sicily forcibly united with Naples 1815
1831-32 revolutions
1830: Revolutions in Paris, Charles X abdicate which led to a domino effect within Italy

HOW MIGHT’VE FRENCH RULE CREATE LONG-TERM NATIONALISM?

Italy went from 14 states to 3 unified states,
Not liking the French led to an anti-form feeling on a national level,
People born after French invasion taught French culture - identity
Gain control of an army

HOW SERIOUS WAS THE THREAT OF POLITICAL GROUPS AND SECRET SOCIETIES TO AUSTRIA?

LIBERALS: Want freedom and a right to say in government,
REVOLUTIONS: Austrians in power (Duke, Duchesses etc.) in areas, station armies, prison/forts, propaganda, censorship.
Dealt with anti-government - sent to political prisons, public executions, exile people. Oppressive and regressive, which led to more Anti-Austrian sentiment.
Most ended up within secret societies, leave Italy - communicate with knocks and handshakes due to no mass support

WHAT WAS THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE 1820 REVOLUTIONS? WHY DID THEY FAIL?

NAPLES: 1818 King Ferdinand give more power to the church when people want to increase constitution (liberals). Tax increase led to protest.
SICILY: Wanted freedom, fighting - Radical Austrian reinforcements. King Ferdinand.
PIEDMONT: Absolute monarchy, no say in it

FAILURE:
→ Austrian reinforcement
→ Lack of communication/control
→ Lack of mass support
→ Censorship

PIEDMONT SARDINIA BY 1830

• House of Savoy became ruler under King Emmanuel I, absolute power,

• Effective, established government,

• Turin capital - economically advanced

• Piedmont take-over Sardinia 1720,

• Strong, developed army,

• 1815 Church restored to privileged status

• Middle class lost jobs, replaced by nobles

LOMBARDY / VENETIA BY 1830

• 1815: Richest Italian provinces, economically and culturally advanced

• Venetian aristocratic family, influence Mantua heavy taxation, ¼ of Austria revenue comes from these two states

• Respond to widespread discontent with police measure and censorship

• 1815 re-emergence of Lombard Kingdom

CENTRAL DUCHIES BY 1830 (PARMA/MODENA/TUSCANY)

• Parma + Modena separated by the Apennie Mountains

• Tuscany, Ferdinand III banned Jesuits

• Members of the nobility replaced Italians who held office for Napoleon

• More freedom of expression

• 1822 flourished - Antologia

Papal States BY 1830

• Controlled by Catholic Church

• Austrian troops protect the Pope

• Treaty of Vienna 1815 Pope’s Powerades was restored

• Divided geographically, culturally, and economically

• No developments in communications - no ideas

KINGDOM OF THE TWO SICILIES BY 1830

• Suffered many diseases

• 1812 - Sicillian constitution cancelled - no say in government

• Restoration of 1815 - aligned with conservative states, revolts due to political indifferences

• 1820 - Forced to give constitution

NORTH OF ITALY BY 1830

• Piedmont / Lombardy: peasant landownership, 800,000 estates by 1850

• Signs of industrial development, more productive agriculture and less disease,

• Industrial economies too narrow

SOUTH BY 1830S

• Bad soil in the south,

• Malaria-ridden,

• Landlords absent - Latifundia

• Suffer from unemployement

• Few sources of natural power

• 90% of Italians work on Land

GENERAL DIFFERENCES FOR UNIFICATION…

• Separate Political systems

• Population increment: 13 million 1700 → 18 million 1800 = no land for peasants

• Distinct states had different governments, language, culture etc,

• Italian is only spoken by 2.5% of the country at this point

• Soil of the South is inferior - South has malaria

• 1847 - Metternich said unification for Italy was fanciful.

POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES 1830

NATIONALISM//
People of the same race/language/culture/traditions should be united in an independent nation. It should have clear boundaries and not be under foreign control. Differing ideologies ie. monarchy or constitution. Disagreement on how to achieve nationalism, or how much of peninsula unified

LIBERALISM//
People should have a say in government and this was best achieved through a representative assembly or parliament elected by property owners. Rule of law was needed which guaranteed rights such as fair trials/free speech. Non violent and middle class favoured constitutional monarchy

RADICALISM//
Much more extreme and wanted social reform and redistribution of wealth. Use violence to achieve aims. Many were members of revolutionary societies and believed that all men should elect a parliament, not just the rich. Were opposed to the restored monarchy and favoured a truly democratic republic excluding women and peasants.