Unification of Italy

Content Quiz 5/8/23

Obstacles to Unification

City-States

* no nationalism to a larger Italy
* they only had nationalism to their city-states
* each city-state is ruled by a king (there can only be one king if they unify)
* sardinia drives the italian unification process (similar to prussia in the unification of germany)

\
Economy

* had a north-south economy split
* the north had an urban, industrial economy (most people made their money working in factories)
* the south had an agricultural and rural economy (most people made their money on farms)

Prior Attempts at Unification

Congress of Vienna, 1815

* italian liberals asked prince metternich to draw in an united italy but he said no
* he said no because they could be too powerful as a united nation

Leaders of Italian Unification

* Mazzini, “The Soul” - responsible for inspiring nationalism
* Cavour, “The Brain” - most like bismarck; he plans and plots things
* Garibaldi, “The Sword” - responsible for the wars of unification
* Victor Emmanuel II, “The King” - most like William I; becomes the king of a united Italy

Mazzini, “The Soul”

* was a thinker and pondered on how to unify the italian city - states
* leads risorgimento - the italian nationalist movement
* forms Young Italy (a movement)
* a society where “coal-burners” but became more political
* they were politically charged; they discussed & pushed for italian unification
* writes revolutionary pamphlets to inspire nationalism
* sets up a revolutionary republic in Rome but it was toppled by french troops

Cavour, “The Brain”

* most comparable to Otto Von Bismarck
* prime minister of sardinia under victor emmanuel II
* wants to make victor emmanuel II the king of a united italy
* he is a realpolitik
* provokes wars and makes secret deals
* goal: to unite italy under victor emmanuel II
* succeeds in his goal but died before the entire peninsula is unified

Garibaldi, “The Sword”

* responsible for the wars of unification
* leader of the ‘Red Shirt Army’
* Red Shirt Army - 1000 man volunteer army from Genoa
* wars - fighting in the kingdom of the 2 sicilies
* success - victor emmanuel II supports him secretly
* 1861 - Italy is unified
* 1866 - Venetia is added
* 1870 - Rome is added (italy ultimately unified)

Victor Emmanuel II, “The King”

* comparable to William I of Prussia
* King of Sardinia
* gives his support to Cavour and Garibaldi
* 1861 - Constitutional Monarch of Italy