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)

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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