Italian Unification Context and Obstacles (1815)

Impact of the Congress of Vienna (1815):
- Following the territorial settlements reached at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Italy was left in a state of complete political fragmentation.
- Governance within these separated territories was characterized by absolute monarchy, with monarchs in each state exercising absolute powers of government.

Austrian Occupation in Northern Italy:
- Direct foreign occupation presented a major barrier in the north and northeast of the Italian peninsula.
- Austria occupied two major territories: Lombardy (Lombardia) and Venice.
The Papal States and External Sovereignty:
- The Papal States were established as a principality under the direct sovereignty of the Pope.
- Geographically situated in the centre of the Italian peninsula, the Papal States physically straddled the territory, effectively cutting the northern Italian states off from the southern states.
- Foreign nations frequently intervened to guarantee and defend Papal sovereignty and independence; a notable instance occurred in 1849 when France intervened to protect Papal independence.
Division Among Independent Regional States:
- Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont-Sardinia):
- Located along the French border.
- Composed of the region of Piedmont in northwestern Italy alongside the island of Sardinia.
- Had undergone gradual expansion continuously since the Middle Ages.
- Ranked as the most advanced state in the entirety of Italy.
- Kingdom of the Two Sicilies:
- Controlled the entire southern half of the Italian peninsula.
- Included the island of Sicily.
- Duchies under Habsburg Influence:
- Included several smaller sovereign duchies across the region: Tuscany (Toscana), Parma, and Modena.
- Each of these duchies was governed by relatives of the Habsburgs, the imperial family that ruled Austria.