Italian Unification Geographic Breakdown: Northwest: Piedmont-Sardinia (only Italian dynasty) Northeast: Lombardy and Venetia: Austrian controlled Below Venetia & Lombardy is Parma and Modena (dutchies) Below them on west coast is Kingdom of Tuscany East of Tuscany is Papal States Southern half is Kingdom of Naples, or the Two Sicilies: ruled by Bourbons
Many disgusted with existing authority General desire to return to Renaissance glory (Risorgimento) Unification led by “the three stooges” Mazzini (Romantic Nationalism) Cavour (Realpolitik) Garibaldi (Romantic Warrior)
Mazzini’s romantic nationalism Young Italy Romantic idealism Failed revolutions in 1830’s and 1848
Cavour Prime minister of Piedmont-Sardinia Victor Emmanuel II was king Cavour created parliamentary and constitutional procedures (liberal) Favored modernization Anti-clerical Liberal, yet no sympathies for revolution! Used Realpolitik Participated in the Crimean War
Garibaldi: The soldier Nationalist and a man of action Simple, romantic hero Member of Young Italy Private army: the Red Shirts, or Garibaldi’s Thousand Helped Mazzini’s unification movement in 1848-1849 (lost & went into self-exile)
Unification: Strategy & Actions 1st, get help from larger nation (France) Napoleon III saw Italy as ancestral home, thus sympathetic France agreed to help Piedmont-Sardinia/Cavour Plombiers Agreement (1858) Northern Italy would be Sardinian (except Nice & Savoy, which France would get) Central States would be kingdom led by Napoleon’s cousin Small area around Rome ruled by Pope Southern Italy remain the same
French/Italian troops against Austrian Cavour instigated a conflict with Austria that led Austria to declare war (1859) French/Italian troops against Austrian Austria losing but… Prussia seemed to be mobilizing (threat to France?) Possible loss of Catholic support for French? New Italian state more of a threat to France than a satellite state? Napoleon III second-guessing his decision & withdrew from the war
Franco-Austrian Treaty Signed without Cavour knowing Lombardy ceded to France, then given to Piedmont-Sardinia Sardinia kept Nice & Savoy (for now) Austria kept Venetia Treaty of Turin (1860) France given Nice and Savoy France support Piedmont-Sardinia’s annexation of northern & central territories* *Conflict encouraged various areas to revolt Cavour used plebiscite to annex territories: Tuscany, Parma, Modena, Romagna
Garibaldi upset about losing Nice & Savoy Three Italy’s Northern (Piedmont-Sardinia Central (papal states Southern (K of Naples) Garibaldi upset about losing Nice & Savoy Returned to Italy to re-take Nice & Savoy Cavour was furious! Southern K of Naples on the verge of revolt Cavour secretly encourage Garibaldi to take advantage of it and attack K of Naples Cavour’s thought: if Garibaldi wins – great! If Garibaldi dies – great! Win-Win!
Garibaldi launched an attack in Sicily People flocked to Garibaldi’s side Piedmont-Sardinia ‘officially’ denied they sanctioned the invasion K of Two Sicilies fell! Garibaldi marched north to Papal States Cavour, fearing Garibaldi’s successes, launched an attack on Papal States – beating Garibaldi to the punch (didn’t want to have Garibaldi attack the Pope (Rome) and anger the French)
Garibaldi & Cavour face off Garibaldi chose to hold a plebiscite to decide whether to join Cavour or attack Voted to join & Garibaldi stepped down France stayed away because Rome itself untouched Prussian threat seemed close Kingdom of Italy proclaimed March 17, 1861 Venetia joined after Austro-Prussia War Rome joined after Franco-Prussia War Vatican remain independent under control of Pope
UNIFICATION DUE TO: High-minded Mazzini Audacity of Garibaldi Cold Policies of Cavour War & Insurrection Plebiscites