1. Revision of the Risorgimento
Italian unification
Revision of the Risorgimento

2. Main themes Origins of Risorgimento
Piedmont emerges as leading Italian state
The role of Cavour
Unification phase I – 60
Unification phase II – Garibaldi gets the south
Venetia 1866
Rome 1870
Unification complete?

3. Trends towards unification
Napoleon
Nationalism
1815 settlement and Austrian dominance.

4. Italian nationalism The Carbonari Revolutions of 1821, 1830 & 1848
Thinkers Gioberti, Mazzini & Young Italy,
language - Manzoni – « the betrothed », Verdi and opera
mostly MC and intellectual elite.

5. Revolution of 1848 – lessons learned
Revolts all over Italy
Charles Albert in Piedmont – Statuto, war against Austria.
Hopes for Pius IX ended – Garibaldi & Roman republic.
Austria triumphant, French troops to Rome (1849)
Italy cannot « fara da se » but Piedmont leading state.

6. Someone who learned the lessons - Count Camillo di Cavour

7. Piedmont takes the lead
Count Camillo di Cavour PM 1852
Modernises Piedmont – why?
Politics (Constitution) & church
Economy – agriculture, communications, trade
Army
Was Cavour an Italian or a Piedmontese nationalist?

8. Cavour gets foreign help
Crimean war 1854 – 56
Peace of Paris 1856
Britain
Napoleon III
Orsini plot
Plombieres 1858

9. The international situation was favourable
Russia
Prussia
Britain
France
Nationalism - fashionable

10. Unification Phase I 1859 - 60 War 1859
France defeats Austria at Magenta and Solferino
Villafranca – Piedmont gets Lombardy
Cavour resigns!
Central Italy out of control – Central duchies and Romagna
Cavour back – France gets Nice & Savoy.
Plebiscites – vote for Piedmont.

11. Unification Phase II – Garibaldi gets the south
1860 Revolt in Sicily
1000 redshirts led by Garibaldi
Cross to mainland and take Naples
Cavour moves south
Garibaldi meets Victor Emmanuel II at Teano
1861 kingdom of Italy proclaimed

13. The final steps 1866 Austro-Prussian war
Bismarck promises Venetia to Italy
Franco – Prussian war
French troops withdrawn
Italy takes Rome
« the prisoner in the vatican »

14. Or was it really? The South? Language? Trentino & South Tryol?
1870 Unification complete
Or was it really?
The South?
Language?
Trentino & South Tryol?