1. Cavour and the Italian War of 1859: The Unification of Italy

2. Italian Unification
Garibaldi invades Sicily & Italy
-Piemontese army under Victor Emmanuel take over from Garibaldi
Napoleon I crowns self King of Italy
Charles Albert abdicates in favor of Victor Emmanuel II (1849)
Constitutional monarchy proclaimed in Piedmont;  in Rome, Republic proclaimed with Mazzini as head
Cavour becomes Prime Minister in Sardinia-Piedmont
Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
"Young Italy" founded by Mazzini.
Italian troops occupy Rome when French abandon city;
1871 (July)   Rome made Capital of Kingdom
War between Austria and Sardinia Piedmont & France gives Sardinia gains Lombardy
Charles Albert invades Lombardy;  Union of Venetia and Piedmont declared, soon Battle of Custozza, Charles Albert defeated

3. Nationalism
roots stem from a shared sense of regional and cultural identity,
French Revolution and the effects of Napoleon’s conquests caused it to emerge as a force in Europe.
also movement towards modernization, as countries attempted to industrialize in order to compete with other nations and tried to modernize their political systems.
As an intellectual movement, nationalism emphasized the importance of culture and cultural uniqueness.
rejected the universality of the Enlightenment and stated that each country had its own unique values and was suited to its own system of government.
thinkers (like German nationalists Herder) urged their countrymen to celebrate their cultural values
led to a fascination with folk culture and national history.
As a political movement, the goal of nationalism was independence: both actual and economic.

4. Two different types of nationalism:
Liberal 
combined w/ideas of the French Revolution, the liberal nationalists stated that no country is better than another, but that each country has its own unique qualities. All nations deserve to be unified and led by people of their own nationality who can provide the nation with a constitution that is rational, reasonable and just, they said.
Militaristic 
associated w/ideas of social Darwinism and Realpolitik, the claim of militaristic nationalism is that one’s nation is better, not just different. Machiavellian politicians who are out for personal power can exploit this form of nationalism.

5. Italian Nationalism Several small and large states in Italy existed
Reorganized by Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna
The governments were content with their independence
but governments were distant from their people
people desired a nation that reflected the past glories of Italy and were generally disgusted with their govs
Risorgimento= resurgence
movement for Italian national unity and independence, begun 1815.
Leading figures in the movement included Cavour, Mazzini, and Garibaldi

6. GIUSEPPE MAZZINI The Heart
known as “the spirit” or the heart of Italian Unification,
one of the first Italian nationalists
a romantic
emphasized Italy’s uniqueness and special role in Europe.
saw the expression of natural communities, the basis for popular democracy and international brotherhood
Young Italy
Secret society
Engaged in conspiracies and propaganda
Superceded by Risorgimento
never succeeded.
His big chance came in 1848, but, when Austria regained control, Mazzini left.

7. Barriers
1848 efforts failed when the Pope denounced the radical movement
Austria’s far reaching influence was another barrier
Outside assistance would be needed to separate Italy from Austria’s umbrella of control
King Victor Emmanuel of the Piedmont (Sardinia)
Designs on surrounding territories
Pius IX
Victor Emmanuel

8. Camillo di Cavour King Victor Emmanuel’s (Savoy) minister
Cavour was a Western liberal/Realpolitik practitioner
believed in progress, tolerance, limited suffrage,
Directed an efficient government
Built up the infrastructure (RR, docks)
Limited the role of the Church
Cutting down number of holidays, limiting right of church bodies to own real estate, abolishing church courts without consulting the Holy See
Opened up free trade
saw nationalism as an avenue to modernization
Engineered the unification process
Embraced the toughness of mind and the politics of reality
Had no sympathy for revolutionary romantics like Mazzini
was no fan of war but was OK with it to unify Italy under house of Savoy
he took Piedmont in Crimean War
Realized that ousting Austria required the help of France
Supported France in the Crimean War
Wanted to pit French against Austria

9. Napoleon III was agreeable to war against Austria
Had traveled Italy and participated in insurrections there in 1831
Saw himself as the apostle of modernity
Italy was Bonaparte family’s ancestral home
Believed in idea of “doctrine of nationalities”
Consolidation of nations meant progress
Would show France that he supported liberal causes (by fighting reactionary Austria)
Silence his critics
An Italian republican Orsini attempted to kill Napoleon with a bomb in 1858
this motivated Nap to make up his mind
1859 French troops move against Austria

10. Franco-Austrian Agreement
Called the Plombieres Agreement
b/t Cavour & Louis Napoleon
stated that if Piedmont were at war w/Austria then France would back them up
Cavour wanted Venetia and Lombardy
but he never intended to fully unify Italy
Napoleon wanted to weaken Austria, get Nice and Savoy, and get back at the Austrians (for Congress of Vienna)
were just looking for a way to start the war when Austria did some stupid things:
it imposed military conscription on Venetia and Lombardy (super unpopular),
sent a declaration of total disarmament or war to Piedmont –
talk about playing right into their hands

11. Napoleon’s Quandary French defeat Austrian resistance
But Prussia was mobilizing
Nervous about French sphere of influence
Italy began to erupt with revolutionary activity
local governments were overthrown
Calls for unification with Piedmont were made
Napoleon is no fan of revolution
Papacy was threatened so French soldiers were sent in to protect pope
French Catholics resented the loss of the Pope’s temporal power
Blamed Napoleon for this godless war
Napoleon III was fighting on both sides of the war
Napoleon III made peace with Austria
This stupefied Cavour

12. Austrian-Sardinian war
Napoleon III quits b/c he realizes he is falling into a trap (worried about Piedmont getting too strong)!
Piedmont received Lombardi
Austria kept Venetia
Offered compromise to the Italian unity question
Created a federal union of existing governments with the Pope in charge
Not what Cavour or Piedmontese or the patriots wanted
Revolution continued and drove out rulers of Tuscany, Modena, Parma, Romagna
Piedmont annexed these territories and held a plebiscites
Pope excommunicated leaders
Romagna had been part of Papal States
Reps from north Italy (except Venetia) met in Turin in 1860 and held first parliament of the new and improved Italy
This was supported by English and French

13. The Completion of Italian Unity
1860 Italy consists of three parts
Northern Piedmont
Papal States
Southern States (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) ruled by Bourbon king in Naples
Under the House of Bourbon
Giuseppe Garibaldi from the Piedmont
The Lafayette of Italy (Hero of 2 worlds)
Soldier of fortune in Uruguay and the United States
Organized “Garabaldi’s Thousand” or “Red Shirts”
1, 150 personal followers
Led them on armed expedition to southern Italy
Cavour closed his eyes to Garibaldi’s bold move
Garibaldi sailed south and attacked
The corrupt and unpopular governments (2 Sicilies) collapse
Garibaldi turned north toward Rome
Potential move against the French in Rome and the Papacy threatened Cavour’s unification efforts

14. The Completion of Italian Unity
Cavour anticipated Garibaldi’s move and sent troops southward while carefully avoiding Rome
Garibaldi accepts Victor Emmanuel’s leadership and the north and south are joined with seceding Papal states
Garibaldi now thought a monarchy was best solution for unification
Rode in open carriage with Victor Emmanuel thru streets of Naples
Plebiscites confirmed willingness to join
1861 Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed
1866 Venetia was added in return for Italian support of Prussia against Austria
1870 Rome was annexed after French troops withdrew during the Franco-Prussian War
Italy was made by apostolate of Mazzini, audacity of Garibaldi and cold policy of Cavour
The Heart, the Sword, and the Head

15. Persistent Problems After Unification
Claims for an expanded Italy continued
They want Trentino, Dalmatian islands, Nice, Savoy added
Italia Irredentism-An unredeemed Italy
Irredentism has come to mean a vociferous demand for territory on nationalistic grounds
Deep political differences between the Pope and the new nation of Italy continued
Occupation of Rome 1870 (after French left) renewed Pope’s condemnation
they took the Papal states and he remained in Vatican secluded
Great differences between northern and southern Italy continued to exist
North looks upon South as backward
Few within Italy possessed the vote
Only 600 thou out of 20 mil can vote
Disenfranchisement fueled revolutionary discontent
Gradually the revolutionary movement shifted
Marxian socialism, Anarchism, Syndicalism
However Italy was united and an age old dream of recapturing past glory is closer to being realized