a brief introduction to the birth of the italian state
TRANSCRIPT
2
1600-1815Italy remains
split into a dozen separate states while European nations are forming
The feudal system lingers on in the south
Europe 1648
3
Napoleon conquers Italy in the 1790’sAfter his defeat in
1815, most Italian states go back to their former rulers:
Lombardy-Venetia to Austria
Naples and Sicily to Spain
6
The Risorgimento(Resurgence)
Hatred of foreign rule increases
Liberation movement begun by Giuseppe Mazzini in Piedmont with the support of Charles Albert, king of Sardinia-Piedmont (House of Savoy)
Scattered revolts in 1848 were unsuccessful
Giuseppe Mazzini
Nationalist in ItalyItalians were inspired by the French
Revolution.Congress of Vienna kept Italy separated.Austria controlled portions of northern Italy.Other independent states kept unification hard to
do.A group of Italian tried to keep it alive.
This group was called the Risorgimento ”resurgence”. Secret society.
Giuseppe MazziniFormed the Young Italy movement.
Forced Austrian out of Lombardy and Venetia.Seized control of RomeA republic was formed by Mazzini and two
other leaders. His victories were not long lived. Austria gain control of northern states. Only Sardinia remained independent.
SardiniaWas ruled by King Victor Emmanuel II.Chief Minister was Camillo Benso di Cavour.
Was more powerful than King. Wanted to expand Sardinian territory. Wanted to lead in uniting Italy. He strengthened the military and Industry. Allied with France and England.
10
Expansion beginsUnder King Victor
Emanuel I, son of Charles Albert, Count Camillo Cavour, the prime minister, made a treaty with France against Austria. Count Camillo Cavour
Sardinia and FranceAustria was the
greatest barrier to Italian unity.French Emperor
Napoleon III wanted to increase French influence in Italy.
Cavour hoped that with Austria out, Italian states would join with him.
War with AustriaSardinia provoked Austria to war and France
sent troops to help.Austria was quickly defeated in Italy.
States of Lombardy, Venetia, Tuscany, Modena, and Parma join Sardinia.
French signs treaty with Austria. Austria gets Ventia back. France gets Nice and
Savoy. Sardinia gets Lombardy.
Unifying the SouthSouthern half of Italy was made up of the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.Giuseppe Garibaldi was leader of
nationalistic movement.Formed and army of 1,000 men and captured Sicily
and Naples.Marched to Papal States.
Cavour thought that Garibaldi was becoming to popular and set up his own republic.
Garibaldi stepped aside for Sardinia.
16
Unification of Italy1861: Victor
Emanuel II crowned King of Italy
1866: Venetia regained from Austria
17
1870: Papal States capturedThe French army was assigned to protect the
Papal States, but was called to join the fighting in the Prussian War.
The Italian army took the opportunity to capture the Papal States, thus adding central Italy to the union.
Problems of UnificationPapal states were added to Italy by 1870 and
Austria was ran out of Italy in 1866.Few Italians had experienced self-
government.There were cultural differences between the
south and north.North was more industrial and south
agricultural.
20
Constitutional Monarchy: 1870 - 1922Birth of modern Italy
Heavy taxation to pay war debtsParliamentary government new and strange
to many ItaliansEconomic growth supported the changes
The SouthNatural Disasters
Poor soil
Peasants lacking land and capital Powerful
clans and mafia
This all lead to the economic and social backwardness of the south.
High unemployment rate
Economic Difficulties
1880s Italian industry was undercut by foreigners
1887 Government responded by
introducing tariffs
This lead to a tariff war
Whole areas of Italy were ruined
More Problems• Leagues that
supported socialist ideas were formed:
Fasci
• Strikes, riots and arson broke out
• 1894, the Fasci were banned and a
thousand people deported
• 1898, political parties and
organisations considered
subversive were banned
• Inflation
Economic development
So were there any economic
developments between 1880-
1914?b
Italy was lacking basic resources e.g.
coal and iron.a
Industrialisation in the North worsened
the North-South divide.
a
High taxes on the poor
The only positive point was the
industrial development in the North after 1900.
26
World War I1915: Italy rejected its standing alliances
with Austria, Germany, and Hungary when Austria invaded Serbia. It joined the Allies (England, France, and Russia)
At the end of the war, the last two regions were joined to Italy: Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.