Unifying ItalyMr. Divett

Disjointed Italy

• Italy had not been unified since Roman times.

• Camillo Cavour started to bring unification to Italy.

Obstacles to Italian Unity

• Invasion of Napoleon sparks interest in national unity.

• The Congress of Vienna ignored Italy’s desire for unification:– Many Italian states belonged to Hapsburg empire.– Naples and Sicily belonged to a French Bourbon

ruler.• Patriotic revolts exploded across Italy.

Young Italy

• In the 1830s Giuseppe Mazzini founded Young Italy.

• Goals of Young Italy:– Form a republic– Gain independence

• Mazzini helped set up a republic in Rome.• It was soon toppled by French forces.

Mazzini

Nationalism Takes Root

• Nationalists still wanted a unified Italy.• Arguments for a united Italy:– Common language– Geography– History– Economic benefit (end of trade barriers)

Struggle for Italy

• After 1848 leadership of the Risorgimento passed to Victor Emmanuel II.– Constitutional monarch of Sardinia– Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of Piedmont,

Nice, Savoy, and Sardinia.• Victor Emmanuel II started joining other

states.

Victor Emmanuel II

New Prime Minister

• In 1852, Victor Emmanuel appointed Camillo Cavour prime minister.

• He acted to improve Sardinia's economy.• He accomplished this by:– Building railroads– Promoting free trade– Improving agriculture

• He sought to end Austrian power in Italy.

Camillo Cavour

Intrigue With France

• In 1855 Sardinia joined Britain and France against Russia in the Crimean War.

• Sardinia won no territory, but was able to:– Have a say in the peace conference– Gain the attention of Napoleon III

• Cavour negotiated a deal with Napoleon that he would support Sardinia in a war against Austria.

War With Austria

• Cavour provoked a war with Austria.• With France’s help Sardinia defeated Austria

and annexed Lombardy and some northern Italian states.

• These states joined up with Sardinia.

Garibaldi’s “Red Shirts”

• Guiseppe Garibaldi wanted to make an Italian republic.

• In 1860 he had an army of 1,000 red shirted volunteers.

• He took control of Sicily with ease.• He was successful with the cooperation of

Cavour

Garibaldi

Red Shirts

Italian Unity

• Cavour urged Victor Emmanuel to send Sardinian troops to stop Garibaldi from becoming too powerful.

• Instead, Victor Emmanuel joined forces with Garibaldi.

• They united and voted to approve the new Italy and crown Victor Emmanuel II king of Italy

Italian Unity

• Cavour died in 1861.• Italy became an ally of Prussia in the Austro-

Prussian War.• They won Venetia.• In the Franco-Prussian War France withdrew

from Rome.• Italy became united for the first time since the

fall of the Roman empire.

Franco-Prussian War

Challenges

• Italy was not used to being united.• Rivalries existed between states.• Sources of division:– North was rich, South was poor and rural– Hostility between Italy and the Roman Catholic

church

Turmoil

• Italy was a constitutional monarchy under Victor Emmanuel.

• There were two legislative houses, one of them being elected by the people.

• That being said, few people could vote.• Anarchists took to rioting.• Eventually suffrage was extended to more

men.

Economic Progress

• Despite its struggles, Italy began to have economic prosperity.

• Big cities started to spring up and working conditions were not amazing.

• This led to widespread emigration.

Italian Emigration