The Unification of Italy

History of the Modern World Pages 513-517

Italy was a land area of many separate states prior to its unification..

Machiavelli, several hundred years earlier, had despaired because Italys disunity made it weak and prey to foreign influence.

This drive for a unified, glorious Italy was called the Risorgimento, or resurgence.

Lets take a look at the major areas of Italy prior to unification:

The Catholic churches hold on Rome kept it out of unification for a while. The Church was dependent on French troops to keep it protected from uprisings. Napoleon III supplied these troops and they were in Rome for 20 years!

The Papal states wanted to maintain independence and financial controlthus the Pope was not in favor of unification.

There had been earlier patriots who sought unification. Giuseppe Mazzini had organized a Young Italy organization to build loyalty to the Italian nation.

So someone needed to take the lead in pushing for a united Italywhat region would it be?

Piedmont/Sardinia had a prime minister by Camille Cavour.

He knew that in order for Italy to united, he would need Frances help to prevent Austria from moving in and preventing unification.

So, Cavour sent troops to support France and Britains effort in the Crimean war.

At this point, Napoleon agreed to support Piedmont against Austria.

Cavour provoked a war with Austria, and so France and Piedmont went to war against the Austrian Empire.

There were two battles, Magenta and SolferinoBut at the last minute Napoleon III made a secret agreement with Austria, and so Venetia remained with the Austrians, while Lombardy went with Piedmont.

The Italian States of Parma, Modena, and Tuscany and part of the Papal states had their governments collapse. They then agreed to join the Piedmont. So, at this point, a large part was united.

Just out of curiositywhy did some of the papal states desert the pope and join with Piedmont? Well, lets read the story about Edgar MortaraA Jewish boy who was kidnapped from his family and forced to become a Christian. This case embittered many against the papacy, and weakened its opposition to unification.

So by 1860this is how Italy stacked up: A Northern Italian Kingdom The papal states in the middle and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ruled by a Bourbon King in Naples.

Napoleon III allows thisbut takes Nice and Savoy, and they remain with France to this day (though many people in these areas speak Italian).

A piedmont republican, named Giuseppe Garibaldi, organized a group of followers, called red shirtshe landed in Sicily then crossed to the mainland. The government of the Two Sicilies collapsedvery quickly they joined the Piedmont.

So now lets look at Italian Unification.

Everyones united except for Venetia and Rome.

Venetia would join up in 1866 after helping Prussia against Austria

And Rome was finally made part of Italy after the French troops withdrew because of Frances defeat in the Franco Prussian war.

Italys unification was complete.

Now, lets have a plate of spaghetti.