IB History Italian Unification

Unification of Italy The Impact of Napoleon   

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Early 1800s Napoleon conquered most of Italy – imposed his own laws and rules Italy was divided into many states/cities o But Napoleon divided it into 3 parts:  North (only Piedmont) – annexed to France  Middle (Kingdom of Italy) – ruled by Austrians  South (Kingdom of Naples) – ruled by Joseph (N’s bro) What Napoleon did? o Standardize Italian laws – under Napoleonic Code o Built roads o Reduced nobility’s power o Redistributes land o Took a lot of raw materials  No industrial advancement  Wanted to keep IT weak, to ensure it didn’t pose a threat By 1815, Napoleon is defeated.

Vienna Congress    

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Decide how to fix situation AU, PR, BR, FR and RU Led by Metternich Decisions made: o Go back to old borders, pre-Napoleon o FR could keep all that it took o EU back to old govt and borders o Promised that Napoleon would not be back Metternich is very strict – esp with Italy (had a lot of FR influence) o IT broken up again into many pieces o Legal system (Napoleonic code) gone o Old ruling families re-allowed in

Italy broken up into: 

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Kingdom of Piedmont & Sardinia o Nice is Italian o Strongest state o Royal led AU-occupied Territories o Lombardy and Venetia o Tight control o Area very rich in natural resources o People not happy  Felt Italian  Didn’t like being AU-ruled Central Duchies o Controlled by AU dukes o Not as strict as above o But nonetheless, unpopular Papal States o Romagna, Marche and the Patrimony o Pope ran everything + everyone obliged to be catholic Kingdom of Two Sicilies o Naples and Sicily o Biggest and weakest o Very poor and corrupt o Ran by Spanish king – King Ferdinand

Italian Goal = returning to be a strong united state (Roman Empire)   

Conservative – Italy unified under Pope Liberals – moderate, wants a constitution Radicals – Italy as a republic, run by the people

As a result of censorship, secret societies began to pop up. 

An example is the Carbonari o A group of Radical rebels o Led by Mazzini

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First revolution (1820-1) Second revolution (1831-2) Third revolution (1848-9)

Potential Leaders of the Revolution 1. Giuseppe Mazzini  From Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia  Intellectual person  When First Revolution failed, he wore black in mourning and joined Carbonari o Sent to prison, exiled but sneaked back  Created his own society = “Young Italy” in 1833  Important follower of his  Giuseppe Garibaldi 2. Pope Pius IX  Becomes pope in 1846  Quite liberal  What he did? o Ended censorship o Frees political prisoners o Allows political groups to meet o Created advisory 3. Carlo Alberto  King of Piedmont-Sardinia after second revolution  Liberal  Very popular  Makes various reforms o Legal o Administrative o Military

3rd revolution (1848-9) – most important revolution   

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Same time as revolution in GE and AU Across all of IT peninsula – esp in North North wants to be free o Lombardy and Venetia wants to be free from AU control o Pope tells them not to fight AU Thus, this led to IT divided into 2: o Pope o Rest of North Pope’s army disobeys him and joins Piedmont army to help them fight Other countries sees this o FR : worries for pope and doesn’t want strong unified neighbour o AU : wants pope to win  Thus, both send troops At the same time, Mazzini announces that Rome is unified (not true!) and thus, exiled 1848 – Carlo Alberto issues the “Statuto”  Revolution fails and he is abdicated to his son: Victor Emanuel II

Why Revolution failed?     

Revolutions were localized Led by intellectuals who weren’t violent FR and AU army too strong Potential leaders = disappointment Not ready for revolution

Key Years: 1849-1861 1. Piedmont  No AU influence  Strongest state in IT, most liberal constitution, modern army and strong economy  King Vittorio Emanuele II – King in 1849 o Son of Carlo Alberto  Appointed Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour as PM in 1852 2. Crimean War (1853-6)  Piedmont sent army to fight in Balkans against RU  Sent by Cavour – show of power  Get involved in EU affairs + make alliances – beginnings of foreign policy 3. Plombieres Agreement (1858)  Secret agreement between FR and IT to be freed from AU control  AU power declining so took advantage of this time to join Piedmont with Veneto and Lombardy  In exchange, FR would get Savoy and Nice  FR said they’d help, only if AU aggressor  Sealed agreement with Royal Marriage – V.E.’s son with Napoleon’s nephew  Cavour and VE incites people in Lombardia and Veneto to start rebelling o AU tries to send an ultimatum to them o IT don’t accept and want war o AU declares war o FR joins in the fight 4. 2nd War of Independence  France does most of the fighting o Very strong o Not coordinated with IT army  Duchies see this and rebel too, to get rid of AU  Two months into the war, FR wanted to stop o Too long and costly o Unpopular amongst people o Napoleon III worried Piedmont would annex Duchies too = strong neighbour  This led to the VILLA FRANCA AGREEMENT  Secret agreement N III with Austria’s Franz Joseph o Agreement:  Central duchies under AU control

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Lombardy – AU give it up Veneto – AU keep

War stopped very quickly IT found out about agreement, doesn’t want to give Nice and Savoy o But have no choice as they need FR as an ally  Accept the deal Cavour is FURIOUS! And resigns Central Duchies don’t allow AU to come back o They come together, decided to unify and annex themselves to Piedmont Cavour comes back BR gets involved o BR + FR allow unification of Savoy and Nice 1860 – Central Duchies annexed to Piedmont in exchange for Savoy and Nice o Savoy – VE home o Nice – Garibaldi’s home  THIS! Made G furious!!!!  He is a great revolutionary  Plans an attack  To officialise Nice, they had to make a referendum – to make it legal  His plan? o Explode voting booths o Hope Piedmont + FR go to war, to fight for it back  VE don’t want this o Meets with G and decides he can start revolution in the south

5. Expedition of 1000 (1860)  Cavour + VE meet with G  South has been full of revolutions – they didn’t want a Spanish ruler  G sent on a mission to help revolution o Purpose of them doing this to G?  Get rid of him  Get kingdom of two sicilies  G sent with no official help. Managed to round up 1000 men o King not involved o Few resources, no plan  “Red Shirts” = Garibaldinis  G wanted a republic – a unified IT  Leaves Piedmont for Marsala (Sicily) by ship and starts walking, gaining 3000 followers  Army of Kingdom of Two Sicilies = 150 000 men o Outnumbered

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Managed to defeat them People welcomes G and want him to be their ruler  He accepts in the name of VE o Does much good:  Redistributes land  Remove bad taxes Receives 2 letters from Cavour and VE o 1st : told him to stop at Sicily (possibly Cavour-influenced – no interest in South) o 2nd: told him to go quickly in IT and free it Of course, G follows second letter He’s out numbered but picks up many followers o Keep marching north towards Naples o Neopolitan Army is scary of him o Thus, instead of walking, he gets on a train with troops  September 1860, King Francis (Spanish king) gives up his place  Again, asked to rule them  He refuses in the name of VE

6. Invasion of Papal States(1860)  Garibaldi wants to continue North and take over everything  Cavour, however, know the importance of not messing with Pope’s state o Also concerned that G would not give his land up to them o Decides to march their army into the Papal States to meet G in the south  As they go, they took over Romagna and Marches  But don’t touch the Patrimony  Famous moment  G kneels and gives king the territory won o G upset however that he did not acknowledge the Garibaldini  Cavour makes a referendum in Romagna + March o Positive response o People wanted to be part of IT  G is then stopped JANUARY 1861 – IT is created, with their first elections in their capital of Turin MARCH 1861 – VE crowned king of Italy Land still missing? 

Veneto and the Patrimony

1861, Cavour dies of sickness.

7. Garibaldi attacks Rome (1862)  Goes ahead, without permission from govt, with Red Shirts  VE is furious – asks army to stop G  To avoid foreign interventention  G very surprised at this  G wounded himself and army defeated  cant take over Rome  G retires to Caprera  VE reaslises Rome was missing  He shows the rest of EU he isn’t interested in it by ignoring it  Moves capitol to Florence 8. 3rd War of Independence (1866)  They want the Veneto region  AU fighting PR and economically weak  IT helps PR  Prussian army does most of the fighting and IT are badly beaten o Desperately need Garibaldi  Leaves retirement o With G’s army, they advanced in AU  PR defeated AU = IT wins too + gains Veneto  VE then tells G to stop and he obeys  1866 – Veneto part of IT, very rich region o G optimistic and feels like issues were resolved with VE again o So, 1867 – 2nd attempt on Rome  VE tells him to stop again and G retires forever 9. Franco-Prussian War (1870)  AU has been defeated  FR involved in war o FR soldiers protecting Pope leave , FR loses war and Napoleon III caught  Now, VE wants Rome o Attempts Diplomacy – asks Pope to join them peacefully (he refuses!) o 60 000 soldiers occupy the Patrimony  Pope excommunicates VE – Savoy fam very religious  IT then does a referendum o All other parts joined IT o Only Vatican City remained under Pope control

10. Capital moves to Rome (1871)  Govt still conservation  Parliament form by wealthier noble men – didn’t represent IT  Reasons it’s difficult to unify IT: o Different languages o Different cultures o Racism o Difference between north and south  Govt wants to spread Piedmont ways of life

G lives to see unification Mazzini dies but attempted to overthrow the King to form a Republic

IT UNIFICATION = really only completed in 1919 – Treaty of Versailles

“Cavour, Mazzini, Garibaldi ... her brain, her soul, her sword.” –Meredith

Historiography  

Nationalist: importance of Piedmont king Liberal: supports the importance of Cavour’s actions

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Left-wing: less sympathetic to unification o Describing it as a “failed revolution” –Gramsci Right-wing: Cavour created a state riddled by class conflicts – led to Fascism

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Denis Mack Smith: o Dominant non-IT historian o Less sympathetic to Cavour  cunning politician. Represent Piedmont interests more than unified IT o Less sympathetic to king o More sympathetic to Mazzini  man of integrity and honour