The Road to Unification How did Italy become a Nation?
Italian Unification 1848-70 Start of C19 – Italy was not a nation – separate states, kingdoms and duchies. 1815 – Italy was ‘restored’ to its old kingdoms at the Congress of Vienna. 1820s and 1830s – Nationalists plan to unite Italy – Liberals want constitutional reform, radicals (e.g. Mazzini) want revolutionary change 1848-9 – ‘Year of Revolutions’ across Europe. Italy is nearly united, but the revolutions eventually fail. 1859-62 – Piedmont leads the way in creating the Kingdom of Italy through war with Austria. Help from France is crucial in the success. Garibaldi takes the south. 1866 – Venetia added with help from France. 1870 – The Kingdom is completed when Rome is acquired.
Metternich, Austrian Chancellor until 1848 1821 Troppau Protocol – had authority to intervene in Italy to crush revolutions
Mazzini – inspired radical revolutionaries
1831 – Mazzini meets Garibaldi and inspires him
1848 – Charles Albert fights Austria to drive them out of Lombardy and Venetia, defeated at Custozza and Novarra
Pope Pius IX – seen as a liberal Pope, inspired nationalists in 1848 BUT turned out to be reactionary, issued the Allocution
Roman Republic 1848-9 Pope fled Roman Republic 1848-9 Pope fled. RR Led by a popular Triumvirate (including Mazzini), defended by Garibaldi, defeated by Napoleon
Cavour – Prime Minister of Piedmont 1852
Napoleon III President of France 1848, Emperor 1852
Crimean War 1854-6 Piedmont joins the war, links made between Napoleon III and Cavour
Plombieres Agreement 1858 France agrees to support Piedmont in uniting north of Italy
1859 - Battles of Magenta and Solferino – Piedmont and France defeat the Austrians – however Napoleon backs out and signs the Villafranca Treaty with Austria
1860 - Garibaldi’s ‘Thousand’ conquered Sicily and Naples
March 1861 – Garibaldi hands Sicily and Naples to Victor Emmanuelle II – Kingdom of Italy declared
1866 – war between Austria and Prussia – Venetia given to Italy after French help
1870-1 Franco-Prussian War - French garrison called away from Rome - gave Italy a chance to seize the city of Rome