CAUSES, EVENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS. SICILY AND NAPLES Causes Sicilians wanted to break from Naples. Ferdinand II King of Naples made reforms but then took them away and used severe repression. Cholera outbreak (added to above) = desperate people. Events January 1845 a notice went up in Palermo telling Sicilians how they could get weapons. Government troops clashed with Sicilians. Peasants from outside city joined in. 2 days later 5000 Neapolitan reinforcements arrived in City. Rebels wanted constitution (restoration of the one in 1812). By April a compromise was rejected and revolutionaries had taken over most of the island. A provisional Government was set up via Middle Class Moderates. A civic guard controlled the masses. A parliament was elected that declared Naples and Sicily separate. Revolution then spread to the mainland of Naples. Demonstrators there demanded a Constitution. The King was forced to agree to 2 Chamber Parliament with limited power. He agreed to form a National Guard, abolish press censorship and sort out peasant’s grievances over land. Consequences Peasants were quickly suppressed. Sicilians were defeated and by the spring of 1849 forced to accept reunification with Naples. The King then abolished all reforms.

CAUSES, EVENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS. LOMBARDY Causes Controlled by Austria. Trouble began in Milan with a Tobacco boycott. Tobacco was a state monopoly (Austrian) and people believed it would affect Austrian finances. Events Austrian soldiers who smoked in public were attacked small scale fights turned into riots and became a full scale revolution known as the ‘Five Days’ (17-22 March) Austrian commander 81 year old General Radetsky withdrew from the city (mainly because revolutions had broken out in Austria) Provisional Government was set up in Milan by revolutionaries and they asked for support from Charles Albert (who had granted a constitution). He agreed to declare war on Austria Consequences Charles Albert (Piedmont) was defeated by the Austrians twice in Custoza and Novara. Austrians then suppressed the revolution in Lombardy

CAUSES, EVENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS. VENETIA Causes Austrian controlled. Small outbreaks of violence occurred copying other states’ actions. Events After a small scale revolt, the Austrians surrendered and in March 1848 the Independent Venetian Republic of St Mark was proclaimed. Consequences It held out against a siege by the Austrian navy in the summer of 1849. However, a cholera outbreak caused problems. The Venetians, driven by hunger and disease surrendered to the Austrians in August 1849

CAUSES, EVENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS. PIEDMONT Causes Piedmont became involved with war after the revolutionaries in Milan asked for Charles Albert’s (King of Piedmonts) help and he agreed. Events Charles Albert first had success and his army defeated the Austrians at the end of May 1848. The Pope’s army Commander independently set off with troops and joined Albert’s Army. The Pope was forced to issue the Papal Allocution stating that was with Austria was wrong. Consequences By June 1848 reinforcements arrived in Austria and in July Albert’s army was defeated by the Austrians at Custoza. An armistice was signed and Piedmont withdrew from Lombardy. Albert re-started the war in March 1849. Within a month he was finally defeated at the Battle of Novara. Albert abdicated.

CAUSES, EVENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS. PARMA AND MODENA Causes Revolts broke out once Piedmont began war with the Austrians. Events Rulers fled when revolts broke out Consequences Once Albert’s army was defeated, Austrians swept through and restored the leaders

CAUSES, EVENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS. ROME Causes The Pope’s unpopular Chief Minister was murdered at the end of November 1848 Events The Pope fled when rioting broke out and went to Naples. The Government in Rome announced a series of reforms. It abolished the tax for grinding corn, provided public building work for the unemployed and proposed a ‘Constituente’ a meeting of representatives from all over Italy in Rome. The election of representatives were organised by the Council of States (chosen by the Government of Rome) and met in February 1849. Garibaldi was amongst it members. It proclaimed an end to the temporal power of the Pope and established the Roman Republic. This was ruled by Mazzini who arrived in March as the Head of a ‘triumvirate’ who ruled the city fairly and tolerantly. Consequences The Pope appealed to the French, Spanish and Naples. The French sent an army. Despite a gallant defence of the city by Garibaldi, the city fell to the French in June 1849. The Pope returned to Rome on the 12th April 1850.

CAUSES, EVENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS. TUSCANY Causes News of Metternich’s fall and the revolution in Austria led to the Tuscan Government sending an army to fight the Austrians. Events Workers in the cities began to complain about pay and conditions and middle class radicals called for Republicanism. January 1849 the Grand Duke left. A revolutionary Provisional Government was set up and a dictator appointed. Consequences After Charles Albert was defeated in Novara – the Austrians swept through and restored the Grand Duke.