Unification – Stage Three Southern Italy Garibaldi vs. Cavour 1)‘The 1000’ or ‘Redshirts’ invaded Sicily – refused to annex to Piedmont 2) Advance to Naples, Bourbon family fled and city surrendered 3) Cavour stopped any further advance, engineered an uprising in the Papal States, Piedmonts army invaded and advanced to stop Garibaldi reaching Rome 4) Garibaldi handed over territory to Victor Emmanuel. Ballots held showed wish for annexation to Piedmont. Garibaldi retired to Caprera. Italian unification almost complete.

Sicily and Naples Garibaldi forged loyalty to Victor Emmanuel during war against Austria and awarded for his efforts. However angered about the exchange of Nice and Savoy for French support as Nice was his birthplace. His aim was to recover Nice from France but diverted by news of uprising in Sicily. Revolt had been organised by Mazzini followers against the Bourbon family rule over the island and supported by the National Society. Garibaldi collected volunteers for his expedition to invade Sicily. May 1860 – 1200 men force known as ‘The Thousand’ set sail for Sicily with 1000 rifles but no ammunition. Cavour wanted Victor Emmanuel to arrest Garibaldi before he embarrassed the whole of Italy in his expedition. Against all odds Garibaldi’s army (now totalling about 3000 men) succeeded in defeating the Neapolitan army of men who withdrew back to Naples. Garibaldi appointed himself ‘dictator’ and was sympathetic to the peasants at first. However they still revolted and so had to be suppressed. Garibaldi lost their support but gained that of wealthy landlords which he needed for peace, stability, law and order. He introduced the Piedmont constitution ready for annexation but refused to hand Sicily over to Victor Emmanuel and Cavour as he needed it as a base to take over the rest of the South. Cavour wanted to stop Garibaldi advancing any further. He engineered an uprising in Naples in favour of Victor Emmanuel but this failed. Before Garibaldi could reach Naples he sent orders to prevent Garibaldi crossing over to the mainland. Garibaldi was too fast, he dodged the ships sent to stop him and got his army across to the mainland. Again he was heavily outnumbered but successfully made his way to Naples. The King of Naples fled and the city surrendered to Garibaldi who arrived by train almost alone in early September! For the next two months he ruled as dictator but was barred by the Neapolitan army to advance any further. He wanted to go through the Papal states to Rome and unite all of Italy.

Cavour’s Actions Cavour wanted to stop Garibaldi invading Rome as he feared this would upset the French. Napoleon was already upset with a small force Garibaldi had previously landed in the Papal states. As Garibaldi’s army were mainly made up of Mazzinian supporters they were opposed to the church and prepared to attack. Cavour feared that France and Catholic Europe would act against Garibaldi if the Pope or Rome were threatened. Cavour was also worried that Garibaldi’s invasion of Rome would result in a Republic and possibly a revolution. This would mean Cavour and Victor Emmanuel would no longer be in control of a Nationalist Italy. He also doubted Garibaldi’s skills as a leader and his ability to keep control of such a large Army. Cavour made an alliance with the Bourbon family against Garibaldi, he then engineered an uprising in the Papal states. Cavour used the excuse that the Pope was unable to deal with the revolt even though the Pope did not agree. The Piedmontese army then advanced through the Papal states to to reach Garibaldi and his army before they made it to Rome. The Piedmontese army defeated the Papal army and reached Neapolitan territory by October.

Unification almost complete Garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel met on 26 th October and Garibaldi, wanting to prove himself a loyal subject, handed over his territory to Victor Emmanuel and saluted him ‘the first King of Italy’. Ballots were held across Italy showing a wish for annexation to Piedmont as Nationalist feelings were running high after the drama of the summer and there seemed no alternative. Garibaldi retired to Caprera with a years supply of macaroni. Victor Emmanuel and Cavour were determined he should leave politics. All of Italy was united and under the constitution of Piedmont except Rome and Venetia. However there was still no real sense of unity and conditions across the country varied with unrest still apparent.