1. The Road to Unification
How did Italy become a Nation?

2. Italian Unification
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
– ‘Year of Revolutions’ across Europe. Italy is nearly united, but the revolutions eventually fail.
– 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.

4. Metternich, Austrian Chancellor until Troppau Protocol – had authority to intervene in Italy to crush revolutions

5. Mazzini – inspired radical revolutionaries

6. 1831 – Mazzini meets Garibaldi and inspires him

7. 1848 – Charles Albert fights Austria to drive them out of Lombardy and Venetia, defeated at Custozza and Novarra

8. Pope Pius IX – seen as a liberal Pope, inspired nationalists in BUT turned out to be reactionary, issued the Allocution

9. Roman Republic 1848-9 Pope fled
Roman Republic Pope fled. RR Led by a popular Triumvirate (including Mazzini), defended by Garibaldi, defeated by Napoleon

10. Cavour – Prime Minister of Piedmont 1852

11. Napoleon III
President of France 1848, Emperor 1852

12. Crimean War 1854-6 Piedmont joins the war, links made between Napoleon III and Cavour

13. Plombieres Agreement 1858 France agrees to support Piedmont in uniting north of Italy

14. Battles of Magenta and Solferino – Piedmont and France defeat the Austrians – however Napoleon backs out and signs the Villafranca Treaty with Austria

15. 1860 - Garibaldi’s ‘Thousand’ conquered Sicily and Naples

16. March 1861 – Garibaldi hands Sicily and Naples to Victor Emmanuelle II – Kingdom of Italy declared

18. 1866 – war between Austria and Prussia – Venetia given to Italy after French help

19. Franco-Prussian War - French garrison called away from Rome - gave Italy a chance to seize the city of Rome