Unification of Italy
Mr. Meester
AP European History
Background of Italy
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Italy of the 1800’s had a
long history of
independent states.
Frequent warfare and
foreign rule had led
people to identify with
local regions.
Just as in Germany,
Italian nationalism was
affected by Napoleon’s
invasion.
Early Resistance
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After the fall of Napoleon, the Congress of
Vienna kept Italy divided and ruled by
various powers.
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In response, nationalists organized secret
societies (Carbonari), which concentrated on
expelling the Austrians from Italy.
Between the years of 1820 and 1848, several
revolts occurred in Italy, but Austrian forces
put them all down.
Mazzinni’s “Young Italy”
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In the 1830s, a young
nationalist leader named
Giuseppi Mazzinni founded
“Young Italy.”
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The goal of this group was to
create a republic in Italy.
1849, Mazinni helped set
up a revolutionary republic
in Rome
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The French crushed it
Mazinni spent the next
several years in exile.
Reasons for Unification
Nationalists like Mazinni promoted a
unified Italy because of geography, and
also a common language and culture.
 Others believed it made economic sense.
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A unified Italy would promote trade between
the various Italian states
Encourage the building of railroads
Stimulate industry growth
The Struggle for Italy
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1848, the small province of Piedmont
Sardinia led an Italian nationalist
movement: “Risorgimento”.
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Piedmont Sardinia was led by King Victor
Emmanuel II.
Defeated by the Austrians
1852, Victor Emmanuel II appointed
Count Camillo Cavour as prime minister.
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Cavour would use his diplomatic ability to work
for Italian unification.
Cavour believed in Realpolitik.
Intrigue with France
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Cavour first improved Sardinia’s economy
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1855, Sardinia aided Britain and France in
the Crimean War against Russia.
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His long term goal was to expel Austria
Wanted to unite Lombardy and Venetia with
Sardinian
Sardinia gained an ally in France and Napoleon
III.
1858, he negotiated a secret treaty with
France gaining their support in case of war
with Austria.
Franco-Austria War

1859, Cavour provoked
a war with Austria and
with French aid, was
victorious.
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From the victory, Sardinia
annexed Lombardy.
The other northern
Italian states gained
their independence from
Austria and voted to
join with Sardinia.
King Victor Emmanuel II
Garibaldi’s “Red Shirts”
The nationalist movement next focused in
the Kingdom of the Two Sicily's.
 The leader of the movement was Giuseppi
Garibaldi. (He was a friend of Mazzini)
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1860, with weapons provided by Cavour,
Garibaldi led 1,000 Red-shirted volunteers into
Sicily.
With relative ease, Garibaldi conquered Sicily
and then Naples.
Camillo Cavour & Giuseppi Garibaldi
“Unity at Last”
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Even though he had aided Garibaldi,
Cavour feared the nationalist hero would
set up a republic in the south.
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To prevent this, Cavour sent troops to defeat
Garibaldi.
In a patriotic move, Garibaldi turned over
Naples and Sicily to Victor Emmanuel.
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1861, Victor Emmanuel II was named king of
Italy.
The Two “Holdouts”
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Two areas remained outside of the new
Italian kingdom: Venetia and Rome.
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1866 Venetia becomes part of Italy as part of
the peace treaty of the Austro-Prussian War.
1870 Franco-Prussian War, France was forced
to withdraw troops from Rome.
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Italian troops moved in and Rome became the capital
of the new nation
The papacy confined itself to the Vatican and was
hostile to the unified Italy until 1929
Trials of the New Nation
Italy faced problems due to its long history
of disunity.
 The greatest regional division was between
the wealthy, industrial north, and the poor,
agrarian south.
 Another issue involved the Catholic Church.
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The Church resented the loss of the Papal States.
In response the government granted the Church a
small section of land called the Vatican.
Problems with Radicals
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The structure of the new government was
problematic.
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It had a bicameral legislature, but power rested
with the king.
During the late 1800s, radicals fought
against the new government.
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Socialists organized worker strikes.
Anarchists used sabotage and violence as a
means to end all forms of government.
Life Improves
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Reforms came slowly, and the unrest continued.
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Italy set out to win an overseas empire as a distraction.
Despite its problems, Italy grew economically
and socially.