History of Europe 1 HISTORY Subject : History Paper No. : Paper-VI History of Modern Europe Unit No. & Title : Unit-1 Europe between 1780 & 1871 Lecture No. & Title : Lecture-27 The Unification of Italy: The Risorgimento (For under graduate student) FAQs 1. What was the aim of the secret societies in Italy? The secret society movements aimed at securing both a constitutional regime and driving the Austrians out of Italy. 2. What do you know about the Carbonari? The name Carbonari came from “charcoal-burners” and the place where they met was called “baracca”, the members called themselves “good cousin” so people who did not belong to the Carbonari were called History of Europe 2 “pagani”. They were groups of secret revolutionary societies founded in early 19th-century Italy. Although their goals often had a patriotic and liberal focus, they lacked a clear political agenda. Members of the Carbonari, and those influenced by them did take part in important events in the process of Italian unification, or the Risorgimento. They wanted to defend the rights of people against all forms of absolutism, and to achieve their purpose, were ready to commit assassinations and armed revolts. 3. Why did the secret societies fail in their mission? The secret societies did not have the kind of mass following required for a successful political movement. They also lacked a coherent ideology and an organized view of the future. 4. Who was Charles Albert? Charles Albert succeeded Charles Felix to the throne of Sardinia in 1831. Although an Italian patriot allegedly opposed to the Austrian hegemony in Northern Italy, he put down Mazzini’s conspiracy. He introduced a series History of Europe 3 of reforms that abolished domestic customs barriers within the kingdom, promulgated a constitutional law code (Statuto Albertino) and supported the arts and sciences. During the Revolutions of 1848 he agreed to a constitutional regime that remained in place for the century that the Kingdom of Italy lasted. 5. Why did the Neapolitan and the Piedmont Movement fail? The Neapolitan Movement failed because there was lack of co-ordination and the European coalition was against them. and the Piedmont Movement failed because it was the work of a small clique which lacked the broad base of popular support and they also had to contend with the hostility of the European powers. 6. Which event shaped Mazzini’s philosophies about Italy? When Genoa was lost to Piedmont, Mazzini who had a life-long attachment to the old Republican traditions and institutions of Genoa had felt deeply aggrieved. This shaped his liberal philosophies for Italy. History of Europe 7. 4 What were the expectations of the Italian bourgeoisie? The Italian bourgeoisie in the northern parts of Italy, wanted the introduction and expansion of railways, improvement of communications and the integration of Italy as a market. 8. What were the choices before the Italians regarding the political system of unified Italy? Italy had three political options. They could either support the popular movement led by Mazzini, aimed at establishing a united republican Italy, or they could choose a federation of Italian states under the presidency of Pope as Gioberti suggested. The third choice was to accept the leadership of the House of Savoy, in taking the initiative in driving away Austria from Italy and unifying Piedmont-Sardinia. under the leadership of History of Europe 9. How 5 were Gioberti’s ideas different from Mazzini’s? Whereas Mazzini thought that Italy ought to be a democratic republic, Gioberti favoured a monarchical and aristocratic federation under the hegemony of the Pope. 10. What do you know about the ‘Young Italy’ that Mazzini founded? Mazzini was disillusioned by the activities of the Carbonari of which he had been a member, and so he organized a new political society called La giovine Italia or Young Italy to promote Italian unification. Mazzini believed that only a popular uprising would create a unified Italy, and would touch off a Europewide revolutionary movement. The group's motto was God and the People, and its basic principle was the unification of the several states and kingdoms of the peninsula into a single republic, as the only true foundation of Italian liberty.
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