Revolutions of 1848 in Italy

Revolutions of 1848 in Italy

• The revolution began in Sicily.
• The progressive constitution of 1813 was abolished in 1816.
• Radicals and Liberals were ignored.
• Revolutions of 1820 briefly succeeded in re-establishing the constitution.
  • All adult males were given the right to vote
  • The king's power was restricted.
• By 1821, absolute monarchy was re-established with Austrian help.
• In 1830, King Ferdinand II promised to rule in the interest of subjects and appointed a viceroy in Sicily to satisfy demands for reform.
• Repressions started again.
• An outbreak of cholera worsened the situation.
• A cholera pandemic from 1826-1849 caused the death of 69,000 people in Sicily, with 24,000 in Palermo.
• Notices were posted around Palermo on January 9, calling for people to gather in the main square in three days to take up arms against the monarchy.
• On January 12, crowds gathered, and peasants joined the revolution the following day, demanding the restoration of the 1812 constitution.
• Ferdinand II's army shelled the city, bringing 5000 reinforcements but was unable to capture Palermo in 1848.

Revolution Spreads to Naples

• By April, revolutionaries controlled most of the island.
• A Sicilian parliament was established, based on middle-class moderates.
• A civic guard was formed to control peasants, radicals, and moderates.
• Ferdinand II faced a revolt in Naples, and promised to abolish censorship and introduce an elected parliament.
• Ferdinand II deployed the army and crushed the revolt on the mainland by September.

King Bomba

• In early 1849, Ferdinand II attempted to recapture Sicily.
• A compromise was offered in the Act of Gaeta on February 28, promising limited autonomy to Sicily.
• Provisional governments broke apart with radicals demanding land redistribution, and Sicily was recaptured by April 1849.
• Ferdinand's brutal shelling of Messina earned him the nickname "King Bomba".

Summary of Origins

• Economic causes included harvest failures.
• Liberalism aimed to restore the 1812 constitution.
• Nationalism sought Sicilian independence to set up their own parliament.
• Internal divisions existed between moderates and radicals, exemplified by the Act of Gueta.
• Military force was used; Ferdinand II bombed Messina.
• A civic guard was appointed by moderates to fight radicals.
• The Catholic Church maintained support for Ferdinand II, leading to a lack of popular support for the revolution.

Revolution in the North (1848)

• Industry was important in the north.
• The Congress of Vienna re-established absolute monarchy in Piedmont.
• In 1821, Charles Albert sympathized with liberals constitution.
• By 1831, Charles Albert succeeded to the Piedmontese throne, allied with Austria, and tightened censorship.
• He also promoted free trade and allowed non-nobles into official positions.
• In March 1848, Charles Albert adopted the Statuto constitution.

Charles Albert's Statuto

• Article 2 stated the person of the king is sacred and inviolable, and his ministers remained responsible.
• The laws did not initially apply to the king.
• Article 3 vested executive power solely in the king, who commanded all forces and issued necessary orders.
• Article 6 vested legislative power collectively in the king and two chambers.
• Article 7 specified the first chamber would consist of members nominated by the king for life.
• The second chamber would be elective based on census adult males who were literate and paid taxes (2% of population).
• Article 11 indicated censorship.
• Article 12 guaranteed individual liberty, similar to the Napoleonic Code embodying the rule of law.

Parliament

• The upper house was appointed by the king.
• The lower house was elected by men who were literate and paid taxes (2% of population).

Lombardy-Venetia 1848

• In January 1848, people in Milan boycotted tobacco to hurt Austrian finances, as tobacco was a state monopoly.
• On March 17th, the boycott led to rioting, provoked by Austrian troops smoking in public.
• The Five Days of Milan (March 17-22) saw the Austrian garrison, commanded by Radetzky, forced to withdraw, giving Milan to revolutionaries.
• Simultaneously, a revolt broke out in Venice with the Republic of San Marco proclaimed on March 22, and an elected assembly voted to unite with Piedmont.

War with Austria

• Milan requested help from Charles Albert.
• On March 23rd, Piedmont declared war on Austria and besieged Radetzky's army in the Quadrilateral fortresses.
• Charles Albert received reinforcements from Tuscany (8000 soldiers), Naples (16,000 soldiers), and the Papal States (10,000 soldiers without papal authorization).
• Pope Pius IX withdrew support, resulting in the papal army abandoning Charles Albert, followed by Tuscan and Neapolitan forces on April 29.
• In July, Charles Albert was defeated in the First Battle of Custoza.
• The Piedmontese king was forced into an armistice, with Milan back under Austrian control.
• Venice declared independence as the Republic of San Marco.

1848/9 Northern Italy - the revolution defeated

• On March 12, 1849, Charles Albert denounced the armistice with Austria, renewing hostilities.
• Piedmont re-entered Lombardy, confronting Austrians at the Battle of Novara on March 22-23, 1849.
• Piedmont had 45,000 soldiers, compared to Austria's 70,000.
• Piedmont was crushed and Charles Albert abdicated in favor of his son, Victor Emmanuel II.
• In August, a peace treaty was signed, recognizing Austrian control over Lombardy and imposing indemnity on Piedmont, but the Statute remained.

Reasons for Defeat

• The Papal allocution of April 1848
• A stronger and fortified Austrian military.
• Geographical division of anti-Austrian forces, with Milan and Venice distant from each other isolating Venice.
• Limited resources in Northern Italy hindered military strength.

Reasons for Revolution

• Economic issues included inadequate railways, lack of industrialization, and food strikes.
• There was a liberal pope who feigned support of the revolution.
• Young Italy movement.

Pope’s Reforms (Middle of 1848)

• This occurred after the Sicilian revolution, the Statuto, and the Five Days of Milan in November.
• Lay ministers were appointed leading to the assassination of Count Pellegrino Rossi which scared the Pope
• The censorship of the press ended.
• Political prisoners were freed providing revolutionaries with more power.

Roman Republic Declared (February 1849)

• The Pope fled.
• A Constituente, essentially a parliament, was formed.
• "Dio e Popolo" (God and People) was written on their new flag, claiming legitimacy from God.
• The Triumvirate was in charge.
• Mazzini believed Rome should be unified, to start unifying Italy from Rome
• He believed in liberalism, to reform ideas to create a model state for the rest of Italy.

Mazzini's Reforms

• Taxation was reformed.
• Universal male suffrage was introduced.
• The death penalty was abolished.

Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882)

• Regarded as the 'Sword' of Italian unification.
• He fled to South America, fighting for Uruguay's independence.
• He returned to Rome as a volunteer guerilla army leader.
• The Pope asked Louis Napoleon for help, and he agreed to send French military forces.
• They fought against Garibaldi and his wife (redshirts).
• After a four-month conflict, Garibaldi became a hero/martyr.
• Garibaldi fled knowing his forces would lose, and his wife died while fleeing overseas where the Pope Returned.

Returns

• Mazzini was forced into exile, and his reforms were overturned.

Origins of 1848 Revolution

• Political events included Pope Pius IX becoming Pope in 1846 (liberal pope), releasing political prisoners and relaxing censorship.
• Political oppression manifested as inquisition in Papal states.
• Abolishing Napoleonic Code in Piedmont.
• Anti-Austrian sentiment fueled tobacco boycotts in Milan (Austrian state monopoly). Ideological factors included nationalism, liberalism, moderates, and radicals. -- Influence of the French Revolution.
• Napoleonic invasions introduced the Napoleonic Code.
• Liberalism and the rule of law
• Nationalism was present in tobacco boycotts and the Young Italy movement,
• Economic factors included food riots and underemployment in Piedmont causing societal unrest which destroyed machinery. -- Slow industrialization in Papal States (620 km railways Italy in 1840s).

Events of 1848-9 in Italy

• Revolutions started in Sicily and Naples from January 9-12, 1848.
• There was initial success and the revolution spread to Naples, where Ferdinand II promised reforms but also deployed the army/ King Bomba.
• Messina was bombed in 1849 and divisions arose between moderates and radicals also a new Sicilian parliament was created to control the radicals + there was a lack of popular support
• Charles Albert avoided a revolution in Piedmont by issuing the Statuto.
• In Lombardy-Venetia, tobacco boycotts led to clashes in Milan during the 'Five Days of Milan' (March 17-22, 1848).
• Venice declared independence and voted to unite with Piedmont by March 23, 1848, starting the war.
• Charles Albert had support from all of Italy, papal allocution on April 29, 1848 declared neutrality.
• After an initial armistice Piedmont lost at Custoza causing Charles Albert to want to fight again where he lost at Norvara.

Papal States

• In Rome and the Papal States, Pope's minister Count Rossi fled in November 1848, and in February 1849, the Roman Republic was declared.
• A triumvirate was formed with Mazzini.
• Abolished the death penalty
• Official Catholicism
• taxation reform to help the poor
• The Pope & the French army defeated the Roman Republic who received support from Garibaldi’s Redshirts.

Consequences of 1848 Revolutions

• Become familiar with the Statuto. Reasons for Failure Long-term Impact
• The Statuto, a positive effect, introduced limited reforms, creates a parliament for the nobles/ middle class and becomes model for the Italian constitution.
• Victor Emmanuel II became king of Italyin 1861.
• Piedmont knew it could not defeat the Austrians alone and focused on strengthening it's army as well as supporting Italy/ France .

Author's Impression of the 1848 Italian Revolutions

• The protests were driven from below, led by peasants and the working class.
• The revolution stemmed from anger and oppression.
• The author focuses on these points while ignoring counter evidence that many peasants were on the side of the church and Ferdinand II.
• Other causes from the Napoleonic code such as liberalism, lack of industrialization and growth which affected upper class.
• The author used "savage violence" which conveys the severity and strength of the peasants as the word 'savage' could have negative connotations.

Austro-Piedmontese War (1848-49) Effects on Italy

• Piedmont had 45,000 soldiers compared to Austria's 70,000, leading to a Piedmont loss.
• "Italy from below" where the need of Italy to win the war by themselves turned out to be impossible to highlight it being a negative outcome for the Piedmont as it could not defeat Austria alone

Conclusion

• The peace treaty maintained the Statuto made by Charles Albert, which retained some power for the king.
• He created the Upper and Lower chambers.

Piedmont in the 1850s

Goals

• To remove the Austrians from Italy.
• To secure an alliance with France for balance of power.

Goals

• To strengthen the military through taxes and the economy.

Camillo Benso Di Cavour and his policies in Piedmont

• Born in 1811, of a nobleman.
• He lived in Britain and had become passionate about industry.
• In 1847, founded the risorgimento, a liberal newspaper, and was elected to parliament which was thanks to the Statuto.
• In 1850 was the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce under then D’Azeglio.
• In 1851, minister of finance was achieved.
• In 1853 fell out with the government on reducing freedom of press: so in response Cavour resigned after his ideas failed.

Cavour Domestic Reform & Politics (From 1852)

• Cavour supported investment in railway was supported when minister
• Piedmont had 850km of railways in 1859
• Liberal trade treaties were bilateraled and with Britain and France
• Trade volume increased by a factor of four
• Fleet/ nation were founded.
• Piedmontese fleet expanded modernized with steamships (1854)
• Vessels built (1860)
• Concluded that in 1854 religious orders devoted charity were suppressed.
• Cavour wanted to stabilize so he wanted conflicts with groups that can be suppressed.
• Cavour supported investment in railway construction and by 1859 Piedmont had 850 km of railways while the rest of Italy put together did the same.
• Cavour believe in trade and concluded bilateral trade with Britain, France and Austria
• religious orders in 1854 dedicated to charity are suppressed.
• He also wanted to stabilise right wings and lefts

Diplomacy With France For Cavour

• Cavour wanted to unite with France after Rome.
• Napoleon 3rd became Emperor in 1852
• Piedmont would join the war as it's a dispute between empires.
• Piedmont smaller troops compared to France
• Austrians defeated August1855 Paris conference 1856
• Piedmont earned and began treating almost as equal as great powers.
• Cavour capitalizes this to build the 2 men.
• Attempted assassination of the third the ‘Orsini affair"

Orsini Letter - Italy From Alliance

• France wanted to provide troops and have savoy in Italy.
• Secret about Prussia against the war
• Provoke austria with meeting

Agreements with Italy and France

• Kingdom to be base of Austria.
• Italy to remain for control of pope
• Kingdoms to be unified
• France to provide troops
• Austria to be provoked.
• Marry to cement
• agreement with pope and agreed with Italy that france wanted territory.

THE STAGE FOR 1859

• Cavour organized secret with Nepal to France.
• Napoleon 3 plotting war Victor the 2ND with Austria in venetia
• With Napolean the 1
• Mobilisation for war was in april
• Austrians feeling threatened

THE 1859 WAR

• Wars where brutal close was 7 weeks long
• Austria the soldiers
• River by train
• Turn the tied battle with allies 4th of june
• Garibaldi force
• Victor thrier
• To desire for peace also caused to the red cross.
• austrian territory
• Block plans to unify Italy
• Pro piedmont factions
• Cavour did this after protest
• Victor had to accept the terms of the armistice.
• Hold on and ask for unite territory by the treaty of zurich ,

Garibaldi expedition for thousnads

• Northern to and grasping
• Low interroger Garibaldi
• Lead
• From local aim and revoking support and out dated amunitions.
• Cavour helped

Arrivals on the Expedition

• It was by attack

• By soldiers Victor

• Emulanel name

• Battle wone force garbalid 25000 soldiers controlled .

• constant attacks

Garidaldis ruleon sicicly

• Victor was annex to Sicily
• Opporsor as Cavour did
• Peasqnts betrayed the nobles to maintain order.

Conquest Of Naples and creation of Italy

• Tact support Cavours warinigns where heard for a bit
• Overrun at sepetpmbere
• Wwelled to thousands to marched by the Papl state
• In occotbrd and after Garibadli
• On north 70th

Garbaldis Triumphs

• Redshrits March
• Capital became itlay
• Victor 2 suport

Garbaldis two attempts

• G was supported but not italy or city as they feard France

• March to row but deserted so it was deeted

• They fought spain

• To be in the end

Missing and Venita

• Prussia italy
• Prussia italy -Custoasa Austrias defeat
• Secrets to win. The Italian 3rd indeencence as 3 jult Konogortix by auistriua- toitalu
• Becaue of 1870prussy with napalno
• To go for war than itllay Napolena inprissosn to reecive temporal vote in Italy by rome.

Itay lter.

to eaderhip dsafter cavour,s death.

Problems with Italy

• Piedmont
• Monaracy
• In personnel/ srtucture
• Conentrated power Economic
• New taxe were
• This pusd more peasants into crimes