Unification of Italy

• The unification of Italy was a 19th-century political and social movement resulting in the consolidation of different Italian states into a single kingdom.
• The unification process began with the Congress of Vienna in 1815, which fragmented the Italian peninsula.
• The process concluded in 1871 when Rome was declared the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

Pre-Unification Italy

• The Italian peninsula was divided into multiple states.
• Foreign powers, such as Austria, dominated some of these states.
• Key states included the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Papal States, and Lombardy-Venetia, which was under Austrian rule.
• Nationalist sentiments increased due to a desire for independence and unity.
• Secret societies like the Carbonari advocated liberal and patriotic ideas.

Key Figures and Movements

• Giuseppe Mazzini was a radical nationalist and founder of "Young Italy".
• Mazzini advocated for a unified, republican Italy through revolution.
• Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, was the Prime Minister of Sardinia.
• Cavour, a shrewd diplomat, used realpolitik to achieve Italian unification.
• Giuseppe Garibaldi was a charismatic military leader.
• Garibaldi led the Redshirts in conquering Southern Italy.
• Victor Emmanuel II was the King of Sardinia.
• Victor Emmanuel II became the first King of a unified Italy.

The Path to Unification

• The Kingdom of Sardinia played a pivotal role under Cavour's leadership.
• Cavour modernized Sardinia's economy and military.
• This modernization made Sardinia a strong contender for Italian leadership.
• During the Crimean War (1853-1856), Sardinia allied with Britain and France.
• This alliance led to international recognition and a chance to raise the "Italian Question".
• Cavour secured a secret alliance with Napoleon III of France against Austria.
• He promised Nice and Savoy to France for military support.
• The Second Italian War of Independence occurred in 1859.
• Sardinia and France defeated Austria, and Sardinia gained Lombardy.
• Central Italian states, including Tuscany, Modena, Parma, and Romagna, voted to join Sardinia.
• In 1860, Garibaldi led the Expedition of the Thousand.
• Garibaldi and his Redshirts landed in Sicily and conquered the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
• Garibaldi handed over Southern Italy to Victor Emmanuel II.
• This paved the way for a unified Italy.
• In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed King of Italy by the Italian Parliament in Turin.

Completing Unification

• During the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Italy allied with Prussia against Austria.
• Italy gained Venetia as a result.
• The Franco-Prussian War took place from 1870-1871.
• With France distracted, Italy seized Rome.
• This ended the Papal States' temporal power.
• Rome became the capital of Italy in 1871.
• This completed the unification process.

Challenges Post-Unification

• Political divisions arose from integrating diverse regions with different political cultures and economic systems.
• Economic disparities existed, with the North more industrialized than the agrarian South.
• These disparities led to economic inequalities.
• Social unrest occurred due to high taxes, poverty, and conscription.
• Brigandage was particularly prevalent in the South.
• The Pope opposed the loss of the Papal States, creating a rift between the Church and the Italian state.
• This rift was not resolved until the Lateran Treaty of 1929.
• Irredentism, the desire to annex Italian-speaking territories still under foreign rule such as Trentino and Trieste, remained a goal.

Impact and Significance

• The unification of Italy ended centuries of fragmentation and foreign domination.
• It created a new major power in Europe.
• This contributed to shifts in the balance of power.
• The Risorgimento ("Resurgence") inspired nationalist movements in other parts of Europe.
• The unification of Italy was a complex and multifaceted process achieved through diplomacy, war, and popular movements.
• The legacy of unification continues to shape Italian identity and politics today.