Il Risorgimento: The First War of Independence (1848-1849) PDF

Il Risorgimento the first war of independence The first insurrections in Venice In Venice, the memory of its independence, which had lasted for centuries and ended in 1796 with the arrival of Napoleon, was still very much alive in the hearts of its citizens. Since 1815, after the Congress of Vienna...

Il Risorgimento the first war of independence The first insurrections in Venice In Venice, the memory of its independence, which had lasted for centuries and ended in 1796 with the arrival of Napoleon, was still very much alive in the hearts of its citizens. Since 1815, after the Congress of Vienna had assigned it to Austria along with Lombardy, it had been one of the cities that had suffered most under Austrian rule. In March 1848, the population rose up against the Austrian government, led by two patriots, Daniele Manin and Niccolò Tommaseo. On 22 March the birth of the Repubblica di San Marco was proclaimed, which would last until 22 August 1849 (exactly 17 months). Venice therefore became the first city to have rebelled against the Habsgurgs and in the following days and weeks other Italian cities, like Milan, Parma, Piacenza and Modena did the same. Milan and The Five Days About 14,000 Austrian soldiers were garrisoned in Milan, commanded by Marshal Radetzky, a military man who, despite his 82 years of age, would still play a decisive role in the history of the Italian Risorgimento. Launching an offensive against the Austrian garrison seemed like a crazy plan at first, but soon the situation escalated and a revolt broke out in Milan. It all started on the morning of 17 March, when citizens organised a smoking strike, i.e. they stopped buying tobacco (which was a taxed product of the Austrian government), causing economic damage to the income of the Empire. The protest went on all day and soon Radetzky's soldiers were ordered to go into the streets and arrest those protesting. The protest then became a very violent revolt and the population began to erect barricades in several places in the city to prevent the Austrians from advancing. consisting of Carlo Cattaneo, Enrico Cernuschi and other citizens. From 17 to 22 March the fighting continued in the streets of Milan and about 300 people were killed, but eventually the Austrian troops were driven out through the last gate located near the Spanish walls, Porta Tosa (today Porta Vittoria). Although Radetzky had the opportunity, he decided not to use cannons against the population and retreated to the Quadrilatero, a system of fortifications that included Peschiera del Garda, Mantua, Verona and Legnago.  1848-1849: first war of independence Once Milan had risen up against Radetzky, Carlo Alberto decided to intervene. In fact, the King of Sardinia was pushed to act more by pressure from those around him than by any real personal conviction. Invading Lombardy- Venetia in force meant declaring war on Austria and the king was worried about appearing as an aggressor in the eyes of other European countries (especially France and England). Moreover, Charles Albert did not have many allies on the Italian peninsula. In particular, the pope does not want Austria, a Catholic power and his historical ally, to be driven out In any case, on 25 March the Sardinian army crossed of northern Italy. the Ticino and entered Milan on the 26th. A fact to note is that during the military campaign some contingents of volunteers from Naples, Tuscany and the Papal States also joined the Piedmontese army. After a few initial successes (battles of Curtatone, Montanara and Goito) the numerical and tactical superiority of the Austrians made itself felt: in the battle of Custoza (25-26 July) they overwhelmed Carlo Alberto's ranks and forced him to retreat. The Austrians quickly retook Milan and forced the king to sign an armistice. However, the truce was short-lived, as in March 1949 hostilities resumed and the Piedmontese were again defeated at the battle of Novara. Charles Albert, humiliated by this heavy defeat, was forced to abdicate in favour of his son, Victor Emmanuel II.  What was the outcome of the first war of independence? POSITIVE OUTCOMES NEGATIVE OUTCOMES The good news is that other cities rose up The Austrians re-established control over the against foreign occupation: Florence did so as whole of northern Italy: it was a return to the early as October 1848, Rome in February 1849. territorial conditions imposed with the However, these attempts were short-lived. Restoration. Marshal Radetzky imposed new peace conditions: he asked the Kingdom of Sardinia to establish a more moderate government and to undertake to re-establish diplomatic relations with Austria, as well as to disarm the army. In short, Austria wants the Kingdom of Sardinia to be quiet and not to leave its borders.