There is no denying that the power that Austrian Empire held from 1820 and 1848 was influential and was one of the reasons the Italian revolutionaries failed. This is why some argue that the main reason of the failed attempt to unite Italy was the brute force of the Austrian military and navy. However, many argue that this was merely one factor of many. Some argue that the reason that Italy’s revolutionaries failed was due to the geographical fragmentation of Italy and the fact that this consequently leads to parochialism within these individual sectors. However, the argument that carries the greatest weight is that the individuals who led these revolts and were at the forefront of the revolutionary movements were not united themselves in how they wanted Italy to unite.
Italy January 2009 How far do you agree that the limited appeal of Mazzini’s ideas was the main reason for the slow progress of national unity in Italy in the years 1815–48? How significant was Cavour in determining the outcome of Italian unification? June 2009 How far do you agree that the Catholic Church significantly hindered Italian unity in the years to 1870? How far was foreign influence and intervention responsible for shaping Italian unification in the years 1858–70? January 2010 How accurate is it to suggest that supporters of closer unity in Italy had made no progress by 1849?
In addition Napoleon with great diplomatic skills made sure that Venitia would be ceded to France even if Austria won and then passed on to Italy. Moving on a war broke out between France and Prussia in 1870, as a result Napoleon III wanted to bring his army up to strength and so withdrew his troops from Rome. Victor Emmanuel suggested an agreement to pope which was rejected and an army of 6000 troops was sent to occupy Rome. Moreover Napoleon III had many motives that influenced his actions in Italy. The fact that he belonged in the Carbonaris in his youth believed it was his destiny to do something for Italy.
Back in Italian possession would be a major step to Unification. However, Italy and France could not simply declare war. Austria had to be the aggressor so Cavour’s aim was to provoke Austria enough to actually get Austria to start the war. Austria became increasingly aggravated by Cavour’s provocation and on the 29th April 1849, they declared war on Italy. Cavour had succeeded in his provocation attempts and now had the backing of the French to face Austria with.
How significant was Mazzini in the growth of opposition to autocratic and foreign rule in Italy in the years 1831–49? (30) Mazzini was a republican nationalist who had a significant effect in the growth of anti-autocratic feeling in Italy. He had radical aims for the future of Italy and he envisioned unification. He was the first leader to indoctrinate in the minds of Italians a vision of political unification. Mazzini created the Young Italy society after the 1831 revolutions.
Metternich aimed to stop the revolution in Naples from spreading to other parts of the country, as it was obvious, as it was the first major uprising that it had the potential to be big enough to damage the Austrian rule in Italy, King Ferdiand had promised a constitution which was not being granted when they wanted and General Pepe was appointed as leader of the revolutionists and he was to be made leader of the new government. At the Congress of Troppau it was decided between some of the biggest countries in Europe that the uprising would be stopped at the King of Naples would be restored, for this to happen there were various steps. The entire operation was master minded by the Austrians. The Austrian troops marched into Naples and suppressed the uprising with the backing of Russia and Prussia, the suppression was very vicious and they restored King Ferdinand’s monarchy, which was very much in favour of Austrian help. During 1821 there was another uprising in Italy in Piedmont, this was the battle between Charles Albert and
Long running weaknesses within the original political system aided in developing support for Mussolini, along with his ability to change the party’s policies to accommodate all members of society. Although the war was important in allowing this rise in support for the PNF, it was not the only factor which played a part. After the land promised to Italy in the Treaty of London did not materialise, many Italians felt that their victory was one which had been ‘mutilated’. Orlando, Italy’s Prime Minister had failed to fight for the promised land during the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the Paris Peace Conference, leaving Italy bitter towards its own government. Prominent socialist at the time D’Annunzio led some 2000 soldiers into the city of Fiume in defiance of the Italian Government.
Italy hasn’t always been one unified country, and before 1861 the country was several states: Modena, Parma, Papal States, Venetia, Tuscany, Naples and Piedmont. However, when Napoleon invaded in 1804, he united the states and this was an idea that many people liked- which eventually lead to revolts to bring all of Italy together as one collective state. There was many issues with these revolts that made them achieve so little but what where they? For most states once Napoleon was exiled, the old rulers that were reinstated decided to go back in time and forget the French invasion even happened; only Tuscany and Parma were progressive and adapted Napoleon’s changes to their own styles. In Piedmont, King Victor Emmanuel I returned and took on a reactionary policy; he even went as far as destroying roads and gaslights that Napoleon had put in place- he was very much regressive.
Besides, the kingdom of Naples was established in the south and the independent kingdom of Piedmont including Sardinia lay in the north. In the centre were the dominions of the Pope. The people of the Italian provinces were not satisfied with the above decisions. Consequently, the movement for the establishment of national unity was started 6y the patriots of Italy just after the Congress of Vienna, but they could not achieve any success. As most of the provinces of Italy were under the direct control of Austria, and Chancellor Metternich was a great reactionary of his age, no progress could be made in this field.
Kevin Kane Dr. Pilant The Ancient World 12/10/2010 When the Roman Republic first made war with its rival, Carthage, in 264 BCE, it was a city-state with no imperial aspirations. It wielded power and influence on the Italian peninsula but was not quite ready for the foreign responsibilities and financial burden inherent in the management of an empire. By the end of the Punic Wars, a series of military conflicts with Carthage extending over one hundred years, Rome was catapulted towards its imperial destiny. These wars altered the course of Roman history by causing expansion to occur too rapidly for both the government and the economy to properly adjust to. The ramifications of Rome’s expansions and rise to power were the inevitable fall of the republic and rise of the empire.