How was Italy unified? Revision Notes

In the mid-19th century, Italy was divided into multiple states, many under Austrian control or influence, especially in the north (Lombardy and Venetia). Austria's military strength and political influence prevented Italian nationalists from achieving unification during the revolutions of 1848-49.

Italian nationalist movements, inspired by figures like Giuseppe Mazzini, sought to unify Italy through uprisings and republican ideals. However, these movements lacked coordination and support from powerful states or foreign allies.

The revolutions failed because the Italian states did not unite their efforts, and Austria quickly suppressed uprisings with military force. Additionally, conservative monarchies within Italy opposed radical change, weakening nationalist momentum.

• Austria controlled key northern Italian regions, blocking unification efforts.
• Italian nationalist groups were fragmented and lacked military strength.
• Conservative Italian rulers resisted nationalist revolts.
• The 1848-49 revolutions were suppressed by Austrian military intervention.

Giuseppe Garibaldi was a nationalist and skilled military leader whose campaigns were crucial in unifying southern Italy with the north.

In 1860, Garibaldi led the 'Expedition of the Thousand,' a volunteer force that successfully conquered Sicily and Naples, two major southern territories.

His military successes weakened the Bourbon rule in the south and paved the way for these regions to join the Kingdom of Sardinia, which later became the Kingdom of Italy.

• Garibaldi's volunteer army captured Sicily and Naples in 1860.
• His campaigns united southern Italy with the north.
• Garibaldi's actions complemented diplomatic efforts by creating facts on the ground.

Count Camillo di Cavour, Prime Minister of Piedmont-Sardinia, pursued unification through diplomacy and alliances rather than revolution.

In 1858, Cavour secretly met with Napoleon III of France at Plombières, agreeing that France would support Piedmont in a war against Austria to expel Austrian influence from northern Italy.

This agreement led to the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859, where combined French and Piedmontese forces defeated Austria, resulting in the annexation of Lombardy to Piedmont.

• Cavour used diplomacy to gain French support against Austria.
• The Plombières Agreement secured French military aid.
• The 1859 war weakened Austrian control in northern Italy.
• Lombardy was annexed to Piedmont after Austrian defeat.

Following military victories and nationalist campaigns, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in 1861, with Victor Emmanuel II as king.

Garibaldi handed over southern territories to Victor Emmanuel II, uniting north and south under one monarchy.

The final step in unification occurred in 1870 when Italian forces captured Rome after the withdrawal of French troops, completing Italy's territorial unification.

• Kingdom of Italy established in 1861 under Victor Emmanuel II.
• Garibaldi's voluntary surrender of southern territories unified Italy.
• Rome was annexed in 1870, completing unification.

Italian unification altered the balance of power in Europe by creating a new, unified state in the peninsula.

It inspired nationalist movements in other parts of Europe, demonstrating that fragmented states could unify through a combination of diplomacy, war, and popular support.

The weakening of Austria's influence in Italy contributed to tensions that would later affect European alliances and conflicts, including the lead-up to World War I.

• Italy's unification shifted European power dynamics.
• It encouraged nationalist movements elsewhere.
• Austria's loss of Italian territories weakened its position in Europe.
• Unification contributed to future European political tensions.