5.4 Unification of Italy

13. What was Italy unprepared for in 1914?

By 1914, the country was significantly better off than it had been in 1861. But it was hardly prepared for the great war that broke out in that year.

2. What countries had interests and control in parts of Italy?

France had interests in Southern Italy, Austria was entrenched in Northern Italy & the Hapsburg Empire was involved in various places in Italy.

11. What did Garibaldi do to help Italy unify?

Garibaldi, a nationalist, had been a supporter of Italian unification for many years. He was more soldier than politician. As a patriot, he recognized that the king of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel II, was the best choice for the success of a unified Italy.

5. Why did Italian nationalists want to see a united Italy?

Geographically the regions of Italy were on the same peninsula; Culturally Italy had a common language and shared traditions; Economically unification would end trade barriers among the Italian states and promote industrialization.

8. What steps did Cavour take to promote Italian unity?

He used Realpolitik to form an alliance with France and provoke a war with Austria, ending Austrian rule in Italian regions and gaining the provinces of Lombardy and Venetia. He also supported Garibaldi's efforts in the southern states by providing weapons and transport.

4. Who was Giuseppe Mazzini? What did he create?

He was an Italian nationalist, who created the Young Italy and although he was not successful in unifying Italy, he was successful in planting the seed of revolution and nationalism there.

7. Who was Camillo Cavour? What was his long-term goal?

In 1852, Victor Emmanuel made Count Camillo Cavour his prime minister. Cavour came from a noble family but favored liberal goals. He was a flexible, practical, crafty politician, willing to use almost any means to achieve his goals. Like Bismarck in Prussia, Cavour was a monarchist who believed in Realpolitik. He wanted to achieve unification of Italy

9. Who was Giuseppe Garibaldi? What did he do?

Like Mazzini, Garibaldi wanted to create an Italian republic. By 1860, Garibaldi had recruited a force of 1,000 red-shirted volunteers. Cavour provided weapons and allowed two ships to take Garibaldi and his "Red Shirts" south to Sicily.

6. Who was Victor Emmanuel II? What did he hope for?

The constitutional monarch of the kingdom of Sardinia, which included Piedmont, Nice, and Savoy as well as the island of Sardinia. He hoped to join other states to his own, thereby increasing his power.

12. What new challenges did Italy face?

The government faced opposition, regional divisions, and disputes with the Catholic Church. Italians experienced limited suffrage, social unrest, urbanization, and rapid population growth. Regional difference: The greatest regional differences were between the north and the south. The north was richer and had more cities than the south. For centuries, northern Italian cities had flourished as centers of business and culture. The south, on the other hand, was rural and poor. Its population was booming, but illiterate peasants could extract only a meager existence from the exhausted farmland. Conflict with Papal States: The government granted the papacy limited rights and control over church properties. Political and social turmoil: Limited suffrage left many people out of the political process. Regional differences left some Italians with local, rather than national loyalties. There was hostility between the Italian government and the Catholic Church. People lived in extreme poverty caused by industrialization and urbanization. Socialists protested for better conditions for workers. Anarchists turned to violence. Economic progress: Despite its problems, Italy did develop economically, especially after 1900. Although the nation lacked important natural resources such as coal, industries did sprout up in northern regions. Industrialization, of course, brought urbanization as peasants flocked to the cities to find jobs in factories. As in other countries, reformers campaigned to improve education and working conditions. The population explosion of this period created tensions, but an important safety valve was emigration, or movement away from their homeland. Many Italians left for the United States, Canada, and Latin American nations.

1. What was a similarity between Germany and Italy during this time?

The similarity between Germany and Italy during this time was that they both wanted to unify their countries.

3. What happened to the beginning revolts by the Italian nationalists?

They were crushed by Austria, who feared losing their power and economic ties to Northern Italy.

10. How did Italy finally achieve unity?

With surprising speed, Garibaldi's forces won control of Sicily, crossed to the mainland, and marched triumphantly north to Naples.