-Italian Unification-
I. In the early 1800s Italy was comprised of small autonomous cities
and provinces. However, several factors caused many Italians to
seek a unified nation
A. Napoleon had combined some Italian territories, giving
people a sense of Italian unity
B. After the Congress of Vienna many Italian territories
were under foreign rule
C. Italians had a common language and religion
II. During the 1830s and 1840s, strong
nationalist leaders emerged who wanted
a united Italy
A. Giuseppe Mazzini organized
a secret society known as
“Young Italy”
1. Mazzini was the
heart/voice of
unification
2. He wanted a liberal
democratic republic to
govern a united Italy
B. Count Camillo Cavour ran a
newspaper called “Risorgimento”, which
means, “The Resurrection”
1. Cavour was the brains of
unification
2. He favored a unified Italy led
by Sardinia
C. Giuseppe Garibaldi was a
military leader who commanded a
group known as the Red Shirts
1. Garibaldi was the sword
of unification
2. He would be responsible
for driving the Spanish out
of southern Italy
III. In 1848, Nationalists revolted against foreign rule in Italy
A. The revolt failed
IV. After 1848, several events helped Italy unify
A. Count Cavour, acting as prime minister of Sardinia, allied
his state with Britain and France against Russia in the
Crimean War
B. In 1858 Cavour convinced France to help Sardinia drive
Austria out of northern Italy
1. France received Nice and Savoy for its
participation
V. Italian Unification
A. Cavour had successfully driven foreign powers out of most
of northern Italy
1. Southern Italy was still controlled by the Spanish
Bourbons
B. With secret support in 1860, Garibaldi organized his Red Shirts
and forced the Bourbons out of southern Italy
1. Garibaldi turned his forces to Rome, which was protected
by the French
2. Cavour interceded and convinced Garibaldi to not attack
Rome
C. Garibaldi turned over his territory to the King of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel
1. By 1870 Italy had added Venetia and Rome
2. After years of struggle Italy was unified