Italian Unification - Characters

Dennis Mack Smith Autobiog of Mazzini

• Wanted independant Italy with one central government
• Didnt want external help - should 'make herself'
• Wrote to Charles Albert to help - didnt respond

Young Italy

• Attempted coups throughout Italy (Pied., Naples, Savoy) - none suceeded

Impact

• Converted many to cause of unification - Garibaldi
• Attempted to involve WC people
• Created Italy's first political party

United Italy

• Critical of new kingdom - used foreign help. N/S divided. Not true democ. - king and nobles still in control 

Impact on Piedmont

• Brought to attention of world powers - Crimea
• Increased trade production in 1850s by 300% - able to fund army and make better than other Italian states
• Created extrensive railway network - used for moving troops
• Saw need to external help
• Some believe secretly supported Garibaldi
• Others believe he hated him
• Most hist. agree Italy united as result of G. and C's clash, not harmony

Intentions

• Without him, Aust. wouldnt have been driven out of Lombardy 1859
• P. army poor track record (Custoza 1848) - needed F. army
• Wanted to 'do something for Italy'
• Future P. would be good F. ally - couldnt be too large to threaten F. - reason for distrusting C.

Napoleon's record

• 1849 - sent troops to crush R. republic
• Plombieres 1858 - aim was to keep Italy divided into fed. of states
• V. E and C. felt betrayed at Villafranca

• Converted to Young Italy - 1833 involved in M's attempted rev. in Pied. - M. sentenced to death for it
• Offered mil. service to C. A. in revs on 1848 - nobody trusted him
• Helped defend Roman Repub. 1849
• Invited by Cavour after Plombieres through Nat. Soc. to visit Turin
• Important in North. Italian Wars 1859 - given Gold Medel for valour
• Sole aim was unification - explains why wanted to include Rome and was upset about Savoy and Nice

Inspired by Risorgamento and Italian mythology

Foreign Historians - only at right place at right time to become figurehead of Nationalists

However:

• Appointed Cavour
• Keener than Cav. for joining Crimea
• Refused Cav's demands for carrying on Aust. war after Villafranca
• Gave G. encouragement in 1860 and 1862 against Cav (1861) and parliament's (1862) wishes
• Used rhetoric to create nationalist feelings in Italy - 'could no longer stop his ears to the cries of Italy'

Italian

• Movement where Italy found itself - Cav, Mazz, Gari, Vic. E II
• Rivalries between them played down as petty squables
• Very romantic views - how Ris. was down to sacrifice of Italian people

British

• Dennis Mack Smith - disagreements, not agreements between Cav. and Gari led to uni. - role of Gari in S. states forced Cav. to take action
• More 'down to earth' than Italian historians - role of 1859 and impact of Nap. lead to uni., not Risorgamento

Revisionists

• Nat. Unity not only possible outcome of struggle for independance - wasnt just wars that led to unity, but nat. feelings as well