Santa Reparata International School of Art Academic Year 2016/2017 Contemporary Italy professor dr. Lorenzo Pubblici Study Guide 1. The Italian Unification The notion of Risorgimento in Italian history What is the Risorgimento? • Traditional view: 1815-1871 • Modern view: 1789-1918 • Political Risorgimento and Literary Risorgimento Vittorio Alfieri (1749-1803) and other intellectuals Italy is a Country where the national culture was born before the Nation itself. Let’s see the steps towards the creation of the idea of Italy • Ancient Roman Empire: Augustus and the reform of the provinces • Free citizens were Roman citizen • 476: fall of the Roman Empire, the peninsular unity is not broken • VI Century: Byzantine-Gothic war • End of the VI Century: Lombard invasion, the Peninsula loses its geographical unity • The fusion of the two elements: germanic and latin The Franks • The invasion of the Franks (Charlemagne) breaks the Regnum Langobardorum • The Franks and the desire of autonomy of the Northern Italian cities • The attempts for an unitarian kingdom by Frederick 2nd, and birth of the Communes • The Roman Church remains the only identitarian power in Italy The intellectuals • The Regional States and the Signorie, late Middle Ages • The Humanism and the Rinascimento: Italy, heir of Rome. • Complaining of the actual situation (all the rulers in Italy are foreigners) Dante, Petrarca and Boccaccio and the Italian language • Cosimo dei Medici and Lorenzo as Pater Patriae • Machiavelli and Guicciardini: the central State and the Federal one The French Revolution and the Napoleonic period • The French Revolution, the Enlightenment and the results in Europe and in Italy • Napoleon invades Italy (1796). It’s the first unification of modern times • The unitarian ideals penetrates in depth of the Italian society... • 1815: Gioacchino Murat and the Proclama di Rimini The ideals The Bourgeoise and the two revolutions Liberal and Enlightenment ideas Romantic ideals: The different souls of the Italian patriotic movement: 1. Romantic (see Romanticism in 19th Century Europe) 2. Republican (see Giuseppe Mazzini and his Republicanism) 3. Early-socialist (see here to know more about early Socialism) 4. Filo-Savoy (the Royal House that ruled Piedmont-Sardinia) 5. Anticlericals 6. Catholics and filo-papals 2. The Risorgimento Since the 1820’s riots to the Expedition of the Mille • After the Congress of Vienna (1815) Napoleon is defeated. • It’s the beginning of the Restoration • The Santa Alleanza is stipulated by the winners Austria-Prussia-Russia (then also GB and France joined the Alliance) The secret societies and the 1820’s riots and the 1820’s riots • The ideas of the French Revolution were not swept away: the literary saloons • Many of these saloons turned soon into secret societies, with conspiracy aims • The CARBONERIA, founded in 1814 with anti-Napoleonic purposes in Naples • 1817: first riot provoked by the Carboneria, in Macerata • 1820: Rebellion of Cadice, Spain • It was the beginning of an European phenomenon • 1820-21: Constitutional Riots The 1820’s riots in Europe • July 25, 1820: rebellions in Sicily • July 1820: Naples is conquered by the rebels, leaded by general Guglielmo Pepe • March 1820: the Austrian army intervenes in Naples and breaks the resistance of the rebels, the situation ante quem is re-established • January 1821: The riots explode in Turin • Same situation in Milan, where the revolt could not start because of spies who collaborated with the Austrian police. • Many patriots were arrested and executed • 1823: the 1820’s riots can be considered settled, but the ideas were more than alive. The 1830’s The 1830’s revolutions began in France, why? • The new King, Charles X was a reactionary 1. Abolished the Constitution drafted by his predecessor, Luis XVIII 2. Gave many privileges to the Aristocracy and the Clergy 3. Started a military campaign against Algeria The events • July 1830: Charles X drafted new laws 1. Right to vote just for Aristocracy 2. New Parliament, devote to him 3. Abolished freedom of the press It’s the Revolt! The people force the king to escape in England New King: Luis Philippe. A Constitutional King In the rest of Europe • Belgium: the riots were successful Poland: the revolution was a disaster • Modena: a total failure • March, 3rd 1832: The Romagna arises against the Austrians • Same year: in Turin, the memoirs of Silvio Pellico (Milanese patriot) are published in Turin • Pellico openly reported the hard conditions of the Austrian jails • The book was a heavy hit against the credibility of Austria • The anti-Austrian feeling is enforced in Italy • July 1837: revolt in Sicily. Messina arises against the Burbons. Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-1872) and the Republican ideals1 • Genoese, revolutionary, convinced republican and member of the Carboneria • 1831: is forced to quit from Italy, as rewarded by the police • Founds a new secret association: the Giovine Italia • Federal and Republican State and Federal Europe • Giuseppe Garibaldi, shared Mazzini’s program The 1848 and the “spring” of the peoples • The 1848 is the year of scientific congress • 1846-48: the biennium of the Reforms: Tuscany, Papacy and others • 1848: Europe is burning! Revolts occur all over the continent • It is the beginning of the preparation decade for Italy • March: Riots in Milan against AustriaTHE CINQUE GIORNATE: 18-22 March, the Milanese people rises against the Austrian, it’s an heoric fight and the Austrian army is forced to leave the city • Piedmont declares war on Austria • The Papacy and the Kingdom of Due Sicilie Join the Piedmontese army • The king of Piedmont, Carlo Alberto, invades Lombardy 1 Take a look at this important text written by Mazzini. You will understand his ideas very clearly. On Mazzini’s life there is a good page here. On Wikipedia the voice “Giuseppe Mazzini” is good even if not excellent. Take a look at it anyway. • It’s the First War of Independence, 1848 Meanwhile, the Revolution moves from France, to Italy, Poland Raising in Berlin and Vienna April 1848: All the Italian States join the Piedmontese in the war against Austria But: April, 29th: • The pope turns back, and recalls his army (Austria is a catholic empire!) • The others do the same, Piedmont is left alone against Austria May, 30th • Piedmont defeats Austrian in Goito, but do not take advantage of this victory and the Austrians can reorganize the army 1849 February The Granduca of Tuscany escapes from his region and hides in Gaeta Temporary govern in Florence March • Piedmont attacks Austria again, is defeated • In Rome is formed a new govern, the Repubblica Romana, leaded by the three: Giuseppe Mazzini, Carlo Armellini and Aurelio Saffi • Very “soft” policy in order not to attract too much attention in Europe, but France cannot accept the pope to be dethroned • French intervention in Rome, but the Republicans resist, also thanks to a young general: Giuseppe Garibaldi • July 3rd, 1849: the French army entered Rome and established the Papal power in the city. 1850 April, 12th • Pope, Pius 9th is settled back under French protection • The Republican Constitution is abolished and a strict reactionary policy is adopted November 1850 Count Camillo Benso di Cavour (see below), leader of the Piedmontese Liberal party is nominated Minister of Trade of the Kingdom of Piedmont: Cavour will be a key figure in the Unification of Italy Failure of 1848/49 riots •The failure of the 1848/49 riots was the failure of a moderate and democratic program (fall of the Roman and Florentine Republics): 1.The romantic feeling fades 2.The Risorgimento assumes now a political feature • In Italy, the patriotic movement is now in the hands of the Sabaudian Monarchy (Savoy), and Count Camillo Benso of Cavour Italy would have been unified not by the people, but by three fundamental elements: 1. Diplomacy 2. French military support 3. Annexing • The modest popular participation to the unification process is a big problem, never solved completely in Italy • For example, the popular revolts in Southern Italy, around the 1860’s, were mostly for the peasants to obtain the property of uncultivated lands, they had nothing to do with an idealistic project of unified Italy However, still in the 1850’s, the situation in Europe was not back to normality at all • 1850’s: revolts in Milan, Naples, Sicily. Mazzini’s ideals Camillo Benso di Cavour2 (1810-1861), the “architect” of the Risorgimento • 1850: Cavour enters the Piedmontese Government (see above) 2 See here. • 1850: is appointed Prime Minister The crucial years: 1859-60 • 1858: Cavour signs the alliance with France. • Accordi di Plombieres • Piedmont needed now a casus belli • Cavour provokes the reaction of Austria... Giuseppe Garibaldi3 (1807-1882) • Mazziniano, revolutionary and great soldier • Is banished and goes to South America (1835) • Leads revolutions in Brazil and Argentina The wars of independence4 • Austria declares war on Piedmont: • April 26, 1859: France intervenes, the Italian States want to join the Kingdom of Piedmont and declare the annexation Napoleon 3rd can’t continue the war because: 1. Discontent in France because of the heavy losses (human and material) 2. Fear by the French Catholics of a possible conquest by Piedmont of Rome • The Unification wasn’t in the treaties signed in Plombierès, • France turns against Piedmont • France signs the armistice with Austria, it’s a disaster for Piedmont • But another possibility appears... The will of independence of all the central Italian states 3 See here. 4 See here.