Prof.Prof. BrunoBruno PierriPierri HistoryHistory ofof ItalianItalian ForeignForeign PolicyPolicy

TheThe KingdomKingdom ofof ItalyItaly’’ss foreignforeign policypolicy:: FromFrom thethe ItaloItalo--FrenchFrench ConventionConvention toto thethe FirstFirst ClashesClashes onon TunisiaTunisia FebruaryFebruary 5th,5th, 20142014 EmilioEmilio ViscontiVisconti VenostaVenosta ► Five times Foreign Minister ► First term 1863 ► Pragmatic policy ► Linkage between Italian issues and European situation A) Introducing unification issues to international community (Cavour legacy ) B) Championing nationality principle to German States in order to detach them from Austrian anti -Italian policies C) Resumption of negotiations with for , also to match new revolutionary wave from opposition ► Italo -French Convention 15 Sept 1864 A) Withdrawal in two years of French troops from Rome B) Italian committment not to invade State of the Church and protect it in case of outer attacks C) In case of inner revolution, claimed complete freedom of action D) France requested transfer of capital city to Florence 18641864 ConventionConvention EffectsEffects ►► PartPart ofof publicpublic opinionopinion protestedprotested againstagainst sacrificesacrifice ofof RomeRome ►► PopePope rejectedrejected ConventionConvention A)A) NormalisationNormalisation ofof ItaloItalo--FrenchFrench relationsrelations B)B) WithdrawalWithdrawal ofof FrenchFrench troopstroops,, mainmain reasonreason ofof innerinner tensiontension andand mainmain dede factofacto obstacleobstacle toto annexationannexation C)C) PrinciplePrinciple ofof nonnon interventionintervention byby foreignforeign forcesforces.. RomeRome becamebecame nationalnational questionquestion,, providedprovided actsacts ofof forceforce werewere excludedexcluded GettingGetting closercloser toto PrussiaPrussia ►► GermanGerman ZollvereinZollverein 18651865 ►► PrussianPrussian aimsaims:: A)A) EliminatingEliminating AustrianAustrian hegemonyhegemony B)B) ImprovingImproving economyeconomy C)C) StrengtheningStrengthening GermanyGermany againstagainst potentialpotential FrenchFrench aggressionaggression,, thusthus reducingreducing economiceconomic independenceindependence ofof smallersmaller StatesStates BismarckBismarck’’ss antianti --AustrianAustrian policypolicy,, encouragingencouraging FlorenceFlorence toto getget alliedallied inin viewview ofof armedarmed interventionintervention ItaloItalo--PrussianPrussian AllianceAlliance

►► NapoleonNapoleon IIIIII inin favourfavour ofof AustroAustro-- PrussianPrussian war:war: A)A) ChanceChance toto satisfysatisfy ItalianItalian requestsrequests B)B) ChanceChance toto strenghtenstrenghten FranceFrance inin RhineRhine areaarea ►► 8.4.18668.4.1866 DefensiveDefensive AllianceAlliance ItalyItaly-- PrussiaPrussia ►► VeryVery favourablefavourable conditionsconditions forfor ItalyItaly IIIIII IndependenceIndependence WarWar ►►AccordingAccording toto PrussianPrussian warwar plansplans,, ItalyItaly waswas supposedsupposed toto challengechallenge AustriaAustria onon SouthernSouthern frontfront ►►MeanwhileMeanwhile,, inin lightlight ofof navalnaval superioritysuperiority,, ItalyItaly couldcould threatenthreaten DalmatianDalmatian coastcoast WarWar developmentsdevelopments ► 16.06.186616.06.1866 breakoutbreakout ofof hostilitieshostilities betweenbetween PrussiaPrussia andand AustriaAustria ► ItalyItaly severelyseverely defeateddefeated atat CustozaCustoza ► CustozaCustoza markedmarked aa halthalt toto ItalianItalian operationsoperations ,, withwith decisiondecision toto getget organisedorganised againstagainst countercounter -- attackattack ► FollowingFollowing severalseveral importantimportant PrussianPrussian victoriesvictories (i.e.(i.e. SadowaSadowa JulyJuly 3),3), AustriansAustrians gavegave prioritypriority toto fightfight againstagainst PrussiaPrussia ► BattleBattle ofof LissaLissa JulyJuly 2020 ► FirstFirst greatgreat navalnaval battlebattle withwith thethe useuse ofof steamsteam battleshipsbattleships andand lastlast oneone withwith rammingramming maneuvresmaneuvres

AftermathAftermath ofof WarWar

►►BismarckBismarck fearedfeared FrenchFrench retaliationretaliation onon thethe RhineRhine ►►NapoleonNapoleon IIIIII actedacted asas mediatormediator ►►InIn excangeexcange ofof thatthat ,, AustriaAustria gavegave VenetiaVenetia toto FranceFrance,, whichwhich thenthen assignedassigned itit toto ItalyItaly ((OctOct 3)3) withwith AustrianAustrian assentassent ►►BismarckBismarck speededspeeded upup peacepeace negotiationsnegotiations 23.08.186623.08.1866 ►►TerminationTermination ofof GermanicGermanic ConfederationConfederation ►►FederationFederation ofof GermanGerman StatesStates underunder PrussianPrussian leadershipleadership AustrianAustrian RecognitionRecognition ►►DespiteDespite ItalianItalian militarymilitary defeatsdefeats,, ItalyItaly recognisedrecognised asas contractingcontracting partyparty ofof peacepeace treatytreaty ►►ImplicitImplicit AustrianAustrian recognitionrecognition ofof KingdomKingdom ofof ItalyItaly ►►CancellationCancellation ofof mainmain obstacleobstacle toto ItalianItalian foreignforeign policypolicy ►►ItalyItaly admittedadmitted intointo EuropeanEuropean concertconcert

RomanRoman QuestionQuestion:: MentanaMentana

►►1867:1867: GaribaldiGaribaldi ’’ss expeditionexpedition toto conquerconquer RomeRome ►►GaribaldiGaribaldi defeateddefeated atat MentanaMentana byby FrenchFrench troopstroops ►►FrenchFrench troopstroops backback toto RomeRome:: abrogationabrogation ofof SeptemberSeptember ConventionConvention ►►MentanaMentana markedmarked NapoleonNapoleon IIIIII ’’ss finalfinal estrangementestrangement fromfrom anyany sympathysympathy towardstowards ItalianItalian nationalnational movementmovement FrancoFranco--PrussianPrussian WarWar 18701870

► NapoleonNapoleon IIIIII ’’ss projectproject toto annexannex LuxemburgLuxemburg ► LuxemburgLuxemburg,, overseenoverseen byby PrussianPrussian soldierssoldiers andand formerformer DutchDutch domaindomain,, waswas excludedexcluded fromfrom GermanGerman ConfederationConfederation ► FrenchFrench plansplans failedfailed duringduring LondonLondon ConferenceConference ofof 1867,1867, whenwhen itit waswas decideddecided toto demilitarisedemilitarise DukedomDukedom andand proclaimproclaim itsits neutralityneutrality ► ParisParis diddid notnot toleratetolerate PrussiaPrussia ’’ss growinggrowing influenceinfluence onon GermanGerman StatesStates ► FallFall ofof FrenchFrench EmpireEmpire ► FoundationFoundation ofof SecondSecond GermanGerman ReichReich 18.01.187118.01.1871 ► AnnexationAnnexation toto GermanyGermany ofof AlsaceAlsace andand partpart LorraineLorraine ► FranceFrance tootoo weakweak andand NapoleonNapoleon IIIIII overthrownoverthrown

TheThe conquestconquest ofof RomeRome ► Visconti Venosta ’s tactic A) Consent of French Republican Government B) Diplomatic work in Europe to safeguard national security against theocratic State hostile to Italy and favouring disorder C) Aug 29 1870 Letter to the Minister of the King in « the objective the Imperial Government pursued , that is facilitating conciliation among the Holy Father , Romans and Italy , not only has not been reached , but it has also completely failed Visconti Venosta also sent a letter to all Italian diplomats abroad , through which the was publicly guaranteed his personal freedom ; at the same time, it was by then urgent to sort the Roman problem out ► The only Government hesitating to decide was that of Prussia . Only on Sept 20 affirmed a position of strict non interference ► New French Govt sent to Rome on Sept 10 a declaration underlying that Paris «ne peut approuver ni reconnaîtrele pouvoir temporel du Saint-Siège» ► Pope sent foreign Govts a request of assistance against violent acts by Sardinian Kingdom . Most of them simply did not answer , other replied that it was not their business ► 20.09.1870 Italian troops occupied Rome ► Italian State safeguarded independence of Papacy as concerned spiritual matters (Legge Guarentigie 1871, declared fundamental law of the State in 1878) ► Rome Capital of Italy (03.02.1871) 18701870 ►►AfterAfter annexationannexation ofof RomeRome,, necessitynecessity ofof quietquiet boundariesboundaries ►►DissolutionDissolution StateState ofof ChurchChurch duedue toto revolutionaryrevolutionary eventsevents,, allowingallowing ItalyItaly toto gogo beyondbeyond internationalinternational treatiestreaties ►►NowNow itit waswas thethe momentmoment ofof avoidavoid speakingspeaking tootoo muchmuch andand gogo backback toto neutralismneutralism:: veryvery badbad relationsrelations withwith ChurchChurch andand territorialterritorial annexationsannexations suspendedsuspended OppositionOpposition’’ss claimsclaims ►►GreaterGreater nationalnational policypolicy andand alignmentalignment withwith PrussiaPrussia ►►PriorityPriority toto rearmamentrearmament ,, ratherrather thanthan financialfinancial rebalancingrebalancing ►►TrentoTrento andand TriesteTrieste PrussiaPrussia ►►FranceFrance notnot resignedresigned toto lossloss ofof AlsaceAlsace andand LorraineLorraine ►►BismarckBismarck aimsaims atat isolatingisolating FranceFrance toto preventprevent anotheranother warwar ►►ItalyItaly getget strategicstrategic rolerole,, whosewhose neutralityneutrality collidescollides withwith PrussianPrussian projectsprojects OttomanOttoman QuestionQuestion ► Herzegovina 1875: Christian uprising against Ottoman Empire ► Reforms and rights for Christian subjects promised by Sultan , but ignored by Bosnian landlords . Increasing taxation on Christian peasants ► Unsuccessful attempts to repress revolt ► Tensions spread to Christians of other provinces of empire ► Russian intervention 1877 -1878 and Turkish defeat ► Treaty of St . Stephen Mar 1878 reduced Ottoman territories and Turkish power in Europe ► Conference of Berlin established that Bosnia -Herzegovina , though nominally still under Turkish sovereignty , would become military protectorate of , officially annexed in 1908 ► Threat of European war ► Italy – Historical Left (Sinistra Storica) in power (1876 – alternation Depretis -Cairoli ) could not change foreign policy agenda

FranceFrance ► Resentment for Italian neutrality during 1870 war ► Very strong Clerical Party: resentment due to usurpation of State of Church ► Tunisian Question : ► Treaty undersigned with Bey – Lord of , formally vassal of Sublime Porte, but practically widely self -governing – in Sept 1868 safeguarded Italians living there ; Italy to benefit status of most favoured nation on economic level , as well as France ► In order to divert French attention from revanschism against Prussia , Bismarck persuaded them to concentate on different aims ► Bismarck felt this would bring a double advantage to A) distract France from plans of revanche in Europe B) France clashed with Britain and Italy over the African question ► While France remained hostile towards Britain , she could not fight in Europe , and an offended Italy would seek support in Germany and Austria -Hungary ► Tunisia became French protecorate (1881) with great Italian displeasure , also worried abouth threat of invasion ► This ended up to favour Ausrian and German interests ► Italian irredentism moved to the background ItalianItalian ClaimsClaims ► Taking advantage of France ’s defeat in the war against Prussia , Italy attempted to impose an agreement on Tunisia, which envisaged special privileges for the Italian residents ► The Bey decided to resist . The Italians then began to prepare a naval expedition against Tunisia and only a joint British , French and Turkish demarche forced them temporarily to relinquish their plans . ► French investors seized lands and concessions . They obtained concessions for the construction of railways , for lead extraction , for the construction of a port in Tunis . ► French capitalists became more and more persistent in demanding Tunisia ’s complete conversion from a semi -colony into a French colony ► Tunisia ’s annexation was raised at the Berlin Congress in 1878. France agreed to recognise the British and Austrian conquests (Cyprus and Bosnia -Herzegovina ), and also Russia ’s expansion in the Balkans , under the condition that she be given the appropriate compensation ► Britain had no special interests in Tunisia. At the time, Britain was preparing to take over Egypt and had no objections to giving up Tunisia to pay for this acquisition and for Cyprus ► Turkey and Italy were France ’s sole enemies in Tunisia, but these France could afford to ignore