BACKGROUND INFORMATION
GIUSEPPE MAZZINI
- Born 1805 in Genoa - Died 1872 in Pisa
- In 1827 he joined "i Carbonari" in Tuscany - a revolutionary group.
- Italian politician, journalist and activist in the Unification of Italy.
- Mazzini organised the political party La Giovine Italia in 1835, to promote Italian unification. The groups basic principal was to unify the several states and kingdoms within the peninsula and make it a single republic. "One, Independent, Free Republic".
- In 1833 with his newly organised political party, he attempted his first insurrection. It failed, as the Savoy government discovered Mazzini's plan and stopped him and his followers before they could begin.
- Tried in absence and was sentenced to death.
- In 1834 he organised another revolutionary uprising. The plan was to send a group of Italian exiles in Piedmont from Switzerland and spread the revolution from there, while Giuseppe Garibaldi (recently joined Giovine Italia) was to do the same from Genoa. This attempt again failed.
- It was evident that every attempt Mazzini made to unify Italy failed, but he was seen as a 'Founding Father' of Italy as he introduced revolutionary ideas to the Italian public.
CAMILLO BENSO OF CAVOUR
GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI
TIMELINE
1672-1803 Muratori, Alfieri and Genovesi introduce revolutionary activities and ideas.
1796 French occupy Milan under French General Napoleon Bonaparte.
1797 Pope submits to Bonaparte; Uprisings against French in Verona; French enter Venice; Austria was given Venice.
1798 Roman Republic declared (later retaken by French); Abdication of Charles Emmanuel IV of Savoy.
1799 French occupy Naples; Milan taken by Russians; Austrians enter Turin; Naples capitulates to Bourbons.
1801 Napoleon occupies Milan; Treaty of Florence between France and Naples.
1802 France annexes Piedmont.
1805 Napoleon crowns himself King of Italy; Ligurian Republic annexed to France; also Parma and Piacenza.
1806 Venetia annexed to Kingdom of Italy; Joseph Bonaparte declared King of the Two Sicilies.
1808 Joachim Murat becomes King of Naples; Papal States partly annexed to Kingdom of Italy.
1809 Rome becomes annexed and Papal States to French empire.
1814 Napoleon defeated
1820 Revolt in Naples.
1821 Revolt in Piedmont.
1831 Revolution in the Papal States; King Charles Albert becomes King of Sardinia; "Giovine Italia" founded by Mazzini.
1848 Uprisings in Palermo; Constitutional monarchy proclaimed in Piedmont; Constitution granted in Rome, Republic proclaimed with Mazzini as head. Successful revolution in Milan; Venice proclaimed a Republic; Tuscan forces invade Lombardy; Naples constitution denied; Union of Venetia and Piedmont declared, soon overthrown.
1849 Sicilian revolution crushed by Naples; Austrians take Florence; Venice surrenders to Austria.
1850 Cavour becomes Prime Minister in Sardinia-Piedmonte.
1852 Napoleon III becomes emperor of France.
1858 Meeting of Cavour and Napoleon III.
1859 War between Austria and Sardinia Piedmont; Austria defeated by Piemontese and French; Sardinia gains Lombardy.
1860 Tuscany and Emilia declare for union with Sardinia-Piedmonte; Revolution in Sicily, Garibaldi lands and is victorious; invades Italy and gains victory; enters Naples Piemontese army under Victor Emmanuel take over from Garibaldi; Marche and Umbria vote for annexation to Piedmonte.
1861 Sicily and Naples vote to join Kingdom of Italy; Kingdom of Italy proclaimed.
1866 Italy joins Prussia in War against Austria; gains Venetia;
1870 Italian troops occupy Rome when French abandon city;
1871 (July) Rome made Capital of Kingdom
- Born in Turin in 1810 - Died in 1861 in Turin
- Italian statesman and a leading figure in the unification of Italy.
- Founder of the Liberal party.
- Prime minister of the Kingdom of Piedmont - Sardinia. His time as Prime minister can be considered as one of the most successful of all time.
- Founded the political newspaper 'Il Risorgimento'.
- Was sent to Turin Military Academy when he was 10.
- Resigned from the army in November 1831 because he was bored of the military life and because he disagreed with the reactionary policies of the new ruler of Piedmont and wanted to make a change.
- He never planned on unifying Italy, all he wanted to do was to expand the kingdom of Piedmont and annex Lombardy and Venetia.
- He believed revolutionaries and republicans were disorganised radicals who would upset the social order.
- In 1860 Cavour and Napoleon decided to give up Nice to France so that they could annex Tuscany and Emilia to Piedmont.
- After the loss of a lot of territory to Austria, Cavour convinced his people that uniting Italy would make up for the territorial losses.
- Cavour denied Garibaldi of any Piedmontese troops to help conquer Sicily, so Garibaldi raised an army of a thousand redshirts, 'I Mille'.
- Once he was able to annex those two states it was the mark of the first stage of the unification of Italy, meaning that it was up to Garibaldi to overthrow the Kingdom of the Two Sicily's and bring southern Italy in Piedmonts control. Due to Garibaldi's disagreement with Cavour's handing of Nice over to France (Garibaldi's birthplace), he decided to be difficult with Cavour and not cooperate with his plans.
- He attempted to then stir up revolution in Naples, but no one supported him. So Garibaldi then took over Naples before Cavour could stop him. After conquering the whole of southern Italy Garibaldi appointed himself as military dictator of Southern Italy and Victor Emmanuel the King. He imposed to the Piedmontese constitution to remove Cavour.
- Due to Garibaldi's attempt at conquering the Papal States, though was weakened, Cavour stepped in and invaded. His success then allowed him to link those newly conquered states to the territories of Piedmont and the territories conquered by Garibaldi.
- Cavour and Garibaldi always had a fractious relationship. It is known that Cavour likened Garibaldi to "a savage", while Garibaldi called Cavour "a low intriguer"
- By 1870 Italy was finally united.
- Victor Emmanuel II declared the kingdom of Italy, and made Cavour officially the first Prime Minister of Italy.
GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI
- Born 1807 in Nice - Died 1882 in Caprera
- Italian patriot, republican and soldier of the 'Risorgimento'.
- His motivations for organising a revolutionary movement was to found a liberal system of government for Italy, to become a leader of men who shared his ideals, and ultimately the establishment of a unified Italy.
- In 1833-34 he served in the navy of the kingdom of Piedmont - Sardinia.
- During this time he came under the influence of Mazzini (Prophet of Italian nationalism).
- In 1834 he took part in a mutiny intended to provoke a republican revolution in Piedmont. The plot failed and so he escaped to France.
- In 1836-38 he lived in South America as an exile. During his time there he helped in the revolutionary activity happening there at the time, which then helped his career.
- In 1842 he helped Uruguay and took command of a newly formed Italian Legion at Montevideo, the first of the Redshirts.
- He then, in 1846, won a small battle which then allowed his fame to reach Europe.
- In 1848 he led 60 members of his Italian Legion back to Italy to fight for the Risorgimento of Italy in the war of Independence against Austria.
- In 1849 Garibaldi became a deputy in the Roman assembly, and he proposed that Rome should become an independent republic.
- In that same year he defeated a Neapolitan army outside Rome and in June he was the leading figure in the defence of Rome against a French siege.
- Garibaldi led a few thousand men out of Rome and through central Italy in July 1849. He failed and so he decided to disband his men. This made him a well known figure.
- His leadership qualities were extraordinary and his courage and determination not to surrender were a lesson in patriotism for his fellow countrymen.
- The Piedmontese monarchy was worried of what he might do next and so he was put in exile. First in Tangier, then on Staten Island and then in Peru.
- In 1854 he was allowed to return in Italy.
- In 1858 he was invited by Cavour to help prepare for another war against Austria.
- At the end of 1859 peace had returned to the north of Italy and Garibaldi now wanted to focus on central Italy. On a few occasions he met with King Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont and they agreed to invade the Papal States.
- At the last moment the King realised that it was too dangerous and so their invasion did not go ahead.
- In May 1860 Garibaldi set out on the greatest ventures of his life, the conquest of Sicily and Naples. The government did not support him for this, though Cavour and the King did not stop him. They only agreed to assist if he proved successful.
- Many peasants saw him as a God due to his irresistible charm and for freeing them from slavery and feudalism.
- Conquered Palermo.
- Won the battle of Milazzo.
- After his victory in Naples he handed the whole of Southern Italy to King Victor Emmanuel.
- In 1870 Italy was United.
TIMELINE
1672-1803 Muratori, Alfieri and Genovesi introduce revolutionary activities and ideas.
1796 French occupy Milan under French General Napoleon Bonaparte.
1797 Pope submits to Bonaparte; Uprisings against French in Verona; French enter Venice; Austria was given Venice.
1798 Roman Republic declared (later retaken by French); Abdication of Charles Emmanuel IV of Savoy.
1799 French occupy Naples; Milan taken by Russians; Austrians enter Turin; Naples capitulates to Bourbons.
1801 Napoleon occupies Milan; Treaty of Florence between France and Naples.
1802 France annexes Piedmont.
1805 Napoleon crowns himself King of Italy; Ligurian Republic annexed to France; also Parma and Piacenza.
1806 Venetia annexed to Kingdom of Italy; Joseph Bonaparte declared King of the Two Sicilies.
1808 Joachim Murat becomes King of Naples; Papal States partly annexed to Kingdom of Italy.
1809 Rome becomes annexed and Papal States to French empire.
1814 Napoleon defeated
1820 Revolt in Naples.
1821 Revolt in Piedmont.
1831 Revolution in the Papal States; King Charles Albert becomes King of Sardinia; "Giovine Italia" founded by Mazzini.
1848 Uprisings in Palermo; Constitutional monarchy proclaimed in Piedmont; Constitution granted in Rome, Republic proclaimed with Mazzini as head. Successful revolution in Milan; Venice proclaimed a Republic; Tuscan forces invade Lombardy; Naples constitution denied; Union of Venetia and Piedmont declared, soon overthrown.
1849 Sicilian revolution crushed by Naples; Austrians take Florence; Venice surrenders to Austria.
1850 Cavour becomes Prime Minister in Sardinia-Piedmonte.
1852 Napoleon III becomes emperor of France.
1858 Meeting of Cavour and Napoleon III.
1859 War between Austria and Sardinia Piedmont; Austria defeated by Piemontese and French; Sardinia gains Lombardy.
1860 Tuscany and Emilia declare for union with Sardinia-Piedmonte; Revolution in Sicily, Garibaldi lands and is victorious; invades Italy and gains victory; enters Naples Piemontese army under Victor Emmanuel take over from Garibaldi; Marche and Umbria vote for annexation to Piedmonte.
1861 Sicily and Naples vote to join Kingdom of Italy; Kingdom of Italy proclaimed.
1866 Italy joins Prussia in War against Austria; gains Venetia;
1870 Italian troops occupy Rome when French abandon city;
1871 (July) Rome made Capital of Kingdom