Unification of Italy and Germany

Unification of Italy and Germany

Compare and Contrast: Part I ItalyCompare and Contrast: Part I Italy

For those of you who are

interested• iTunes U gives you access to some great historians from Universities such as Yale, UC Berkeley, and Oxford.

• I wholeheartedly recommend David Wetzel’s lectures. He is from UC Berkeley. History 162a includes lectures on the unification of Italy and Germany. (He is quite an animated lecturer.)

• I borrowed heavily from his lecture when creating this presentation.

Wetzel’s thesis

• Wetzel notes that one of the traditional ways to look at the unifications of Italy and Germany is to contrast them. (Looking at Italian unification as more of a romantic idea and German unification as an example of realpolitik--calculated and a bit ruthless.)

• Wetzel argues that there is also a fair amount that these two movements have in common.

Revisiting 1848• The revolutions of 1848 are often called “a

turning point in history when history failed to turn.”

• We talked about a number of “isms” of the 19th century and looked at how some of the revolutions of 1848 failed to consolidate due to break downs in vision and ideology.

• For example, it was liberals who initially pushed for unification in 1848, but it will a somewhat ruthless Otto von Bismarck who will help create a more conservative Germany in 1871.

Antecedents• People have talked about the unification of

Italy for some time. We will go back to the recent past.

• 1832--Guiseppe Mazzini writes a book called Young Italy

• Every human being has a mission to fulfill--to associate with like nationality (ethnic group), which should lead to becoming a state, and then a nation.

• People will need to sacrifice in order for this to be possible.

MazziniMazzini

• Mazzini saw Italians as oppressed by

• the Pope and

• Austrians

18481848• Mazzini

established a radical republic in Rome, but you should remember that it was put down in 1849 by the French.

• Mazzini’s radical ideas have been discredited.

Charles Albert’s Failure

Charles Albert’s Failure

• Remember that in 1848, Charles Albert of Piedmont Sardinia also tried to push for Italian unification and getting rid of the Austrians. That also failed and discredited the idea that Italy could bring about unification on its own.

Sum it Up

• Who were the main participants in the 1848 attempts to unify Italy?

• What were the results of Italy’s attempt to unify in 1848?

• What lessons were learned?

What next?What next?If the attempts of 1848 didn’t work

and there is a growing sense that Italy will not be able to bring about its own unification, what happens so that we

end up with a unified Italy.

If the attempts of 1848 didn’t work and there is a growing sense that Italy will not be able to bring about its own unification, what happens so that we

end up with a unified Italy.

Who takes the lead?

Who takes the lead?

• Piedmont-Sardinia is the state that is seen as the one that could lead the unification effort.

Why Piedmont-Sardinia?Why Piedmont-Sardinia?

Economic Economic Reasons:Reasons:

Most advanced Most advanced economy--economy--railroadsrailroads

Political Reasons:Political Reasons:Only state with a Only state with a constitution and constitution and

1,000 year history 1,000 year history of ruling family of of ruling family of

SavoySavoy

Military Reasons:Military Reasons:Only state with an Only state with an army and a navyarmy and a navy

New Ideas and People

• You need to know Count Camillo Cavour--born in 1810. He is a businessman and a banker. A moderate liberal.

• Knows how to play the game of politics. Getting what he wants is more important than ideological “purity.”

• Cavour was the founder of Il Risorgimento “The Resurgence” a newspaper advocating liberal political ideas.

Cavour

Cavour• Cavour enters Parliament of Piedmont-Sardinia in

1842.

• Cavour convinces Piedmont-Sardinia to enter the Crimean War in 1852 with no strings attached. Cavour convinces Victor Emmanuel II to send troops. Why would he do that? So he can ask for a favor in return.

• After this, Cavour becomes Prime Minister.

• At the Congress of Paris, Piedmont-Sardinia is admitted to the Congress. After the Treaty of Paris is signed, a special session is held in which conditions on the Italian peninsula are denounced. (A slap in the face to Austria.)

Sum it Up

• What was Cavour already doing to try and move toward Italian unification? How was he showing that he had learned some of the lessons of 1848?

• In what ways could his actions to this point be seen as realpolitik in action?

What next?• If Italy can’t do this on it’s own, who else

wants to do something for Italy?

• Believe it or not, it’s France--Napoleon III

• Napoleon III is motivated by principal of nationalism.

• It would overturn the Treaties of 1815, which were designed to contain France.

• Napoleon III wants cities. He wants Nice and Savoy were taken from France at the Congress of Vienna.

Napoleon III and Cavour

• June 1858--Napoleon III and Cavour meet at Plombieres.

• Piedmont-Sardinia would try to provoke Austria into declaring war and France agreed to come to Piedmont-Sardinia’s aid.

• Piedmont wanted to annex Lombardy and Venetia

• France would get Nice and Savoy.

• Marriage between Napoleon III’s cousin Jerome would marry the daughter of the King Victor Emmanuel II. Jerome would get kingdom in central Italy.

In your own words

• How was the meeting between Napoleon III and Cavour an example of power politics?

• What are your views on this type of politics?

How did things work out?

• There are some second thoughts on Napoleon’s part, he wants another power to join them who hates Austria.

• Napoleon III looks to try and establish a Franco-Russian treaty of alliance. (This move for Franco-Russian alliance will be important as we move into 20th century.) France promises to help with Russia’s “Eastern Question.”

What about Prussia and

Britain?

• Britain is dominated by conservatives who are sympathetic to the Austrians.

• Prussians can’t guarantee neutrality because they see Austria as a German power.

Piedmont Sardinia is

getting anxious• Piedmont Sardinia had been unsuccessful in getting Austria to declare war.

• So, Piedmont-Sardinia begins mobilizing troops.

• Russia starts freaking out and calls a Congress to discuss some key issues and maybe avoid war.

• France pressures Piedmont-Sardinia to demobilize.

P-S hopes dashed?

• Even after Piedmont-Sardinia agreed to start demobilizing, Austria sends an ultimatum. Wertzel quotes a line from Norman Rich-- “It’s hard to find rational explanations for stupidity.” (He does go on to give some explanations, but they have more nuances than you probably need to worry about.)

• Cavour rejects the ultimatum and Piedmont-Sardinia goes to war against Austria. France joins on the side of Piedmont-Sardinia.

• The war is know as the Austro-Sardinian War of 1859

Very Quick War• July 6, 1859--Armistice of Villa Franca

• Sardinia is going to get Lombardy, but NOT Venitia.

• France gives up claim to Nice and Savoy.

• While the war was going on, there were revolutions in central Italy. The dukes that have been kicked out can come back, but not by force.

• There was supposed to be a Confederation under the Pope--although no one asked the pope.

• There was to be a Congress to discuss issues.

Why does Napoleon III sign?

• Napoleon III is sickened by death toll.

• Sardinian army is not performing as well as expected.

• Prussians have begun to mobilize on the Rhine.

Why do the Austrians sign?

• They are broke

• Revolution threatening to break out in Hungary. Don’t forget about this. We will be revisiting the tensions in Austria.

• Austria is a little skittish about Prussian mobilization. Francis Joseph figures that it will “owe” Prussia if it comes to Austria’s assistance.

Cavour

• Cavour is NOT HAPPY.

• Cavour resigns as Prime Minister in late 1859.

What changes?• Napoleon begins to have second thoughts. Congress

does not seem to be addressing France’s goals.

• Britain has a pro-Sardinian liberal prime minister--Palmerston

• The Piedmontese already occupied some of the smaller Italian states and France was unwilling to pressure them to leave. Austria wasn’t really in a position to do so.

• Tuscany, Parma, Modena, and the Legations formed the United Provinces of Central Italy.

• The British--now with a Liberal Prime Minister--encouraged the Piedmontese to annex the provinces.

What to do with France?

• January 1860 Cavour comes back to power.

• Napoleon III is open to new deal.

• If France supports Piedmont-Sardinia annexing the other states, France gets Nice and Savoy.

• France agrees to support Piedmont-Sardinia’s claims.

• Piedmont-Sardinia now controls much of Northern and Central Italy.

So who’s ticked off?• Palmerston and British are angry that France

gets Nice and Savoy. Palmerston says that Napoleon III is no different than his uncle.

• Garibaldi--who was born in Nice and fought with Mazzini. He is in Northern Italy with troops.

• Cavour provokes a revolution in Sicily to try and get Garibaldi out of Sardinia.

• Garibaldi and his Red Shirts sail off to Sicily. Cavour fears Garibaldi--who he sees as a radical.

Cavour dealings with Garibaldi

• Garibaldi sails for Sicily in May with 1,000 Red shirts.

• Once Garibaldi is away, Cavour sends the Sandinian navy to arrest Garibaldi. :-(

• Cavour’s goal is to increase the power of the House of Savoy.

• Garibaldi arrives in Sicily and they defeat an army of 20,000.

Garibaldi• Garibaldi’s victory is quite impressive. He declares

himself dictator of Sicily.

• Cavour can’t catch Garibaldi. Garibaldi is too quick for Cavour.

• Garibaldi heads up the Italian peninsula--he’s on his way to Naples.

• Cavour is freaking out!!!! He is afraid that Garibaldi is heading for Rome or Lombardy. (French troops are in Rome and Austrians are in Lombardy.)

• Cavour gives heads up to Napoleon III that Garibaldi might be headed to Rome.

Cavour sets a trap

• Cavour lets Napoleon know that Garibaldi’s troops might be on the way.

• Cavour makes a proposal to Napoleon III--December 1860.

• What if Sardinian agents stir up revolution in papal states. Then Papal states can call on Sardinia for help and annexation.

• Cavour sends in troops. France cuts off relations.

What next?• Garibaldi holds half of Italy and Cavour holds the other.

• Victor Emmanuel II and Garibaldi meet at Teano--October 27, 1860. Garibaldi turns of sword and offers support to King Victor Emmanuel and Italy is unified.

• A plebiscites confirmed desire for Italian unification.

• Italy still doesn’t have Rome, Venetia, and there are still French troops in the Papal States.

• In summer of 1861, Cavour dies.

Completion of Unification

• Italian unification will end up being completed as events in the Rhine heat up.

• Italy will gain Venetia in 1866 when Prussia defeats Austria and Rome, excluding the Vatican, in 1870--when Prussia defeats France.

Italian Unification

• Some have said that Italy’s unification represents the “passion of Mazzini, the audacity of Garibaldi, and the cunning of Cavour.”

Some Problems

• Italy would still have some “issues”

• Opposition from the Papacy

• political corruption

• cultural and economic differences between Northern and Southern Italy.

• angst about “unredeemed” Italian-speaking territories.

Summary• You should be able to

• explain what “lessons” were learned from the failure of the 1848 revolutions.

• identify why Piedmont-Sardinia was Italian state seen as having the best chance for unifying Italy.

• explain the “deal” between Cavour and Napoleon III and how it led to a war with Austria.

• identify what was achieved and what wasn’t in that war.

• explain what else happened before all of Italy was unified.

ReferencesReferences

Wetzel, D. (Speaker). (2012, February 21). Lecture 11: Wars of Italian Unification. iTunes University. (2012)

This lecture is part of David Wetzel’s course History 162A, Spring 2012. Wetzel teaches history at UC Berkeley. The

lecture can be accessed for free through iTunes University.