Europe in the 19th Century- 2 | History for UPSC 2024 (Pre & Mains) PDF Download

 Page 1


Making of 
Italy
• Italy had a long history of political fragmentation. Italians were 
scattered over several dynastic states as well as the multi-national 
Habsburg Empire. 
• During the middle of the nineteenth century, Italy was divided into 
seven states, of which only one, Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an 
Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs, the 
centre was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under 
the domination of the Bourbon kings of Spain. 
• Even the Italian language had not acquired one common form and 
still had many regional and local variations.
• During the 1830s, Giuseppe Mazzini had sought to put together a 
coherent programme for a unitary Italian Republic. 
• The failure of revolutionary uprisings both in 1831 and 1848 meant 
that the mantle now fell on Sardinia-Piedmont under its ruler King 
Victor Emmanuel II to unify the Italian states through war. 
• In the eyes of the ruling elites of this region, a unified Italy offered 
them the possibility of economic development and political 
dominance.
Page 2


Making of 
Italy
• Italy had a long history of political fragmentation. Italians were 
scattered over several dynastic states as well as the multi-national 
Habsburg Empire. 
• During the middle of the nineteenth century, Italy was divided into 
seven states, of which only one, Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an 
Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs, the 
centre was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under 
the domination of the Bourbon kings of Spain. 
• Even the Italian language had not acquired one common form and 
still had many regional and local variations.
• During the 1830s, Giuseppe Mazzini had sought to put together a 
coherent programme for a unitary Italian Republic. 
• The failure of revolutionary uprisings both in 1831 and 1848 meant 
that the mantle now fell on Sardinia-Piedmont under its ruler King 
Victor Emmanuel II to unify the Italian states through war. 
• In the eyes of the ruling elites of this region, a unified Italy offered 
them the possibility of economic development and political 
dominance.
Italian 
Unification
• While nationalism destroyed empires, it also built nations. Italy 
was one of the countries to form from the territory of crumbling 
empires. 
• Between 1815 and 1848, fewer and fewer Italians were content to 
live under foreign rulers. 
• Italian nationalists looked for leadership from the kingdom of 
Piedmont-Sardinia, the largest and most powerful of the Italian 
states.
• The kingdom had adopted a liberal constitution in 1848. So, to 
the liberal Italian middle classes, unification under Piedmont-
Sardinia seemed a good plan.
• In 1852, Sardinia’s king, Victor Emmanuel II, named Count Camillo 
di Cavour as his prime minister. Cavour was a cunning statesman
who worked tirelessly to expand Piedmont-Sardinia’s power. 
• Using skillful diplomacy and well-chosen alliances he set about 
gaining control of northern Italy for Sardinia.
Page 3


Making of 
Italy
• Italy had a long history of political fragmentation. Italians were 
scattered over several dynastic states as well as the multi-national 
Habsburg Empire. 
• During the middle of the nineteenth century, Italy was divided into 
seven states, of which only one, Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an 
Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs, the 
centre was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under 
the domination of the Bourbon kings of Spain. 
• Even the Italian language had not acquired one common form and 
still had many regional and local variations.
• During the 1830s, Giuseppe Mazzini had sought to put together a 
coherent programme for a unitary Italian Republic. 
• The failure of revolutionary uprisings both in 1831 and 1848 meant 
that the mantle now fell on Sardinia-Piedmont under its ruler King 
Victor Emmanuel II to unify the Italian states through war. 
• In the eyes of the ruling elites of this region, a unified Italy offered 
them the possibility of economic development and political 
dominance.
Italian 
Unification
• While nationalism destroyed empires, it also built nations. Italy 
was one of the countries to form from the territory of crumbling 
empires. 
• Between 1815 and 1848, fewer and fewer Italians were content to 
live under foreign rulers. 
• Italian nationalists looked for leadership from the kingdom of 
Piedmont-Sardinia, the largest and most powerful of the Italian 
states.
• The kingdom had adopted a liberal constitution in 1848. So, to 
the liberal Italian middle classes, unification under Piedmont-
Sardinia seemed a good plan.
• In 1852, Sardinia’s king, Victor Emmanuel II, named Count Camillo 
di Cavour as his prime minister. Cavour was a cunning statesman
who worked tirelessly to expand Piedmont-Sardinia’s power. 
• Using skillful diplomacy and well-chosen alliances he set about 
gaining control of northern Italy for Sardinia.
Italian 
Unification
• Cavour realized that the greatest roadblock to annexing northern 
Italy was Austria. 
• In 1858, the French President-turned-emperor Napoleon III 
agreed to help drive Austria out of the northern Italian 
provinces. 
• Cavour then provoked a war with the Austrians. A combined 
French-Sardinian army won two quick victories. Sardinia 
succeeded in taking all of northern Italy, except Venetia.
• As Cavour was uniting northern Italy, he secretly started helping 
nationalist rebels in southern Italy. 
• In May 1860, a small army of Italian nationalists led by a bold and 
visionary soldier, Giuseppe Garibaldi, captured Sicily. In battle, 
Garibaldi always wore a bright red shirt, as did his followers. As a 
result, they became known as the Red Shirts.
• From Sicily, Garibaldi and his forces crossed to the Italian 
mainland and marched north. 
• Eventually, Garibaldi agreed to unite the southern areas he had 
conquered with the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. 
Page 4


Making of 
Italy
• Italy had a long history of political fragmentation. Italians were 
scattered over several dynastic states as well as the multi-national 
Habsburg Empire. 
• During the middle of the nineteenth century, Italy was divided into 
seven states, of which only one, Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an 
Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs, the 
centre was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under 
the domination of the Bourbon kings of Spain. 
• Even the Italian language had not acquired one common form and 
still had many regional and local variations.
• During the 1830s, Giuseppe Mazzini had sought to put together a 
coherent programme for a unitary Italian Republic. 
• The failure of revolutionary uprisings both in 1831 and 1848 meant 
that the mantle now fell on Sardinia-Piedmont under its ruler King 
Victor Emmanuel II to unify the Italian states through war. 
• In the eyes of the ruling elites of this region, a unified Italy offered 
them the possibility of economic development and political 
dominance.
Italian 
Unification
• While nationalism destroyed empires, it also built nations. Italy 
was one of the countries to form from the territory of crumbling 
empires. 
• Between 1815 and 1848, fewer and fewer Italians were content to 
live under foreign rulers. 
• Italian nationalists looked for leadership from the kingdom of 
Piedmont-Sardinia, the largest and most powerful of the Italian 
states.
• The kingdom had adopted a liberal constitution in 1848. So, to 
the liberal Italian middle classes, unification under Piedmont-
Sardinia seemed a good plan.
• In 1852, Sardinia’s king, Victor Emmanuel II, named Count Camillo 
di Cavour as his prime minister. Cavour was a cunning statesman
who worked tirelessly to expand Piedmont-Sardinia’s power. 
• Using skillful diplomacy and well-chosen alliances he set about 
gaining control of northern Italy for Sardinia.
Italian 
Unification
• Cavour realized that the greatest roadblock to annexing northern 
Italy was Austria. 
• In 1858, the French President-turned-emperor Napoleon III 
agreed to help drive Austria out of the northern Italian 
provinces. 
• Cavour then provoked a war with the Austrians. A combined 
French-Sardinian army won two quick victories. Sardinia 
succeeded in taking all of northern Italy, except Venetia.
• As Cavour was uniting northern Italy, he secretly started helping 
nationalist rebels in southern Italy. 
• In May 1860, a small army of Italian nationalists led by a bold and 
visionary soldier, Giuseppe Garibaldi, captured Sicily. In battle, 
Garibaldi always wore a bright red shirt, as did his followers. As a 
result, they became known as the Red Shirts.
• From Sicily, Garibaldi and his forces crossed to the Italian 
mainland and marched north. 
• Eventually, Garibaldi agreed to unite the southern areas he had 
conquered with the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. 
Italian 
Unification
• Cavour arranged for King Victor Emmanuel II to meet Garibaldi in 
Naples. “The Red One” willingly agreed to step aside and let the 
Sardinian king rule
• In 1866, the Austrian province of Venetia, which included the city 
of Venice, became part of Italy. 
• In 1870, Italian forces took over the last part of a territory known 
as the Papal States. 
• With this victory, the city of Rome came under Italian control. 
Soon after, Rome became the capital of the united kingdom of 
Italy. 
• The pope, however, would continue to govern a section of Rome 
known as Vatican City.
Page 5


Making of 
Italy
• Italy had a long history of political fragmentation. Italians were 
scattered over several dynastic states as well as the multi-national 
Habsburg Empire. 
• During the middle of the nineteenth century, Italy was divided into 
seven states, of which only one, Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an 
Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs, the 
centre was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under 
the domination of the Bourbon kings of Spain. 
• Even the Italian language had not acquired one common form and 
still had many regional and local variations.
• During the 1830s, Giuseppe Mazzini had sought to put together a 
coherent programme for a unitary Italian Republic. 
• The failure of revolutionary uprisings both in 1831 and 1848 meant 
that the mantle now fell on Sardinia-Piedmont under its ruler King 
Victor Emmanuel II to unify the Italian states through war. 
• In the eyes of the ruling elites of this region, a unified Italy offered 
them the possibility of economic development and political 
dominance.
Italian 
Unification
• While nationalism destroyed empires, it also built nations. Italy 
was one of the countries to form from the territory of crumbling 
empires. 
• Between 1815 and 1848, fewer and fewer Italians were content to 
live under foreign rulers. 
• Italian nationalists looked for leadership from the kingdom of 
Piedmont-Sardinia, the largest and most powerful of the Italian 
states.
• The kingdom had adopted a liberal constitution in 1848. So, to 
the liberal Italian middle classes, unification under Piedmont-
Sardinia seemed a good plan.
• In 1852, Sardinia’s king, Victor Emmanuel II, named Count Camillo 
di Cavour as his prime minister. Cavour was a cunning statesman
who worked tirelessly to expand Piedmont-Sardinia’s power. 
• Using skillful diplomacy and well-chosen alliances he set about 
gaining control of northern Italy for Sardinia.
Italian 
Unification
• Cavour realized that the greatest roadblock to annexing northern 
Italy was Austria. 
• In 1858, the French President-turned-emperor Napoleon III 
agreed to help drive Austria out of the northern Italian 
provinces. 
• Cavour then provoked a war with the Austrians. A combined 
French-Sardinian army won two quick victories. Sardinia 
succeeded in taking all of northern Italy, except Venetia.
• As Cavour was uniting northern Italy, he secretly started helping 
nationalist rebels in southern Italy. 
• In May 1860, a small army of Italian nationalists led by a bold and 
visionary soldier, Giuseppe Garibaldi, captured Sicily. In battle, 
Garibaldi always wore a bright red shirt, as did his followers. As a 
result, they became known as the Red Shirts.
• From Sicily, Garibaldi and his forces crossed to the Italian 
mainland and marched north. 
• Eventually, Garibaldi agreed to unite the southern areas he had 
conquered with the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. 
Italian 
Unification
• Cavour arranged for King Victor Emmanuel II to meet Garibaldi in 
Naples. “The Red One” willingly agreed to step aside and let the 
Sardinian king rule
• In 1866, the Austrian province of Venetia, which included the city 
of Venice, became part of Italy. 
• In 1870, Italian forces took over the last part of a territory known 
as the Papal States. 
• With this victory, the city of Rome came under Italian control. 
Soon after, Rome became the capital of the united kingdom of 
Italy. 
• The pope, however, would continue to govern a section of Rome 
known as Vatican City.
Italian 
Unification