Booklet 1, Big Question 6: What caused the 1848 Revolutions?

Question 1

Causes of the 1848 revolutions?

Answer 1

• Growth of Liberalism
• Reforms of Pius IX
• Unpopularity of the Austrians
• Social discontent and Economic problems
• Weaknesses of Nationalism

Question 2

Which state had a more liberal government compared to other states at the time? (step towards unification)

Answer 2

Piedmont-Sardinia

Question 3

What did CA do to aid Piedmont’s position?

Answer 3

He joined Pius IX’s customs union and supported Pius’s reforms of the legal system

Question 4

Why did CA present “the Statuto”?

Answer 4

• Constitution demanding demonstrations occurred in Piedmont, Genoa and Turin
• Foreign powers France, Germany and Austria demanded reform and new constitutions
• This led to “the Statuto” being presented in 1847

Question 5

What did “the Statuto” do?

Answer 5

It gave radicals and reformers of Italy civil rights to stand on, bolstering their drive for unification and a representative government

Question 6

What constitutions influenced the Statuto?

Answer 6

American, English, Belgian

Question 7

What suggested that the liberals were gaining more confidence to resist rulers amd the Austrians?

Answer 7

The aims of the Carbonari and the Alfereti were for more liberal constitutions

Question 8

What year was Pope Pius IX elected?

Answer 8

1846

Question 9

What was one of the first acts of the Pope (progressive)? What did it do?

Answer 9

The release of political prisoners - it inspired the masses, and those in Rome chanted “O sommo Pio”/”Oh, Supreme Pius”

Question 10

Following the reaction of his first act, what did the Pope do? (progressive)

Answer 10

He questioned Italy’s justice system, recruited a council of lay advisors and entered a customs union with Tuscany and Piedmont (promoted free trade among its members and common tariffs among its non-members)

Question 11

What did Pope Pius IX’s actions inspire?

Answer 11

The abolition of press censorship in Piedmont

Question 12

Example of an area that was under direct Austrian rule?

Answer 12

The Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia - nationalists resented high taxation from Austria

Question 13

What fraction of the Austrian Empire’s taxes revenue came from Italian states under Austrian control?

Answer 13

1/3 (from Lombardy-Venetia)

Question 14

When did Austrian troops occupy Ferrara (Papal States)? How was this allowed?

Answer 14

• July 1847
• It was allowed by the Treaty of Vienna, 1815
• This caused the Pope to lodge a formal protest with the Austrian government

Question 15

What happened in January 1848?

Answer 15

Pope Pius IX denied the Austrians the right to cross the Papal States, whilst simultaneously asking the Lord to bless ‘Italia’ - Austria was traditionally Catholic and seemed to be in conflict with the church

Question 16

What happened in March 1848?

Answer 16

• The declaration of a republic in Venice

- Skirmishes in Milan, which forced out Austrian occupying troops

Question 17

What percent of the population worked the land (mostly tenant subsistence farming)?

Answer 17

90% - their trade was vulnerable to foreign competition and inefficient

Question 18

Who did the peasants lose long-held communal land to?

Answer 18

The wealthy, conservative ruling class - industrial workers struggled with lay-offs as a result of over-production

Question 19

What years did Europe-wide harvest failures of maize and wheat occur?

Answer 19

1846-47

Question 20

What did Milan suffer from?

Answer 20

Poor housing, overcrowding and poor living conditions

Question 21

What was the life expectancy in Naples during the 1840s?

Answer 21

24

Question 22

The cholera outbreak in Sicily, 1836, led to how many deaths?

Answer 22

65,000