Italy 1789 - 1847 - b1 & 2 Flashcards
- Impact of French Revolution & Napoleonic Italy - Impact of Congress Of Vienna - restored monarchs - Nationalism - Carbonari, revolutions of 1820-21 & 1831, Young Italy - Diff. attitudes to unification - extent of support for nationalism
What were the Italian states of 1789?
- Duchies of Savoy, Tuscany & Milan
- Princedoms of Parma & Moderna
- Republics of Venetia, Genoa & Lucca - elite Govts
- Papal States - temporal rule
- Kingdoms of Sardinia Piedmont, Naples & Sicily
- Foreign domination - Aus., Sp. & Fr. since 15th century bc Italy highly divided
- Italy
Reasons for divisions in Italy
- Elites = strong local identity
- no nat. language & many dialects
- different rulers: Republican govts., Princely, Royal & Temporal coexist - more loyal to own leaders
Positive impacts of Fr. Rev. on Italian Nationalism
- Main values of revolution: ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’ - inspired liberal & Nat. movements - challenges idea of absolutist rule
- elites inspired to write own constitutions - 1st step in direction of nationalism
Fr. Rev. didn’t impact Italy/IN
- 80% (maj.) of pop. illiterate - cant access rev. info until Napoleonic Invasion = little action taken by Italian Peasantry
- Uneven impacts - Southern states e.g Sicily never invaded unlike North - no shared experiences
What changes did Napoleon bring to Italy?
- greatly reduced the power of the Church - by 1814 had closed down all monasteries and began to auction off church land
- introduced the Code Napoleon = equal rights
- each state given a 2 chamber representative govt
- increased taxes & military
Positives of Napoleonic rule for IN
- Francophobia developed: Imposition of very heavy taxes to fund wars & conscription resulting in deaths of 10,000s of Italians - common enemy
- LT - experience of new govt. etc introduces new political ideas
- ST - abolition of Pope’s temporal powers & sale of church land - challenges ideas of absolutist rule
Negatives of Napoleonic rule for IN
- Abolition of Pope’s temporal powers = short lived
- the changes to government were mostly experienced by the upper and middle classes
- motivation for revolutions wasn’t nationalistic fervour, public mostly wanted a return to order
- different areas experienced different levels/degrees of the Napoleonic regime, the public had different reactions and weren’t united by experience
What were the Carbonari & their political views?
- largest secret society
- believed liberty could only be achieved w/ political change, either removal of the French or a revolution against restored monarchies
What were the Adelfi & their political views?
- strongly anti-French
- led by experienced revolutionary & based in the North
- aimed to destroy Aus. rule to lead to a democratic republic
What was Young Italy & its aims?
- formed in 1831 by Mazzini after prior secret society failures
- accompanied by a journal to spread ideas
- belief in democracy & will of the people
- to achieve ind. nation revolution necessary
- republican in view
- envisioned union of all Italian speaking provinces
What were the failures of Young Italy?
- 1833 army coup halted before it began - 12 members executed by CA’s govt.
- 1834 attack on Piedmont & uprising in Genoa never started
thus their actual attempts were a failure making the group a laughing stick but Mazzini’s ideas were an inspiration
Who were the 4 main countries involved in the COV?
Britain, Russia, Prussia & Aus. - led by Metternich
What was the Congress of Vienna & what was its impact on Italy?
- Peace conference in 1815
- redrawing Italy’s borders and the map of Europe to enable a ‘return to the status quo’. & prevent further French invasions
- piedmont became the only independent state & gains population
- control over other states handed over to Aus. = italian resentment
What is a reactionary state?
Wanted to completely dismantle Napoleonic structures and return to things pre-1796.
Papal states, Duchy of Modena and the Kingdom of Piedmont.