Key Features Of Unification and pre WW1 liberal Italy Flashcards
N3 of France
Sent 100k troops to help expel Austria in exchange for gaining nice and savoy for France
VE2 of piedmont
- first king of Italy
- refused to retitle himself as VE1
Who did Cavour do a deal with to get French help to expel Austria?
N3
What is cavours goal?
To create an independent Italian state in N & C, but not to include backward S.
How does Italy gain Venetia?
Prussia and Italy fight Austria. Prussia wins. Italy loses. Prussia wins Venetia for Italy
How do the Italians get Rome?
Prussia defeats France who withdraws its troops protecting the pope from Rome. Italian troops move in.
Risorgimento?
Period during which Italy became one united state. Means rebirth. Triumph for nationalism
What had Cavour been trying to create?
Not a United Italy but an enlarged state in the N.
Who did most of the fighting against the Austrians?
Initially France. In 1866 it was Prussian troops who were victorious against Austria
More Italians were to die rebelling against their new govt in the 1860s than…
Died fighting for it in 1859-60
Italia irredenta
Austria kept trentino and South Tyrol.
What do some historians argue?
That there is a connection between the Risorgimento and the later coming to power of the fascists
Why is there a connection between Risorgimento and fascism?
As a direct result from how Italy was created but not fully unified, the new Italian suffered from weaknesses which made it susceptible to fascism
Domestic issues: from Risorgimento to fascism
- lack of popular involvement in making Italy meant that masses did not identify with new state- were not given the vote.
- unification process dominated by the elite who were not dedicated to major social reforms (LIBERAL OLIGARCHY)
- pope hostile to new state
- makers of Italy not intended to include backward S in a united Italy so neglected its problems.
- debts incurred in wars of unification meant new govt imposed high taxes and restricted social spending
FP:from Risorgimento to fascism
- reliance on foreign armies to unify Italy contributed to a national inferiority complex and a desire to show Italy was a great power.
- failure to defeat Austria in 1866 left Austria holding South Tyrol and trentino- Italia irredenta
Overall: Risorgimento to fascism
Creation of a new state raised expectations of social reform and national greatness
Not fulfilled by LG
Offered by fascism
In 1914 what percentage owned 50% of land?
0.01%
What were latifundia?
Large, inefficient noble owned estates
The south, aka…
Mezzogiorno
What percent of pop were rural pre war?
57%
UK:13%
Agrari
Large landowners
Braccianti
Small agricultural labourers (most of rural pop)
Mezzadri
Tenant farmers
How much rail track was in the N & S? (1861)
N=350km
S=100km (GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED)
Examples of dialect variations for child
Italian=bambino
Lazio=regazzino
When was there a wide scale migration to growing towns in the N?
1880s
D’Azeglio
“We have made Italy. Now we must make Italians”
How do you win over people to the new state?
-successful DP and FP
In the 1890s what percent of the S had no roads?
90%
How many emigrated to the US (1870-1900)?
5 m
Key problems: opposition of the church
- pope told catholics not to participate in new state
- priests helped to stir unrest amongst peasantry
Key problems: economic problems
- govt debt
- high taxes on poor
- N/S divide heightened by N industrialisation
- frequent unrest, especially in Sicily: 1860s, 1893-4 major revolts
Key problems:pol problems
- limited suffrage meant most Italians uninvolved in new state bar paying taxes and being conscripted into army
- politicians corrupt: frequent changes of govt
Key problems: FP
- Italia irredenta: areas populated by Italians kept by Austria in 1866
- govt had inferiority complex
- defeat at adowa 1896
How many people had vote?
Initially:2%
1882: 25%
1912: most males
Thus PPs did not reflect popular wishes
Transformismo
Art of bribes and favours in exchange for deals.
Corrupt
Increased sense of alienation masses felt towards system
Pol all about deals
Corruption in local govt
Central govt appointed prefects who ran the provinces and made sure govt appointed candidates won elections
Bribery and inefficiency rife within the administration
Only further discredited the liberal system in masses eyes
Gulf between…
Legal Italy and real Italy
Masses knew little of went on beyond their villages
For them Italy not a country but was just the power that forced them to pay taxes and do military service
Why was Italy’s industrial development always going to be limited?
Lack of key resources such as coal and iron
When was the industrial boom in the N?
1900-10
What were Italy’s main industries?
Silk and engineering
How did the new govt economically unite Italy?
- abolished internal tariffs
- established a single Italian market (internal free trade)
However harmed what little industry existed in S- couldn’t compete with the more advanced N
Rapid growth of N only exacerbated the divide
What did most Italian govts put a high priority on?
Balancing the budget (revenue matches expenditure)
What did the new state inherit?
Large debts caused by wars of unification
Taxes raised to pay debts
Hit poorest the hardest
By 1900 Italians were…
The most taxed people in Europe
What happened when workers striked for higher wages?
Govt supported employers in rejecting such demands
What did most govts consider an important issue for instilling nationalism?
Education
Illiteracy levels (1871 to 1911)
N= 1871- 42% 1911- 11%
S= 1871- 88% 1911- 65%
Why did the pope have beef with liberal state?
Most of his land had been taken off him during unification process
Left with just Vatican City
Considered liberalism as a sin- promoted religious freedom. Catholicism only true religion
When did the pope start to instruct catholics not to vote?
1874
Priests main source of info for most
Why did nationalism increase?
Development of communications
When did the pope allow catholics to vote?
1904 to defeat socialists
Battle of adowa
1896- 15k Italian causalities
Humiliating defeat at hands of an African country- betrayed govt incompetency
Bismarck
“Large appetite but little teeth”
Italia irredenta
Lands on NE border with maj of Italian speakers that had been retained by Austria in 1866
- istria
- trentino
- South Tyrol
Why were Italians discontent over FP?
Never gained all Italia irredenta.
Italian govts resented this but realised not strong enough to challenge Austria
Pros and cons of successful FP
+ might serve to make more Italians identify with their country
- war cher so might cause discontent
Italy wanted to rival great powers of Europe, this meant
Gaining colonies
When does Italy fail to gain Tunisia (France takes it)?
1881
What does Italy do as a consequence of the French Tunisia snub?
Joins the anti French alliance w/ Germany and A-H
1882
In the 1880s where did Italy build up its influence?
Horn of Africa (E Africa)
-Italian somaliland (1889)
When was the decade of crises for the liberal state?
1890s
Why was the 1890s a decade of crises for the liberal state?
Faced major challenges both from LW and RW.
Mass unrest met by repression
An attempt to set up a more authoritarian govt, relying on royal decrees- precursor to Fascism
However, a resurgence of support for lib candidates in 1900 election helped reestablish parlt dominance
Survived but realised that it could not rely on repression alone and that fundamental changes were required to bridge gap between real and legal Italy
The crises of 1890s
(1) left
- 1892 to 94: mass peasant unrest in S put down by 40k troops
- 1898: strikes and riots in N cities= 100 demos shot
- 1900: unberto I assassinated
(2) right
- move to set up a more authoritarian gift restricting individual liberty led to GG’s attempt to reconcile real and legal Italy
Development of industry in N
1880s and 1890s
What was the development of industries in the N paralleled by?
Founding of TUs
What were many TUs linked by?
The socialist run CGL
CGL= industrial socialists. What were the different wings?
Reformers (mods)
Syndicalists (extremists): strikes- overthrow system- set up new society based on TU organisation)
When was PSI established?
1900
How much of the vote did it gain in 1913?
20%
When did the maximalists gain control of PSI?
1912
Wings in PSI
Minimalists (mods): reform via parlt
Maximalists (extremists): strive to achieve full programme of socialist state
When was the Italian National Association established?
1911
What was the Italian national association’s slogan?
“Our country is nothing without conquest”
When did Macroni invent the wireless?
1896
Futurists
- famous example: Marinetti
- disliked comfort, wanted action, violence, etc
- strong supporters of nationalism and imperialism
How much did real wages rise between 1890-1913?
25%
Outcome of GG’s reforms
In trying to please one section he alienated the other. By trying to win over mod catholics and socialists, he upset some libs who feared any increase in their influence
What was GG’s policy to industrial disputes?
State should remain neutral in industrial disputes to court WC vote.
Failed to satisfy TUs and growth of socialism continued
Alienated industrialists who no longer believed in a system that didn’t protect their interests- began to look for more authoritarian forms of govt.
Which class grew during the GG years?
PB- due to increase in bureaucracy.
Concerned about the dangers of socialism, power of big business and weakness of LG- they too looking for alternatives
When did Italy attack Libya?
1911
Who did Italy take Libya from?
Turkey- the “sick man of Europe”
Why did many Italians resent the Libyan war?
- conscripted into a war they did not understand
- increased taxation to pay for it
Victory may have reduced criticism for nationalists but strengthened socialist criticism
How was GG’s social reforms undermined?
He used transformismo to gain these policies.
He appeared to be just another unprincipled schemer- “master of the underworld”
What happened despite GG’s reforms in 1914?
Worst outbreak of unrest since 1898.
Red week
Shooting of three demos sparked riots and demos in major cities
Some govt buildings seized
General strike called but the various socialist groups failed to organise themselves effectively
What happened in red romagna in 1914?
2 areas were proclaimed independent republics
How did govt respond to red week?
Govt used 1000s of troops to restore order
What were the effects of red week?
- frightened the bourgeoisie
- showed that GG’s attempts to absorb the workers into the system had failed
- his failure showed that the regime had failed to satisfy key groups: its position was finely balanced when WW1 erupted and transformed its future
Why did Mazzini call Italy a “sham democracy”?
- Ultimate constitutional power lay with the King and not the people
- liberal oligarchy
