Piedmont was in the best political and economic position to lead the unification process by 1861. How far do you agree with this statement? Flashcards
What did Piedmont’s role as the dominant state in the Italian peninsula allow it to do?
Divide in kingdom into 53 provinces, each governed by a prefect.
What did Piedmont, as the dominant Italian state, impose across Italy?
A unified legal, judiciary, currency and measurement system across the peninsula.
How did Piedmont’s role as the dominant Italian state help the unification process?
It helped the process of political unity, and the unified currency helped economic unity, but it did little to help the divisions of real Italy that could be politically problematic in the long term.
What did the Piedmontese strength create the sense that?
It was one state conquering the others
How could did Piedmont enforce military dominance amongst the southern states?
In the Brigands war a Piedmontese army of 120 000 was deployed.
How did Piedmont’s political and economic dominance create the Brigands war and actually hinder unification?
Tax increase and conscription were all imposed
Describe Piedmont’s role in unity?
Piedmont often provided a platform for unity rather than facilitated it
What happened to Piedmont’s debt when it took on smaller state’s debt?
Doubled to 4.9 million lire
When did Piedmont take on smaller state’s debts?
1861
What does Piedmont’s taking on of smaller state’s debt show?
That they were committed to the cause of unity and were prepared to take on a burden to achieve it
What had Piedmont’s role at Solferino in June 1859 meant for the cause of unity?
Piedmont had established precedent of fighting for the cause of unity
What groundwork had Cavour done to ensure a good international relationship with Britain by March 1860?
Took part in the Crimean war 1854-56
What did the relationship with Britain allow Cavour to do in March 1860?
Use the national society to hold plebiscites in Modena, they voted in favour of Piedmontese annexation
What does the plebiscite regarding the annexing of modena show?
That the people thought that Piedmont was in the best political position in northern Italy to lead unity
Though what didi victor emmanuel II show himself to be a potential leader for unity?
The “Grado di Delore” speech in 1859
What did Victor Emmanuel claim to be in his 1859 Grade di Delore speech?
The first soldier of Italian unification
What two international meetings helped Cavour to establish good international relations?
Congress of Paris and the Pact of Plombiers
What does the fact that Garibaldi gave VEII southern Italy at the Teano meeting in October 1860 show about VEII?
That even radicals thought that the Piedmontese monarch was a strong political leader for a untied Italy
Which two states were annexed to Piedmont after Garibaldi had conquered them by plebiscites?
Naples and Sicily
What caused lasting damage to Piedmont’s reputation as a pro unity force?
Piedmont had stopped garibaldi from taking Rome in 1860, forever tainting it with resentment from the nationalist cause
What did Piedmont lose in July 1861 that weakened it politically?
Cavour, the architect of unity
Name an 1861 weak successor to Cavour
Ricasoli
How could you describe Ricasoli’s contribution to Italian politics?
Perhaps even weakened the Italian cause, and was emblematic of the political turmoil in the Italian state
What about Piedmontese politics hampered their ability to create real political unity?
They had failed to broaden their electorate, the parliament of noblemen and educate middle classes were elected by just 2% of the population
What states did France gain that can be looked upon as a failure of Piedmont?
Nice and Savoy
Which two countries maintained their control over many parts of Italy?
France and Austria
Did the pope support Piedmont?
No
Describe the relationship between the Pope and the Italian kingdom
Fractious cohabitation
Why was the pope angry with Piedmont?
⅔ of the Papal states had been annexed to Piedmont
What about the Catholic church undermined Piedmontese legitimacy?
Refused to accept them as the leader of Italy
What were the two events from which Piedmont was excluded?
1) Treaty of Villafranca
2) October 1860 Prussia, Russia and Austria met in Warsaw, where Russia broke diplomatic relations over the unseating of bourbon rule in Naples
