Essay on Failure of the Italian Revolutions - 765 Words

The failure of the Italian revolutions cannot be attributed to one reason as there are a plethora of reasons which could be cited as a main cause. The main reasons which could be argued as the most important reasons for the failure of the Italian revolts are the lack of organisation within revolutionary groups, the Austrian army’s strength, the political and military inexperience of those in power, the Pope’s abandonment of the revolution, the hesitation of Charles Albert to front the campaign of unity and Bonaparte’s intervention. In 1815 Italy was not recognised as a country, Metternich, an Austrian statesman, said The word Italy is a geographical expression, a description which is useful shorthand, but has none of the political†¦show more content†¦The Carbonari, in 1820, participated in a revolt in Naples against King Ferdinand’s government where the peasants and even the royal troops took part. Terrified of the revolting people, King Ferdinan d vowed to give all adult males the vote through a constitution. However, he had no intention of doing this and did not grant adult men the vote. Ferdinand told the Congress of Laibach that he had been forced to grant change and requested the Austrians to help regain order within his country. Metternich sent the superior Austrian army into Naples where they easily overcame the rebels. The savage treatment of his people caused uproar and in 1821 the peasants took over Turin, the capital of Sardinia-Piedmont, causing the king (Victor Emmanuel) to relinquish his role and hand power to his nephew, Charles Albert. Victor’s brother, Charles Felix was unhappy with Charles Albert acting as Victor’s replacement and asked Metternich to help him stop the revolts. The Austrian Army marched in again and controlled the peasants but Charles Albert was forced to flee due to his promise of change to the rebels. There were more revolts in Modena, Parma and the Papal States in 1831 led b y the Carbonari but yet again the Austrian army quelled them. Also, when Charles Albert reclaimed power in Sardinia there was hope he would support liberal ideas but he left people disillusioned by his cowardice in not supporting reform so not toShow MoreRelatedHow far do you agree that the limited appeal of Mazzinis ideas was the main reason for the slow progress of national unity in Italy in the years 1815-48?1527 Words   |  7 Pagesideas (to some groups of people) merely contributed somewhat as to why progress was slow; and therefore can be seen to be a conditional factor, rather than a contingent one. Mazzini’s nationalist ideas were not only unpopular with members of the Italian states – Austria too opposed such ideology of national unity for Italy. Austria was a significant factor in the slow progress of national unity following the Congress of Vienna, 1815. At this congress, it was decided that the states of Lombardy, TuscanyRead MoreHistory-failure of Italian Revolutionaries1074 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿History Essay-Miss guly How far do you agree that the failure of Italian revolutionaries in the years 1820-49 was primarily due to a lack of popular support? (30) There were several factors affecting the failure of the Italian revolutionaries in the years 1820-49. Although the lack of popular support was a contributing factor, it is far less significant when compared to other aspects of the failure such as the intervention and military strength of Austria, the lack of unity between various revolutionaryRead MoreEssay about The Revolutions of 18481045 Words   |  5 PagesThe revolution of 1848 encompassed many of the European countries. The revolutions sweeping across Europe included Germany, Italy, and France, excluding Russia and England. Many historians refer to the year of 1848 as, â€Å"The Year of Revolutions†, because of how the revolts spread throughout Europe. The question is which political groups were the influence behind this revolution and what were the causes of the revolution. The revolution united many diverse groups of people; they were able to put asideRead More Reasons for the failure of 1848- 1849 revolutions in Ita ly Essay607 Words   |  3 PagesItaly needed change. The hopes of the various revolutionary groups had been raised by the election of Pope Pius and Charles Albert the King of Piedmont Sardinia. However, their hopes and resulting revolutions were crushed due to many concerning factors. A crushing factor of the failure of the revolutions was the trouncing of the Piedmontese army at both the battles of Novara and Custoza. These defeats were resounding as the Piedmontese army had no chance against the might of the super power thatRead MoreThe Renaissance And Its Impact On The European Renaissance1694 Words   |  7 PagesWith the dark ages coming to end and the economy of Europe slowly beginning to rise again, a giant scale cultural revolution like never before was slowly beginning to sweep over Europe. Becoming what we now know as the European Renaissance, every aspect of European life changed because of this revolution. The Renaissance began a renewed interest in the people to seek knowledge and question what the world around them meant. The Renaissance wasn’t just about learning however, it included exploringRead MoreThe Unification Of Italy After Unification1273 Words   |  6 PagesSavoy. In 1848, revolutions swept through Europe- Milan and Venice fough t against the Austrians, the sicilians fought against Naples for independence, and Rome fought for social reforms. French troops were sent into Rome to reinstate the pope, they remained there for a while. The sicilians were crushed in their endeavors and in the north the Austrians beat the rebels and the kingdom of Sardinia who tried to help them. From these results it can be concluded that the first Italian war for independenceRead MoreTo What Extent Did the Revolutions of 1848-9 Fail in Italy Due to Poor Leadership?1071 Words   |  5 PagesThe failures of 1848-9 could be blamed on the poor leadership of Individuals such as Charles Albert and Mazzini. However there are other contributing factors that should be taken into account. Although Charles Albert seems to be successful in uniting the states of Italy to strengthen his campaign, for example, by joining Lombardy and Venetia with Piedmont and merging their armies into one in 1848, and aiding the rebels in Lombardy, his poor leadership effected the outcome of the 1848-9 RevolutionsRead MoreNationalism in 18th Century Europe1763 Words   |  3 Pagessocialised  to  the  expectations  of  higher  French  society.  Military  conflict  brought  an  additional   push  forward  toward  nationalism  and  political  solidarity3.  Nationalism  strengthened  as  a  result  of   growing  military  presence  that  was  necessitated  by  the  French  Revolution  and  Franco ­Prussian   War.  The  Great  War  further  strengthened  nationalism  and  patriotism  due  to  the  need  for  the   conscription  of  soldiers.  The  conscription  of  soldiers  into  the  military,  created  an  environment   that  relied  on  the  connectedness  Read MoreMussolinis rise to power1578 Words   |  7 Pagesand Fascism’s rise to power in Italy, 1919-22? Mussolini and the fascists managed to rise to power and take control of Italy in 1922. Mussolini’s rise to power took place mainly due to a combination of conditions that characterized the liberal Italian state, which existed before his take over. The main factors that led to Mussolini’s rise to power were the impact of the First World War, the weaknesses of the Risorgimento, the Biennio Rosso , the elite’s support for the Fascist Party, and the MarchRead MoreEffects of The First Balkan War on the History of Europe Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesGreat Powers in Europe. Investigation The Underlying Causes of the First Balkan War One of the primary and most initial causes of the Balkan Wars was the Young Turk Revolution occurring in the Ottoman Empire in 1909, where they overthrew the Sultan who was in power at the time. The Bosnian Crisis came directly out of this Revolution and led to tensions between powers. The Young Turks, a fairly new political group, had considerable power in the Ottoman Empire and took western ideals and tried to implement