In the 19th century, something big happened in Italy called the unification. This was a social and political movement that brought together various states in the Italian Peninsula to form the Kingdom of Italy. People also call it the Risorgimento or Resurgence. It all kicked off in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna and wrapped up in 1871 when Rome became the capital of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy. Fun fact, around the same time, Germany was also going through a similar unification process, and both countries got it done in 1871.

What is the Unification of Italy? 

The journey to unite Italy began in 1815 after the Congress of Vienna, and it culminated in 1871 when Rome became the capital of the newly unified country. The unification process occurred in two main steps: first, gaining freedom from Austrian control, and second, bringing together the independent states of Italy into a single nation. This was facilitated by the divisions within the Italian Peninsula, which played a role in the unification process. The initial spark for Italian unification was the Austrian-Franco War of 1859.

Cavour, a key figure in the unification, strategically led the process through diplomatic alliances, particularly with France. The vision of a united Europe and Italy was championed by Giuseppe Mazzini. The actual unification process began with efforts to secure votes for unification in the northern states under Italian influence from 1859 to 1860. A significant milestone was the inclusion of Sardinia in the unified Italy. The momentum for unification received a boost from the reforms introduced by the French army, which pressured the central Italian states during the Napoleonic and French wars from 1796 to 1815.

History of Unification of Italy

Ancient Unity (3rd Century BCE – 5th Century CE): Italy started off united under the Roman Republic in ancient times and stayed that way for a whopping 700 years. The Western Roman Empire fell, leading to the Ostrogothic and Byzantine Empires taking charge, keeping Italy united.

Byzantine Influence and Fragmentation (5th – 8th Century): The Byzantine Empire came into the scene and kind of messed with Italy’s unity. City-states started popping up, and in the north, the Holy Roman Empire (German-speaking folks) took control. The central and southern parts were a bit all over the place, with the Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of Sicily, and the Papal States playing hot potato with power.

Renaissance Shake-Up (15th – 16th Century): Fast forward to the Renaissance, where things got interesting. Milan and Venice became big players, and they weren’t shy about throwing punches. Wars broke out between these powerful city-states and the Holy Roman Empire. Think of it as a real-life Game of Thrones, Italian edition.

Italian Wars (1494 – 1559): Picture this: French kings duking it out with Spanish opponents in the Italian Wars. It was like a European showdown in Italy for about 65 years.

Peace of Westphalia and Spanish Rule (17th Century): The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 marked the end of the Holy Roman Emperors’ rule in Italy. But hold on, the Spanish Habsburgs took the reins and ruled most of Italy until the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14).

Fragmentation Until the French Revolution (18th Century): Italy remained a bit of a puzzle with different regions doing their own thing until the French Revolution in 1789. That’s when the winds of change started blowing.

Background of Unification of Italy 

• In 476 AD, the Italian Peninsula was divided into various states after the fall of the Roman Empire. Fast forward to 1830, Italy went through a period of unification marked by French revolutions in different Italian regions. A key player in this process was Giuseppe Garibaldi, who, in 1848, led a democratic insurrection that unfortunately didn’t succeed. However, he didn’t give up.
• In 1860, with his Redshirts army, Garibaldi successfully captured Naples and Sicily, contributing to the unification. The northern states of Italy accepted Victor Emmanuel 2 as their emperor in 1861, while Sicily and Naples became part of the Kingdom of Italy. It wasn’t until 1871 that Rome became the capital, marking the completion of Italy’s unification, although Rome and Venice were initially under foreign rule.

Timeline of Unification of Italy

The timeline of Italian unification is described below:

• 1849- In this year Venice was defeated by the Austrian army that created a major effect by crushing so many people in Venetia.
• 1858- Cavour and Napoleon III decided to organize war against Austria by gaining Venetia, Lombardy, Modena and Parma to Italy.
• 1859- The importance of this year was Cavour’s return to Venetia and Napoleon III back out from war with Austria. In this year Sardinia captured Modena, Tuscany and Parma and Lombardy was taken by Sardinia.
• 1860- Sardinia captured central Italian states by giving Savoy and nice to the French in this year. Another incident occurred this year as Emmanuel II became the first emperor of Italy with the help of Garibaldi and their Redshirt army. Garibaldi resized Palermo as a capital with the help of the British government. After establishing the domain of Victor Emmanuel II in Sicily, this year Garibaldi took the power of Naples and handed over his power to the king.
• 1861- “Camillo Di Cavour ” died this year after seeing that the Papal States were not controlled by Italy. Established official kingdom Italy in Venetia.
• 1867- Garibaldi seeks Papal States and Rome apart from the attempt that fails and the revolution in Rome was suppressed.
• 1870- The army of Italy slowly moved towards Rome and captured Rome and created their domain in Rome forcefully. 
• 1871- This is the year when the unification of Italy was completed by moving the Italian capital to Rome.

Conclusion 

The story of Italy’s unification involves the capture of Rome, following the annexation of Trieste, Trentino, and Friuli at the conclusion of World War I. This significant event, known as the Italian War of Independence, led to the relocation of the capital from Florence to Rome in 1871. The entire process, termed Risorgimento, was an Italian movement that aimed to unite the various states in 1819. This movement ultimately supported Emperor Victor Emmanuel II in becoming the first emperor of a unified Italy.

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