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Garibaldi was the "hero of two worlds" as a revolutionary in both South America and his native Italy.

Together, they formed the soul, the brain, and the brawn of the Risorgimento, historians' term for the movement for Italian unity.

The ITALIAN RENAISSANCE of the 15th and 16th centuries had demonstrated Italians' artistic, literary, and scientific genius. The revolutions of 1848 illustrated the emotional power of Italian nationalism. By February 1849, however, Austrian and French forces had crushed the romantic nationalists, leaving Italy again divided into four parts:

• the KINGDOM OF THE TWO SICILIES in the south, ruled by the French

• the PAPAL STATES in the middle, governed by the Pope

• the states of northern Italy, controlled by Austrian forces

• the KINGDOM OF SARDINIA, commonly called Piedmont, ruled by a hereditary monarch named VICTOR EMMANUEL

Mazzini

Cavour

The Risorgimento was the organization that fought to create a unified Italy, one nation under one flag.

Cavour contributed to the first stage of unification in several key ways. He secured an alliance with NAPOLEON III of France in 1858 and prepared for war with Austria, hoping to acquire the Austrian-held states of Lombardy and Venetia. Napoleon demanded the two states of Nice and Savoy from Piedmont in exchange for French help. Angered by Cavour's audacity, Austria declared war on Piedmont in April 1859.

The war went well for Cavour. French and Piedmontese forces crushed the Austrians and liberated Lombardy.

Then Napoleon stabbed Cavour in the back. He brokered a separate truce with Austria in July that left Venetia in Austria's grip. The Piedmontese state, however, extended its control over Northern Italy when nationalists staged popular votes called plebiscites in Modena, Parma, Tuscany, and Romagna (a Papal State). The people of these territories overwhelmingly voted to join Piedmont. It was now up to Giuseppe Garibaldi to liberate the south.

Courtesy of Robert Moss

Italy was divided into four separate parts until the entire country was eventually unified in 1870.

Garibaldi

	Today I am obliged to retire, but for a few days only. The hour of battle will find me with you again, by the side of the champions of Italian liberty. Let those only return to their homes who are called by the imperative duties which they owe to their families, and those who by their glorious wounds have deserved the credit of their country. These, indeed, will serve Italy in their homes by their counsel, by the very aspect of the scars which adorn their youthful brows. Apart from these, let all others remain to guard our glorious banners. We shall meet again before long to march together to the redemption of our brothers who are still slaves of the stranger. We shall meet again before long to march to new triumphs.          –Garibaldi, in a speech to his fellow citizens (1860)

Meanwhile, the Piedmontese armies invaded the remaining Papal States. Garibaldi then faced an important decision. Although he detested kings, a refusal to unite with Piedmont could have resulted in an Italian civil war. In the name of uniting Italy in peace, he ceded political leadership to King Victor Emmanuel at the BRIDGE OF TEANO when their victorious armies converged in September 1860. The remaining key territories were Austrian-controlled Venetia, and Rome, which was still protected by French armies.

In 1866, Italy was awarded Venetia for supporting Prussia in its fight against Austria in the SEVEN WEEKS' WAR. When French soldiers withdrew from Rome during the FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR OF 1870, Italian forces took their place and declared Rome to be the capital of Italy. Italy was unified — at least geographically. Political problems quickly surfaced as religious and regional interests collided with Piedmont hegemony.

The pope refused to recognize the new Italian state, and voting criteria excluded a majority of Italians from participating in the political sphere. Significant economic differences separated the north and south. External unification was complete, but the struggle for internal unity had just begun.

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