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Published Aug 24, 2024

The Unification of Italy

Gary Arndt delves into the turbulent history of Italy's unification, examining the fragmented post-Roman landscape, the rise of nationalism, and the critical efforts of leaders like Victor Emmanuel II, Count Camillo de Cavour, and Giuseppe Garibaldi in overcoming the challenges to form a united Italy.
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  • Post-Roman Era

    After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Italy became a fragmented region divided among various city-states, duchies, and kingdoms. explains that this division persisted until the 19th century when the Risorgimento movement sought to unify the Italian Peninsula. Napoleon's invasion in the early 19th century temporarily consolidated Italy into two kingdoms, sparking a sense of Italian nationalism that had been dormant for centuries 1.

       

    Political Entities

    The Italian Peninsula was home to several political entities, including the Kingdom of Lombardy, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and the Papal States. These regions were often under foreign control or influence, such as the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Bourbon dynasty 1. Despite the Congress of Vienna's attempt to restore the old order, the spark of nationalism ignited by Napoleon's unification efforts could not be extinguished 2.

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