Map of the unification of Italy in the 19th century. Includes the regions: Venice, Lombardy, Piedmont, Savoy, Parma, Modena, Tuscany, Papal States, Patrimony of St. Peter (surrounding Rome and the Vatican), Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia. Click here to enlarge.
The unification of Italy in the 19th century was a complex process driven by nationalism, political strategy, and the desire to consolidate the fragmented Italian states into a single nation. Prior to unification, the Italian Peninsula was divided into several kingdoms, duchies, and territories, many of which were controlled by foreign powers like Austria.
The movement toward unification, also known as the Risorgimento ("resurgence"), gained momentum in the early 1800s. Key leaders played crucial roles in this effort. Giuseppe Mazzini, an early nationalist thinker, inspired Italians with his vision of a unified, republican Italy. Count Camillo di Cavour, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, used diplomacy and alliances—particularly with France—to weaken Austrian influence in northern Italy. Meanwhile, Giuseppe Garibaldi, a military leader and nationalist hero, led volunteer forces known as the "Red Shirts" to liberate southern Italy and Sicily.
By 1861, much of Italy had been unified under the rule of King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia, forming the Kingdom of Italy. However, full unification was not complete until 1870, when Rome was incorporated as the capital. The unification of Italy reflected the broader 19th-century trend of nationalism, as people with shared culture, language, and history sought to form independent and unified nation-states.
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