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The people of Italy had not been united since the Roman times.

By the early 1800s, nationalism inspired italian patriots to dream of ousting foreign rulers and reuniting Italy.

The Congress of Vienna, however, ignored the nationalists who hoped to end centuries of foreign rule and achieve unity.

To Prince Metternich of Austria, Italy was merely a “geographical expression,” not a nation.

Italy was divided, Austria took control of much of northern italy, while Hapsburg monarchs ruled other Italy states.

In response, nationalists organized secret patriotic societies and focused their efforts on expelling Austrian forces from northern Italy. - - Between 1820 and 1848, nationalist revolts exploded across the region. Each time, Austria sent in troops to crush the rebels.

The goal of this secret society was “to constitute Italy, one, free, independent, republican nation.”

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Although revolution had failed, nationalist agitation had planted seeds for future harvests.

To nationalists like Mazzini, a united Italy made sense not only because of geography, but also because of a common language and shared traditions. It would end trade barriers among the Italian states and stimulate industry.

The goal of young italy was to unite italy into an independent, republican nation.

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Garibaldi wanted to create an Italian republic.

He did not hesitate, however, to accept aid from the monarchist Cavour. With surprising speed, Garibaldi’s forces won control of Sicily, crossed to the mainland, and marched triumphantly north to Naples.

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Garibaldi’s success alarmed Cavour, who feared that the nationalist hero would set up his own republic in the south.

To prevent this, Cavour urged Victor Emmanuel to send Sardinian troops to deal with Garibaldi. Instead, the Sardinians overran the Papal States and linked up with Garibaldi and his forces in Naples.

during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, France was forced to withdraw its troops from Rome. For the first time since the fall of the Roman empire, Italy was a united land.

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The new Italian faced a host of problems

Italy had no tradition of political unity. Few Italians felt ties to the new nation. Strong regional rivalries left Italy unable to solve critical national issues.

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Feuds between Italy and the Roman Catholic Church Further divided the nation.

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Italy was a constitutional monarchy with a two-house legislature. The king appointed members to the upper house, which could veto bills passed by the lower house. Although the lower house consisted of elected representatives, only a small number of men had the right to vote.

Socialists organized strikes while anarchists, people who want to abolish all government, turned to sabotage and violence.

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Although the nation lacked important natural resources such as coal, industries did sprout up in northern regions. Industrialization, of course, brought urbanization as peasants flocked to the cities to find jobs in factories. The population explosion of this period created tensions, but an important safety valve was emigration.