Why was Italy not unified in 1848–49?
Following are the reasons why Italy was not unified in 1848-49:
- ‘Liberals and nationalists could see no reason why the Austrians should not be driven out of Italy for good.
- Charles Albert was urged to invade Lombardy first and help the people of Milan defeat the Austrians.
- Charles Albert was indecisive.He delayed too long.
- Support for Charles Albert’s army did not materialise.
- Austria had no intention of giving up influence in Italy.
- Austrian and French armies were stronger
- This gave the Austrians time to get reinforcements, while Charles Albert did not get the support from the people of Lombardy.
- As a result, Charles Albert was defeated and northern Italy remained largely in Austrian hands.
- Some Italians wanted a monarchy and some wanted a republic.
- Some wanted the Pope to be both temporal and spiritual leader.
Alternative explanation could also be:
- Some of the leading characters demanding Italian unity had different ideas about what they wanted to achieve.
- Charles Albert wanted to unite the northern states of Piedmont, Lombardy and Venetia under his monarchy.
- Mazzini and Garibaldi wanted all Italian states united into a republic.
OR
- The strength of foreign forces defeated attempts to unify Italy.
- In the north, the Austrian army under Radetzky was too strong for Charles Albert, while Napoleon III’s forces dealt with Mazzini’s Roman Republic.’
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