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.’