Who was Mazzini and why was he important for Italian unification
Who was Mazzini and why was he important for Italian unification
(How strong were ideas about Risorgimento in Italy by 1848?)
Originally, The Risorgimento was inspired by French Rule:
- Secret society
- Particularly active in S. Italy
- Naples= 60,000 members
- Elaborate rituals + unquestioning obedience to leaders
- Mild aims (constitutional monarchy)
- Mazzini felt their aims were aimless, no political opinion, no plan/idealism for future of Italy
Giuseppe Mazzini 1805-72
Year Mazzini’s Background
1805 - Born in Genoa, intelligent, sensitive and physically frail
1821 - Became a nationalist after seeing Piedmontese refugee revolutionaries begging in the streets
1822-7 - Studied medicine, then law
Year Mazzini’s Actions to promote unification
1827 - Joined the Carbonari, disliked secrecy and lack of debate among members about future of Italy, was betrayed in 1830
- While imprisoned, decided he must work for the independence and unification of Italy (Carbonari had no political opinion, just revolted without a future plan/idealism)
- became a full-time revolutionary (wore black as a sign of mourning for his divided and oppressed country)
1831 - Moved to the south of France where he founded ‘Young Italy’, Italy’s first real political party
1837 - Went to exile in London
1849 - Returned to Italy as head of the Roman Republic until Rome fell to the French in June 1849 (again exiled to London where he lived in poverty, writing tens of thousands of letters and hundreds of books and articles
1872 - Returned secretly to Italy after many years in exile
- Died in Pisa and buried in Genoa (birthplace)
Group Opinions about Mazzini
Enemies - controversial figure/ radical approach led political enemies to criticise him as an enemy of Italy and a terrorist, and at the same time as an impractical dreamer
Supporters - ‘greatest, bravest, most heroic of Italians’ and a profound thinker
Historians - Verdicts have differed widely
(How strong were ideas about Risorgimento in Italy by 1848?)
Originally, The Risorgimento was inspired by French Rule:
- Secret society
- Particularly active in S. Italy
- Naples= 60,000 members
- Elaborate rituals + unquestioning obedience to leaders
- Mild aims (constitutional monarchy)
- Mazzini felt their aims were aimless, no political opinion, no plan/idealism for future of Italy
Giuseppe Mazzini 1805-72
Year Mazzini’s Background
1805 - Born in Genoa, intelligent, sensitive and physically frail
1821 - Became a nationalist after seeing Piedmontese refugee revolutionaries begging in the streets
1822-7 - Studied medicine, then law
Year Mazzini’s Actions to promote unification
1827 - Joined the Carbonari, disliked secrecy and lack of debate among members about future of Italy, was betrayed in 1830
- While imprisoned, decided he must work for the independence and unification of Italy (Carbonari had no political opinion, just revolted without a future plan/idealism)
- became a full-time revolutionary (wore black as a sign of mourning for his divided and oppressed country)
1831 - Moved to the south of France where he founded ‘Young Italy’, Italy’s first real political party
1837 - Went to exile in London
1849 - Returned to Italy as head of the Roman Republic until Rome fell to the French in June 1849 (again exiled to London where he lived in poverty, writing tens of thousands of letters and hundreds of books and articles
1872 - Returned secretly to Italy after many years in exile
- Died in Pisa and buried in Genoa (birthplace)
Group Opinions about Mazzini
Enemies - controversial figure/ radical approach led political enemies to criticise him as an enemy of Italy and a terrorist, and at the same time as an impractical dreamer
Supporters - ‘greatest, bravest, most heroic of Italians’ and a profound thinker
Historians - Verdicts have differed widely