How Did Revolutions Break Out In Italy

In the years leading up to 1848, there had been a growing battle between conservative and liberal ideologies. Economic struggles brought government to the forefront of many people's minds and with that, the divide between these two ideologies increased. The year before 1848 had brought poor yields to the harvests which caused inflation of food prices across the continent. On top of this, unemployment was on the rise as industrial conditions worsened. Cities filled with the developing working class and student groups. These people typically had a strong sense of nationalism and more liberal views on workers’ rights and government. These factors combined to create a climate that was willing to challenge old and powerful regimes that were aristocratic and monarchical in the countries of Italy, the German Confederation, and France. Revolutions broke out in Italy in January making it the first revolt of this historic year. The Italian peninsula was made up of many smaller states and hadn’t yet been unified into one country. Revolutionaries demanded freedom from foreign powers, unification of the peninsula, and the creation of a constitutional government which provided more civil liberties to the people. The leaders of several Italian states such as Sicily, Piedmont, and Tuscany along with Pope Pius IX granted the creation of constitutions for
By 1852, Napoleon had seized control of the government and replaced the Second Republic with the Second Empire, effectively making himself Napoleon III. As emperor, he attempted to prevent more revolts from happening by planning a massive redesign of Paris. He made the streets wider to make them harder to barricade. Although the revolts had given the people some new laws that weren’t repealed, France returned to their absolutist style of government quickly after concessions were made to the