ABSTRACT

Cavour's heirs—the "Right"—had to integrate the peninsula into one state, and that was a qualitatively different and less heroic job than the exhilarating struggle for independence. By amalgamating political and economic liberalism with a rigid administrative structure, Cavour and the Right created a strong state that survived the shocks of postunification but that did not solve the southern or social questions. In addition to confronting the southern problem, the Right had pledged to incorporate Venice and Rome into Italy. Of the two, Venice seemed the greater problem because of Austria's military strength. Before his death, Cavour concentrated on making Rome the new state's capital. The Church greeted unification with anger because the new state had absorbed most of the papal possessions. Pius excommunicated the Piedmontese leaders responsible for annexing papal territory and punished the priest who, despite this expulsion, had given Cavour the last rites.