ABSTRACT
Pre-1789 Ancien regime 'Italy' comprises an agglomeration of separate states of various sizes, most ruled by reactionary, usually non-Italian legitimist dynasties
Napoleonic 'Italy' (1796-1815) 1796 Mar. Napoleon Bonaparte appointed to command French army in Italy Apr. Napoleon defeats Piedmont-Sardinia. Armistice of Cherasco: Victor Amadeus III of Piedmont-Sardinia makes peace with France, surrenders Nice and Savoy May Mter Napoleon's defeat of Austrians at Lodi, Lombardic Republic established as French client-state Oct. Cispadane Republic established
1797 May Venetian constitution altered Jun. Ligurian Republic established Jut. Cisalpine Republic established, subsequently subsuming the Cispadane Republic
1798 Feb. Roman Republic established Nov. Ferdinand IV of Naples enters Rome Dec. France declares war on Naples, annexes Piedmont-Sardinia
1799 Jan.-Jun. Parthenopaean Republic (Naples) established 1799 Jun.-1800 Jun. Sardinia occupied by Austrian and Russian forces
1800 Jun. Victory at Marengo re-establishes Napoleonic control over northern 'Italy'. Cisalpine Republic re-established
1801 Republic of Italy founded by Napoleon 1802 Jan. Napoleon appoints himself President of Italian Republic Aug.-Sep. Napoleon annexes Elba, Piedmont-Sardinia (again), Parma and Piacenza
1805 May Napoleon crowned King of Italy in Milan Jun. Napoleon annexes Ligurian Republic (Genoa) 1806 Mar. Joseph Bonaparte becomes King of Naples
1807 Carbonari (charcoal-burners) , a secret society, founded in Calabria 1808 Jan. Napoleon annexes Etruria Apr. Napoleon annexes Papal Legations Jun. Joseph Bonaparte switched from King of Naples (1806-1808) to King of Spain. Replaced as King of Naples by Murat
1809 May Napoleon annexes Papal States, imprisoning the protesting Pope Pius VII in Savona
1831 Young Italy ('Giovine Italia') founded by Marseilles) with the motto 'Freedom, Independence and Unity'
Guiseppe Mazzini (in Equality, Humanity,
Feb. Risings in Modena, Parma and Papal States Mar. In response to an appeal by Pope Gregory XVI, Austrian troops intervene in Papal States, entering Bologna May Ambassadors of Great Powers produce a memorandum proposing reform of the Papal States. Ignored by Gregory XVI
1832 Jan. Austrians suppress uprisings in Romagna. Louis Philippe sends French forces to occupy Ancona
1847 Il Risorgimento (,The Resurrection'), a newspaper demanding a liberal unified Italy, is founded by Camillo Cavour and others
Risorgimento 'Italy' (1848-1861) 1848 Jan. 'Tobacco Riots' against Austrian rule in Lombardy. Revolt and proclamation of independence in Sicily rfb. King Ferdinand II concedes liberal constitution in Naples. Liberal constitution conceded in Tuscany Mar. Charles Albert proclaims liberal constitution in Piedmont. Pius IX reluctantly grants constitution in Papal States. Daniele Manin leads revolt in Venice, proclaiming the 'Venetian Republic of St Mark'. Uprising in Milan forces Austrians under Radetzky to withdraw. Charles Albert of Piedmont issues proclamation sympathising with Lombardy and Venetia, and orders troops into Lombardy Apr. Austrians defeated by Piedmontese at Gioto and Pastrengo. Pius IX first approves the war against Austria, then withdraws his support. Sicily declares independence from Naples May Collapse of uprising in Naples. Austrians defeat rebels in Tuscany at Curtatone Jun. Austrian victory at Vicenza Jut. Battle of eustozza: Radetzky defeats and expels Piedmontese from Milan and then all Lombardy Aug. Piedmont and Austria sign Armistice ofVigevano Sep. Kingdom of Naples recovers Sicily. Venice expels Piedmontese troops Nov. Anti-Papal nationalist sentiment grows: Count Rossi (Premier of Papal States) assassinated and Pius IX f1ees from Rome to Gaeta 1849 Feb. Grand Duke of Tuscany also flees to Gaeta for sanctuary. Mazzini proclaims the 'Roman Republic' Mar. Piedmont breaks truce and attacks Austrians. Battle of Novara: Austrians crush Piedmontese army. Charirs Albert abdicatrs as King of Piedmont-Sardinia in favour of son, Victor Emmanuel II Apr. French troops land in Papal States to restore Pius IX May Guiseppe Garibaldi enters Rome. Troops from Naples occupy Palermo in Sicily .Jul. French troops enter Rome to restore Pius IX. Austrians restore Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany
1851 Cavour appointed minister of finance in Piedmont-Sardinia
1859 Jan. Formalisation of Pact of Plombieres. Victor Emmanuel provokes Austria by troop movements on border Apr. Austrian ultimatum to Piedmont to demobilise rejected, prompting Austrian attack Ma.v France declares war on Austria Jun. Battles of Magenta and Solferincr. Austria heavily defeated by combined French and Piedmontese forces Jui. Peace of Villafranca: to Piedmontese dismay, Napoleon III decides to end the hostilities (prematurely), insisting that Austria cede Lombardy and Parma to an enlarged Piedmont but permitting Austria to retain Venetia. Cavour resigns in protest
1860 Jan. Cavour returns as Prime Minister of Piedmont-Sardinia Mar. Piedmont cedes Nice and Savoy to France (as price agreed at Plombieres for French aid against Austria in War of 1859). Near-unanimous vote in plebiscites in Modena, Parma, Romagna and Tuscany for union with Piedmont Apr. Meeting of the first 'Italian Parliament' in Turin. Rising in Sicily against Francis II of Naples May One Thousand Redshirts' Expedition of Garibaldi sails from Genoa to emancipate Sicily Jun. Redshirts land in Sicily and take Palermo Aug. Garibaldi and his Redshirts land on Italian mainland Sep. Fall of Naples to Gmibaldi. To forestall Garibaldi, Cavour despatches Piedmontese troops to the Papal States, but Garibaldi defeats the Papal forces at Castelfidardo Oct. Naples and Sicily opt for union with Piedmont. Garibaldi proclaims Victor Emmanuel King ofItaly Nov. Umbria votes for union with Piedmont
1862 Mar. Garibaldi incited by Ratazzi Ministry in Turin to mount a campaign to overthrow Papal temporal power Aug. Garibaldi invades Italy from Sicily, is defeated at Aspromonte and imprisoned at Spazzia
1865 Apr. Florence/Firenze proclaimed as (compromise) capital of Italy, prompting Napoleon III to withdraw his troops from Rome
1866 Jan. Military lobby at Habsburg court frustrates Italian offer to buy Venetia from Austrian Empire Apr. Secret alliance between Italy and Prussia against Austria. Austro-Prussian-Italian (Seven Weeks) War Jun. Italian forces under La Marmora defeated by Austrians under Archduke Albrecht at Custozza. Garibaldi defeated and wounded at Monte Suello Jut. Italy's ally Prussia defeats Austrians at Sadowa. Italian fleet destroyed by Austrian fleet at Lissa in Adriatic Aug. Italians sign armistice with Austrians Oct. Treaty of Vienna: at Prussian insistence, Austria cedes Venetia to Italy (through the good offices of France). Venetia formally votes for union with Italy
1867 Oct. Garibaldi raises volunteers for a march on Rome, prompting Napoleon III to intervene to protect Pope Nov. French troops defeat Garibaldi at Mentana and invest Rome. Garibaldi arrested by Italian government
1868 La Stampa newspaper founded in Turin
1870 Sep. Defeat of France in Franco-Prussian War leads to fall of Napoleon III and withdrawal of French troops from Rome. Victor Emmanuel announces march on Rome. Italian forces enter Rome despite resistance from Papal troops Oct. Plebiscite in Papal States approves union with Italy. Papacy permitted to retain temporal authority over Vatican City. Italian Assembly votes to transfer capital ofItaly from Florence (1865-1870) to Rome 1871 May Law of Guarantees for Papacy (though Pius IX still considers himself the 'Prisoner in the Vatican') Jul. Victor Emmanuel takes up residence in Quirinal Palace in Rome as first King of United Italy
1876 Corriere della Sera newspaper founded in Milan
1882 Jan. Electoral reform passed May Italy joins Germany and Austria in Triple Alliance 1896 Mar. Battle of Adowa: Italians defeated by Abyssinians, a humiliating setback to ambitions for Italian North Mrican Empire
1902 Nov. Treaty between Italy and France, publicly over spheres of influence in north Mrica, secretly promising that Italy will be neutral in any war involving France
1912 May Italy seizes Dodecanese Islands from Ottoman Empire Oct. Treaty of Ouchy: Italy secures Rhodes, Dodecanese Islands, Tripoli and Cyrenaica from Ottomans, realising ambitions for Italian North Mrican Empire
The First World War and 'Italia Irredenta' (1914-1920) 1914 A ug. Italy neutral, invoking 1902 treaty with France against its obligations to Triple Alliance of 1882 Dec. Italy occupies Valona in southern Albania, exploiting AustrianSerb conflict 1915 Apr. Treaty oj London: secret agreement between Italy and Britain, France and Russia promising extensive territorial Italia Irredenta gains at Austrian expense in return for Italy joining the Allied war effort May Italy quits Triple Alliance, declares war on Austria-Hungary Aug. Italy declares war on Ottoman Empire (in hope of a share in the future territorial partition of Asia Minor)
Nov. Italy accedes to Declaration of London of 1914: no separate peace with Austria-Hungary
1917 Apr. Treaty of StJean de Maurienne. Italy promised its share (the western littoral of Asia Minor and hinterland of Smyrna) in the post-war Western partition of the Ottoman Empire Oct. Caporetto: Italian army routed by combined Austrian and German offensive Nov. Italian rout only stemmed by British and French reinforcements. The ultimate military humiliation for the Italians: 300,000 captured, another 300,000 desert
1918 Oct. Vittorio Veneto: Italian victory over Austrians in last month of war, partial compensation for Caporetto
