Describe the development of Italian nationalism during the years 1830-1848.

After Napoleon had been defeated in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the Congress of Vienna was held the same year under the control Foreign Minister Metternich's leadership. In this conference Austria was given control of the Italian states of Venetia and Lombardy, in compensation for her loss of Belgium. This led to the Germanisation and domination of Austria over the Italian states it had obtained. All schools were carefully censored, the press was rigidly controlled, and all this was supported by an efficient army of police spies. Without freedom of publication and of speech the fighters for freedom and national unity had no chance to occur. However the whole situation led to the development of revolutionary societies such as the Carbonari, whom attempted to liberate and suppress the French and Austrians. Unfortunately the lack of support by the states, population, and of a political agenda, all led to the failed heroism of the revolution in 1820-1830. Though the whole situation turned around, when Nationalism, the Patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts, sprang in the 1830-1848.

The development of Italian nationalism during the years 1830-184 can be divided into four parts, It was all triggered by the potent political figure of Giuseppe Mazzini, whose ideas of a unified Italy, freed from the Austrian occupation, had brought the creation of a movement called Young Italy. The movement promoted for a unified Italy and was officially the first society that addressed nationalism. Such nationalistic movement, influenced writers and philosophers to look at other ways of securing Italian unification through the papacy and economic benefits. As popular movements sprung throughout most of the Italian states, the rise of the libe...

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... in Europe). This was due to the fact of the strong army of the Austrian General Radetsky. As a result, Charles Albert abdicated and was succeeded by Victor Emmanuel II, who played a greater role in the final and successful Unification of Italy in 1870.

The development of Nationalism from 1830 to 1848 can be considered as the period where the core ideas of the Unification of Italy truly sprang. Driven by the ambition of Mazzini, to the influences of writers and philosophers, further to the application through media, economy, and religion, all led to the strengthening of nationalism throughout many areas in Italy. Even though their first official attempt to suppress the Austrians and establish a unification had failed in the Revolutions of 1848, it had delivered an even stronger desire for a unified Italy and had proved that unity among the states was possible.