Italian Unification
Italian Unification
Count Camillo Benso di Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi can be seen as a contrast between two inspirational and great leaders during the time of the Italian Unification. Cavour was a nobleman, always calm and well educated while Garibaldi was a rough passionate soldier with little education. Though these men both contributed greatly to the unifying of Italy, they are very different in their accomplishments as well as their motives.
Garibaldi had been a republican, under the influence of Giuseppe Mazzini in 1831, but turned monarchist, showing his allegiance to Victor Emmanuel. He was very passionate about uniting Italy and spent his entire life fighting for the expulsion of Austrian control and to be independent.
Cavour was nominated First Minister of Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia in 1852, however at this point in time, he showed little interest in the unifying of Italy. He participated in many foreign affairs starting in 1853 with the Crimean War where he entered Piedmontese troops alongside the French. This led him to attended the peace conference of Paris in 1856. "Certain historians, have maintained that the Piedmontese intervention in the war was part of a deep-laid plan of Cavour's to intrude himself into the Congress where, it is claimed, his effects contributed greatly to unification" By participating in this war along with the greatest powers in Europe, Cavour was able to gain respect and allies if he would happen to go against Austria, one of them being France. Plots were devised in hopes to bring down Austria, France looking to become the strongest power if Austria were to be defeated and Piedmont, looking to be freed from Austria's control and eventually be able to unite.
"(The plan for) Piedmont was to expand over northern Italy once Austria had been defeated, but the Pope and the King of Naples were to be left alone, and no stipulations were made about the form of government to be adopted...
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