First Published in 1979, A History of Italy 1700-1860 provides a comprehensive overview of Italy’s political history from 1700-1860. Divided in five parts it deals with themes like the re-emergence of Italy; Italy as the ‘pawn’ of European diplomacy; social physiognomy of the Italian states; problems of the government; enlightenment and despotism (1760-90); the offensive against the Church; revolution and moderation (1789-1814); revolution and the break with the past; rationalization and social conservatism; the search for independence (1815-47); legitimacy and conspiracy; alternative paths towards a new Italy; and the cost of independence (1848-61). It fills a major gap and presents a thoughtful and well-integrated political narrative of this complex period in Italy’s development. This book is an essential read for students and scholars of Italian history and European history.
Author(s): Stuart Woolf
Series: Routledge Revivals
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 514
City: London
Cover
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Title
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Original Title
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Contents
Preface
Introduction: The land and the people
PART 1 THE RE-EMERGENCE OF ITALY 1700-60
1 Italy, the ‘pawn’ of European diplomacy
The search for a new equilibrium
The Italian states
Peace and political impotence
2 The social physiognomy of the Italian states
The countryside and landed power
Systems of tenure and peasant pauperism
The cities: economic activities and social structure
3 The problems of government
Administrative confusion and financial crisis
Autocracy and reform: Piedmont
The early reforms: ecclesiastical privilege, administration, finances
4 The ‘new’ intellectuals
The origins of the new culture
Italy and Europe: reason and reform
The Enlightenment vision of the social bases of reform
Production and public happiness
PART 2 REFORM AND AUTHORITY: ENLIGHTENMENT AND DESPOTISM 1760-90
5 The years of collaboration: 1765-75
Naples: the traditional reformism of Tanucci
Lombardy: Viennese administrators and Milanese 'philosophers’
Tuscany: the physiocratic victory
Modena and Parma: the limits of reformism
Piedmont, Venice, Genoa: the absence of reformism
6 The offensive against the Church
Rome: hopes of ecclesiastical reform
Princes and churchmen: the subordination of Church to State
7 The crisis of collaboration: 1775-90
Princely domination and intellectual withdrawal
Joseph II: the autocratic reformer
Leopold of Tuscany: physiocracy and Jansenism
8 Belated collaboration: 1780-94
The Two Sicilies: Genovesi’s pupils and the lack of effective leadership
The Papal States: the impotence of reformism
Modena: Ricci, the isolated reformer
The consequences of Enlightened reformism
PART 3 REVOLUTION AND MODERATION 1789-1814
9 Revolution and the break with the past: 1789-99
France and Europe
Italy and the revolution
The ‘liberation’ of Italy
The Jacobins
The Italian republics
The two Italies
10 Rationalization and social conservatism: 1800-14
Napoleon and Italy
The Italian Republic
The Grand Empire
The Kingdom of Naples
The revolt against Napoleon
PART 4 THE SEARCH FOR INDEPENDENCE 1815-47
11 Legitimacy and conspiracy: 1815-31
Restoration in Europe
Restoration in Italy
Opposition to Restoration
Revolution and reaction
Disintegration of the Restoration
12 The society of Restoration Italy
The countryside
The cities
13 Alternative paths towards a new Italy: 1831-48
Political and economic change in Europe
Mazzini and the democratic initiative
Political liberalism and economic progress
Cattaneo: the idealization of the Lombard middle class
Gioberti: the neo-guelph illusion
The years of moderate hopes
PART 5 THE COST OF INDEPENDENCE 1848-61
14 The contradictions of revolution: 1848-9
Le printemps des peuples
The high tide of revolution in Italy
The ebb of revolution
Republican Italy
15 The compromises of diplomacy: 1850-61
The breakdown of the European concert
The crisis of the political democrats
The hegemony of the political liberals
The triumph of political moderatism
The final drive on democratic unitarianism
16 Epilogue
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
