Summary: In the last podcast we thought carefully about how the rebellions of 1821 were brought to an end by Austria’s military might, and the dis-interest of the great powers. Ten years later another set of rebellions broke out. These were much more geographically spread out over more of the Italian peninsula. However, they came to a sticky end, just like the earlier rebellions, at the hands of Austria’s army. It is really useful to look at this second wave of rebellions because they help confirm the factors that were preventing the independence or unification of Italy. After we have looked at the 1831 revolts, we’ll spend some time comparing them to the 1821 revolutions, to make sure we understand why both failed to bring change to Italy. Podcast 5 – the Revolutions of 1831-2 Something to do: Read the following source: “A decade of Napoleonic rule in the Romagna had accustomed the educated classes to efficient modern government, progressive in outlook and secular in character. The Restoration of 1815 had replaced this with an outdated an inefficient administration, an antiquated legal system and the rule of the church, which ousted laymen from the government.” Adapted from Historian Alan R Rainerman’s explanation for the 1831 revolts (1983) It’s really important that you understand some of the words that are used in the course. What do the words ‘progressive’, ‘secular’ and ‘laymen’ mean? If you don’t know, look them up in a dictionary. What evidence is there in the podcast to support Rainerman’s point that the middle classes wanted to end the power of the Pope?
