The Revolutionary Movement of 1848-9 in Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Germany: With Some Examination of the Previous Thirty-three YearsMaurice, C. Edmund (Charles Edmund)
History
The Revolutionary Movement of 1848-9 in Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Germany: With Some Examination of the Previous Thirty-three Years
Maurice, C. Edmund (Charles Edmund)
Europe -- History -- 1848-1849; Revolutions -- Europe
But matters took here a rather different complexion from that which
they had assumed in Rome. The zeal of the Tuscans had been kindled by
their struggle with the Duke of Modena, and the free life of Tuscany
had attracted many democratic Italians; while, on the other hand,
though Leopold might have wiped out the memory of the surrender of
Renzi, he could not cease to be a Hapsburg, and could never attract to
himself the same imaginative enthusiasm which was kindled by the dream
of a reforming Pope. At any rate, the first spark of a revolutionary
movement had been kindled by Guerrazzi in Leghorn, before the success
of the Sicilians had been known; and though Ridolfi had suppressed the
movement and imprisoned Guerrazzi, the bitterness caused by it still
remained. And even when the news of the Neapolitan Constitution
reached Florence, the Tuscan reformers hastened to congratulate, not
the Neapolitan Ambassador, but a representative of the revolutionary
Sicilians who happened to be in Florence. But Leopold was ready to
yield with a much better grace than Ferdinand; and when, on February
17, the Constitution appeared it was found, in the matter of religious
liberty, to be considerably in advance of the Neapolitan Constitution.
In the Kingdom of Sardinia the city of Genoa supplied the same kind of
element which the Tuscans found in Leghorn. The questionable manner in
which that city had been annexed to Piedmont had left, no doubt, a
continual soreness and readiness for revolution among the Genoese;
while, on the other hand, its important geographical position and
great commercial reputation had led Charles Albert to push forward its
development as much as possible. It soon came to the front during the
movement for reform, and its citizens tried to urge on Charles Albert
whenever he hesitated. As he drifted gradually in the direction of
bolder action, the Genoese were ready to encourage festivals in his
honour, and on the occasion of a demonstration in November, at Genoa,
a citizen had called out to him, "Charles Albert, cross the Ticino and
we will follow thee." When, then, the news arrived of the Sicilian
rising, the Genoese sent to Turin a petition for the expulsion of the
Jesuits and the concession of a national guard. In the meantime the
editors of leading newspapers in Turin were meeting to decide on the
policy which they should support, and Count Cavour, who had hitherto
been disinclined to Liberal movements, proposed that they should
demand a Constitution. D'Azeglio, Durando, and others, supported the
proposal, and Cavour was despatched to present it to the King.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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