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 the hopes of the insurgents were doomed to disappointment. Louis
Philippe, after playing with them for some time, came to the same
sagacious conclusion about Revolution that he afterwards announced
with regard to war, viz., that to talk about assisting a Revolution,
and to assist a Revolution, were two different things.[5] Just as the
expedition was on its march, orders were issued to abandon it, and a
body of cavalry were sent to enforce the command. Some abandoned the
attempt; but Mazzini and a few friends escaped to Corsica, which was
still Italian in feeling, though French in government; and there they
hoped to organize an expedition to help the Bolognese.
The Bolognese, however, though gallant enough in their own struggles,
were unwilling to commit themselves to a wider programme than the
defence of their own State. So they refused to send to Corsica the
money which was necessary for the expeditionary force. The Austrians
soon after entered the Papal territory; and when they had crushed out
the insurrection they were in many cases welcomed by the inhabitants
as a protection against the cruelties of the Papal troops.
Two other points in the insurrection alone need notice. One was, that
at the surrender of Ancona Terenzio Mamiani, already known as a
philosophic writer, refused to sign the conditions of capitulation,
and was consequently forced to go into exile. The other was that,
while the representatives of the Pope showed themselves, as a rule,
utterly reckless in violating the conditions under which the surrender
of the towns was made, one honourably distinguished himself by keeping
his word. This was the Governor of Imola, Giovanni Mastai Ferretti,
afterwards Pius IX.
The movement, however, in spite of its scattered and disconnected
character, had excited attention in Piedmont, and several leading
Piedmontese Liberals had determined to press Charles Felix to grant a
Constitution. Of these Liberals, the most remarkable were Angelo
Brofferio, the future historian of Piedmont; Augusto Anfossi,
hereafter to play so brilliant a part in the rescue of Milan from
Austria; and Giacomo Durando, whose book on Italian nationality was
afterwards to hold an honourable place among the writings which
stirred up Italian feeling. The conspiracy was, however, discovered;
the leaders of the movement were arrested; and, while the prisoners
were still awaiting their trial, Charles Felix died, and Charles
Albert succeeded to the throne.
During the time between the failure of the insurrection of 1821 and
his accession to the throne, Charles Albert's only important public
act had been his service in the French Army, which was suppressing the
liberties of Spain. Yet, in spite of this act of hostility to the
Liberal cause, and in spite of the recollections of his previous
desertion in 1821, the Liberals still had hopes that he would become
their champion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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