Up until now we’ve been focusing on the different regions of Italy fairly evenly, though with a bias toward the North that is largely the result of the victors writing the history books. We’ve kept this broad focus because, to the people living in Italy at any time prior to the 1850’s, it would have been unclear where unification was going to come from, if anywhere. The 1850’s, called ‘The Decade of Preparation’ by historians, is when things start to change, and we’ll be spending more and more time talking about Piedmont. Again, part of this is because the victors write the history books, but it’s also because this podcast is about the Italian Unification, and by the mid-1850’s Piedmont will be the only game in town as far as unification is concerned. History doesn’t stop happening in the other places, but it stops being as relevant to our story. This doesn’t mean we’ll stop talking about them entirely, just that they’ll begin to do more reacting than acting as Piedmont seizes the initiative.
In this episode we’ll meet Piedmont’s new king, and see Piedmont try to regain its footing as it deals with its first constitutional crisis, triggered by its peace treaty with Austria. Against the backdrop of these events, Cavour, the late-bloomer of our Big Three, will rapidly become the dominant figure in Piedmontese politics. Download Episode 37
In this episode we’ll meet Piedmont’s new king, and see Piedmont try to regain its footing as it deals with its first constitutional crisis, triggered by its peace treaty with Austria. Against the backdrop of these events, Cavour, the late-bloomer of our Big Three, will rapidly become the dominant figure in Piedmontese politics. Download Episode 37
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