The Twists And Turns Of The Dynasty Unification Movement: A Preliminary Study Of The Second War Of Unification In Italy

The foundation of Kingdom of Italy is both a result of the unification movement rising at the turn of 18-19 century and the final achievement of three wars for Italy’s unification.The second unification war is the most important,because it laid foundation for the subsequent development of Italian nation-state.This transformation is carried out by Savoy dynasty,reigning Sardinia Kingdom,it turned Italy to a new power in Europe by its dynastic expansion.But compared to other European power,Sardinia is a small country,so this study will focus on the questions such as the debate over the path of Italian unification,diplomatic manoeuvre,in order to deepen the understanding about the characteristics of Italian unification movement.This study is separated into five parts.The introduction presents the meaning of this topic,actual research situation in China and abroad,the study approaches and the major concerns of the article.Chapter Ⅰwill review the rising of Italian unification movement and its principal supports,sketch the national conditions of Italy and the formation of leadership of the unification movement.By these presentations,we will understand why Sardinia Kingdom became the guide of the path from above to below,which was embodied in the war led by the dynasty.Chapter Ⅱis the joint war between France and the Kingdom of Sardinia against Austria.It mainly elaborates the different diplomatic and military struggles in Italy and beyond.Given its insufficient power against Habsburg Empire,Sardinia had to search the support of France,so the war was engaged in an international balance system from its beginning.Based on its strategy for national unification,Sardinia decided to concede a modest territorial interest to France in order to exchange military support of the latter.This deal contributed to overthrow of the domination of Austria in Italy,but Sardinia also was betrayed by France for not only one time.Chapter Ⅲ the wrestle of the Kingdom of Sardinia and France.On critical moments,contradictions between European powers and the solidarity of interior forces in Italy pushed the unification movement forward and expulsed the influence of the powers from Italian peninsula completely.However,the Sardinian of Kingdom still had to sacrifice its own territory: under the deliberate manipulation of France,Savoy and Nice were eventually ceded.Chapter Ⅳis the conclusion.The purpose is mainly to analyze the gains and losses of all parties and find the long-term impact of the incident.