How Far Was Austria the Main Obstacle to Italian Unification from 1831-59?

In answering the question I think that it is firstly important to understand why Austria was hostile to the whole idea of Italian unification in this period. After the crippling French Wars of the early 19th century all the powers agreed that such bloodshed must never be allow to happen again. Therefore at the 1815 Congress of Vienna it was decided that Austria would have control over the turbulent Italian states of Lombardi and Venetia in order to ensure that the aforementioned areas did not attempt to rise up, and in doing so, spark off another war. Indeed it is clear that self-preservation was one of the main reasons why Austria, already bordered by an increasingly powerful German Bunt, did not want another influential country as its neighbour. To this effect the impressive quadrilateral of military bases were built in Italy and the Austrian Chancellor Metternich ensured that all revolutionary groups were suppressed through strict censorship and continuous espionage against their groups. This determination to use Austria’s might to keep Italy weak is demonstrated by her crushing without exemption of the 1831 uprisings in Modena and the Papal States when Austrian forces were very publicly used to destroy, without negotiation, all those who revolted along with many innocent bystanders.

Metternich was determined to ensure that Italy remained, ‘a mere geographical expression’ in order to keep a potential threat to his country weak and also he knew that Austria’s suppression of the peninsula was very popular at home; The vast majority of Austrians were Catholics and many of them feared that if there were uprisings the position and safety of the Pope may be put in jeopardy and so they supported their chancellors extreme and vicious actions for that reason. With the Metternich System in place it was almost impossible for revolutionary groups inside the Austrian Empire to operate coherently but once there Chancellor was forced to flee from Vienna all the years of humiliation and subjugation boiled over into revolution.

In February 1848 there were uprisings in Paris not against the Austrians but against the King, Louis-Philippe, and once news of the king’s removal and the new republic spread, it inspired many insurrections throughout Europe, in particular amongst the suppressed peoples of the Austrian Empire. Firstly there were street protests in Vienna which forced Metternich to flee and before long there had been similar revolutions in Prague and Budapest. With the absence of Austrian control, suddenly the Italians were free and there were revolts in every Italian state; without Austrian tyranny revolutions, the first step to unification, could occur and this surely shows that the Austrians were, to a large extent, the main impediment to a unified Italy. Of course with in a year the Austrians had regained control over their empire and in Italy had defeated their main threat, King Charles Albert of Piedmont at the battles of Custozza and Novarra and ended Garibaldi’s stand in Rome. Without Austrian control democracy was allowed to reign and unification looked like a real possibility, however once the Hapsburg’s returned any Italian resistance became futile as the single biggest obstacle to unification ruled over Italy once more.

After the turbulent years of 1849-50, Austria began to reassert her control under the stewardship of her new chancellor Schwarzenberg, but in 1853 events would start to spiral out of control and soon Austria would be left isolated and vulnerable. In that year the Crimean War broke out between Britain, France and Russia. The argument stemmed from a dispute over the Holy Land and the consequence was that the two European powers faced up to Russia in the Crimea. Russia expected Austrian help after the assistance that they had given to Austria during the 1848 Hungarian revolt whilst Britain and France expected Austrian support in containing Russian expansion. The Hapsburg Empire, was called upon by both sides to help but it was decided by Schwarzenberg and the young emperor Franz-Josef to stay neutral rather than offend either side in an effort to maintain friendly diplomatic relationships with all the powers. Furthermore, Austria dared not get involved in the east because she feared Prussian expansion under Bismarck in the west and revolution in Italy on her southern borders. By declaring neutrality Austria managed to offend all who would subsequently be able to help her when revolutions did flair; as one historian put it, “Austria had bad card but played them badly”.

Whilst the Austrian position was weakening the North Italian state of Piedmont was undergoing something of a renaissance. Under the leadership of King Victor Emmanuel and Prime Minister Cavour, Piedmont had seen a huge expansion in trade and the construction of the longest railway network in Italy yet these achievements were shaded