Italian Unification

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Posted by Your Guide on May 4, 2006 5:31 PM

In future years, control of Italy went to Spain and then to Austria. Napoleon’s armies threatened, invaded, and eventually withdrew in 1814 when the entire country came under French dominance. An Italian unification movement began and victorious wars allowed Italians to declare themselves the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 (without Venice and Rome, which were added in 1866 and 1870, respectively.)

World War I broke out in 1914, and Italy remained neutral until they joined in 1915, expecting a reward of land for their efforts. These expectations were not met, plunging Italy into a social and political crisis. The unrest set the stage for Benito Mussolini to unveil his fascism movement to a receptive people in 1919. He was named prime minister in October of 1922, and under his dictatorship, Italy invaded Ethiopia. They later joined forces with Adolf Hitler and fought on Germany’s side in World War II. Mussolini was ousted in 1943 and the country eventually switched sides and fought against the Germans. A modern government emerged after the war, and Italy experienced a remarkable economic recovery. The country joined NATO in 1949, and has continued to prosper into the 21st century.

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• Early History
• The Roman Republic
• The Roman Empire
• The Middle Ages
• The Renaissance
• Italian Unification