Explain the process of unification of Italy.
Condition of Italy in the nineteenth century : Italy had a long history of political fragmentation. Italians were scattered over various dynastic states as well as multi-national Habsburg Empire. During the middle of the nineteenth century, Italy was divided into seven states. Out of these states only Sardinia-Piedmont was ruled by an Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs. The center was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under the domination of the Bourbon Kings of Spain. There was no common language too. (2) The unification of Italy was completed in various stages : Sardinia-Piedmont defeated Austria in 1859. Modena, Parma and Tuscany were added t to Piedmont. Garibaldi succeeded in South Italy and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1860 and drove out the Spanish rulers. Austria ceded Venetia to Italy in 1866. In 1870, Rome was taken over as the French soldiers were withdrawn. Rome was made the capital of Italy.
