Ms. Cannistraci
Name:_______________________ Date:_________ s
Document 1:
Italians who wanted to fight for unification took an oath and became members of “Young
Italy”. State two ways this oath reflects Italian Nationalism.
Bonus Question 
When the oath taker states, “By the memory of our former greatness”, what is he referring
to?
Document 2:
State one way this Giuseppe Garibaldi’s speech reflects Italian Nationalism.
Document 3:
How were the actions taken by Camillo di Cavour to unify Italy similar to the actions taken
by Otto von Bismarck to unify Germany?
Ms. Cannistraci Name:___________________________ Date:__________
In the 1800’s Italy was not a unified country. Italy was composed of separate city-states. Unification
was difficult because some of the city-states were controlled by other countries. The Italians were
nationalistic and longed to be united and under self-rule. Three men played critical roles in the
unification of Italy. There were Giuseppe Mazzini, Giuseppe Garibaldi and Count Camillo di Cavour.
Document 1:
Giuseppe Mazzini, "Oath taken by members of Young Italy (1831)
In the name of all the martyrs of the holy Italian cause who have fallen beneath foreign and
domestic tyranny; By the duties which bind me to the land wherein God has placed me, and
to the brothers whom God has given me; By the love--innate in all men--I bear to the country
that gave my mother birth, and will be the home of my children; By the hatred--innate in all
men--I bear to evil, injustice, and dictatorship. By the embarrassment when I stand before
the citizens of other lands, to know that I have no rights of citizenship, no country, and no
national flag; By the memory of our former greatness, and the sense of our present
denigration. By the tears of Italian mothers for their sons dead on the scaffold, in prison, or in
exile; By the sufferings of the millions,--Source: Guiseppe Mazzini, Joseph Mazzini: His Life, Writings, and Political
Principles (New York: Hurd and Houghton, 1872), pp. 71-74. (ADAPTED)
Document 2:
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Garibaldi was the Leader of the Red Shirts (the volunteer army). A major step towards Italian
Unification was the invasion of Sicily and Southern Italy. Prior to the invasion, Garibaldi made
this announcement:
Italians! The Sicilians are fighting against the enemies of Italy for Italy. It is the duty of every
Italian to help them with words, money and arms and above all, in person….left to
themselves, the brave Sicilians will have to fight not only the paid soldiers of the Bourbon
Dynasty, but also those of Austria and the Priest of Rome. Let those living in the free
provinces lift their voices in behalf of their struggling brethren (brother), and convince their
brave youth to enter the conflict…
Document 3: Count Camillo Di Cavour was the Prime Minister of Sardinia. The chart displays
his role in unification of Italy.
1850
1853-1856
1859
1861
Prime Minister of Sardinia
Di Cavour aligned Sardinia with Britain and France against Russia in the
Crimean War in return for French promise of aid in case of a war with Austria.
Di Cavour led Sardinia into war with Austria; Napoleon II’s France joined the
war as a friend of Sardinia, which took Lombardy.
Di Cavour’s actions encouraged successful revolts against Austria in Tuscany,
Modena and Parma-all three voted to become part of Italy.
Di Cavour sent an army against the French in a battle over the Papal states.
New Victory added and important piece of territory to Italy.
1870
Unification of Italy