What were the main schools of ideas on Italian unification?
Examine their respective success and failure. In 1820 and again in 1830, Italy was affected by revolts in various states. Isolated and sporadic, these were easily suppressed when the rulers received assistance from Austria. Meanwhile, a new generation of Italian leaders emerged. They were able to draw lessons from the failures of the uprisings and realised that the secret society movement, without leadership, organisation and clear-cut objectives, was unlikely to deliver Italy. In the course of time, three main schools of thought on how to achieve Italian unification emerged. Mazzini and the republican idea – The first school of thought was the republican idea of Mazzini (1805-72). Though a member of the Carbonari in the 1820s, Mazzini realised that the secret society was doomed. In 1831, he founded the Society of Young Italy (at Marsailles). He advocated the creation of a single united republic of Italy. To achieve this, the Austrians must be driven away by the combined efforts of all
