Control divided between Austrian dominance in North and Spanish control (post 1738) of Naples and Sicily. Venice, Este and Savoy were independent.

1794 Revolutionary conspiracies repressed in Turin, Genoa, Bologna, Rome, Naples and Palermo.

 Spring 1796 Napoleon invades – Triennio: Map of Italy redrawn with new constitutions for Cispadane, Cisalpine, Ligurian and Roman Republics, with ratification by popular vote. Flight of King of Naples permits est. of Neopolitan Republic, soon overthrown.

October 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio (Lombardo, Emilia Romagna, Veneto and parts of Tuscany, created as a Cisalpine republic (a French satellite); Austria gets Venice.

1798 French occupy Rome and send Pope into exile – when Napoleon leaves for Egypt King Ferdinand of Sicily reinstates Pope; but French occupy Naples driving Ferdinand’s court into exile

Spring 1799 French driven out of Tuscany by peasant revolt.  French largely driven out.

1800 renewed French invasion of Italy

1802 Cisalpine Republic converted into Italian Republic with Bonaparte as President

1805 – French convert Italian Republic into the  ‘Kingdom of Italy’ and gradually expanded.  Murat named as King of Naples

1809 Rome re-occupied

1815 Murat overthrown and defeated by Austrians; Congress of Vienna divided Italy between Austria and Kingdom of Sardinia, the Kingdom of the two Sicilies, Tuscany, and the Papal states.

1820-1 Revolutions in Naples, Piedmont and Sicily – inspired by Spanish Trienio. Sicily introduced a liberal constitution that was then overthrown and followed by extensive persecution of reformers. Austrians restore royal power

1831 revolutions in Modena, Papal states and Parma – put down in 1831 by the Austrians

1831 Foundation of ‘young Italy’

1848 Revolt in Lombardy and Sicily, followed by Tuscany. A constitution was granted to Tuscany. In Feb a constitution as granted by the Pope to the Papal states.  The collapse of the Louis Philippe’s monarchy in France triggered further activity. Milan and Venice revolted in March.  Charles Albert (K of Sardinia) agreed to lead a movement for unification. Defeated by Radetsky at Custoza on 24 July 1848

1848-9 – initial radicalisation of constitutional states leading to departures of their heads – including the Pope. Proclamation of the Roman republic in Feb 1849. Mazzini appointed chief minister in March.  Charles Albert renewed war with Austria but was defeated and abdicated in favour of his son Victor Emmanuel II

June 1849 Roman republic supressed by French troops of Louis Napoleon; Venice by Austrians.

1859 -61  pact between Cavour and Louis Napoleon against Austria to establish an independent Italy;second war of independence; Garibaldi’s ‘Expedition of the Thousand’ moves North from Sicily; union of central Italy and South ratified by plebiscites. Kingdom of Italy proclaimed under House of Savoy.

1870 Rome taken by Italian troops.