Post Unification 1870

Question 1

How did gender play its role?

Answer 1

An ass, an ox and a sheep were worth more than a wife to a peasant
9,000 prostitutes
Women of the plain were cleaner than those in the hills, less likely to be beaten

Question 2

How did emigration play its role?

Answer 2

1891- 1.4 mil Italians living in America
1871- 120,000 Italians emigrated
Many northern immigrants settled in Brazil/ Argentina
Unstable nation - wanted to leave

Question 3

How did the Church play its role?

Answer 3

Pope didnt want to lose influence or power, against unification
Liked Italy Being backward- control- gods the answer
Pope bribed with 3 million lire to leave
Pope threatened excommunication which divided the nation

Question 4

How did law and order play its role ?

Answer 4

Bandits - little L&O
Anarchist groups encouraged peasants to take matters into their own hands
Military often had to get involved - violence
‘Omerta’ code of silence - south were sworn to secrecy
Mafia ran south

Question 5

How did linguistics play its role ?

Answer 5

Didnt all speak same language - divided cant understand eachother.
Some spoke French / German
Piedmont was the unofficial language - everyone spoke it
Garibaldi - hero and Cavour spoke French

Question 6

How did Agricultire play its role?

Answer 6

Many towns surrounded river Po
South - latifundia - absents landlords who where in the north
Southern land for wheat farming fell by 8%
Malaria affected south and killed 15k annually
60% worked in agriculture
Wheat production in N grew by 100%
North had large dairy farms

Question 7

How did the North and South divide play its role?

Answer 7

N- engineering centres in Milan Turin Genoa, good soil, climate, 1750km railway, industrial development

S- deprived, mountainous, backward, 70% illiterate, little industry, decreased school attendance of 18%

Question 8

How did government play its role?

Answer 8

Italy behind rest of Europe
Transformismo, unstable
Keep bringing in same politicians - no fresh or new ideas
Age property and education determined who could vote
Population 28M, less than 1/2 could vote

Question 9

How did finances play its part?

Answer 9

When the N took the S, they took everything - debt, poverty - needed more handouts / benefits
Needed to find £ to spend on the army, pay for public works, improve transport
Gov taxed bread, no one’s happy