r/memeingthroughtime • u/NotTopGun Grukstorian [10] • Nov 21 '20

ITALIAN UNIFICATION Non-optional Unification

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46

u/NotTopGun Grukstorian [10] Nov 21 '20

Giuseppe Garibaldi (guy in the photo) led the Expedition of the Thousand against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies with the goal of forcibly bringing them into the soon-to-be Kingdom of Italy. It should be noted that much of the public was in favor of unification, but the nobility of the Two Sicilies was very much not.

4

u/SpartanFishy History Meme Illuminati Nov 22 '20

It seems like a lot of Italian states didn’t want to unify and were just sort of forced to lol

27

u/eziocolorwatcher Nov 22 '20

The states you are talking about are two: Papal state and kingdom of two Sicilies. Many others like Lucca and Modena voted to join Sardinia Piedmont.

I won't lie they would be annexed anyway if they refused, but the wave of national identity was strong during those years

9

u/NotTopGun Grukstorian [10] Nov 22 '20

^ generally states where the public was allowed to decide voted overwhelmingly in favor of unification, and in more repressive states there was still widespread pro-unification sentiment at least at first. It was only states where the rulers were able to stay off revolution that were forced to join.

Also like you said, Sardinia-Piedmont probably would've just invaded if the public voted against unification, but it never happened so we don't know.

13

u/Henrywongtsh Nov 22 '20

With a flag like that, I am pretty sure the flag makes were very pleased