Author Archives: Ed_Podesta

In this episode we consider the ways that Piedmont developed after the setbacks of the 1848 and 1849 revolutions.  We’ll find out about the political, economic and industrial development of Piedmont, and in the next episode we’ll follow up with … Continue reading →

Why did the revolutions of 1848-9 fail to make any immediate impact on the situation in Italy? This podcast explores the immediate and long term impact of the revolutions of 1848-9. Podcast Transcript

In 1848 the moderates, Charles Albert and Cassati the Podesta of Milan had been at the head of the attempt to liberate Italy from Austrian rule. As their attempts failed more radical revolutionaries made the attempt. Podcast Transcript

You’ll remember that in the last podcast we looked at the events of the 1848 revolts.  In today’s podcast we’re going to look at five big reasons why the revolutions in 1848 and 1849 failed to bring unity to Italy.  … Continue reading →

We know from our last podcast that Italy was ‘tinder dry’, a situation that had the potential to go up in flames.  What happened to start the revolutions was a series of events in the different kingdoms and duchies, which … Continue reading →

We saw in the last podcast how new ideas about how Italy might free herself from Austrian domination had arisen.  In today’s podcast we’re going to see how Gioberti’s hopes seemed to be on the verge of coming true, so … Continue reading →

Imagine we could travel back in time to Italy in 1815.  Suppose we spent twenty years from 1815 to 1835 travelling Italy, joining secret societies and revolutionary cells.  Lets say we were able to talk to three ‘revolutionaries’; say Charles … Continue reading →

In the last podcast we thought carefully about how the rebellions of 1821 were brought to an end by Austria’s military might, and the dis-interest of the great powers. Ten years later another set of rebellions broke out.  These were … Continue reading →

We ended the last podcast by looking at an excerpt from Christopher Duggan’s The Force of Destiny, where Duggan argued that ‘the real problem [for the Austrians and the Restoration governments of Italy] lay with the educated classes’.  In this … Continue reading →