The Sword of Unification: Giuseppe Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian nationalist and the leader of the Red Shirts, a nationalist army for Italian unification. Along with Count Camillo di Cavour and Giuseppe Mazzini, Garibaldi is considered one of the founders of modern Italy. Garibaldi is sometimes referred to as the “hero of two worlds” due to his military feats helping Italians and Latin Americans achieve freedom and independence. The movement for Italian unification, known as the Risorgimento, began in the 1800s when Italians tired of their land being divided among various nations and rulers. Longing for a united Italy, Garibaldi formed an army known as the Red Shirts, due to the color of their shirts. In 1860, he set out to conquer Sicily and southern Italy. With his Red Shirts, he declared himself dictator of Sicily in the name of King Victor Emmanuel II, the king of Piedmont and Sardinia. Shortly afterwards, Garibaldi defeated the King of Naples. By 1870, Italy was a united and independent nation with Rome as its capital. For the first time since the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Italian peninsula was a single nation with a single king.

The following excerpt is from a speech by Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860 encouraging his soldiers to fight for freedom and independence

“We must now consider the period which is just drawing to a close as almost the last stage of our national resurrection, and prepare ourselves to finish worthily the marvelous design of the elect of twenty generations, the completion of which Providence has reserved for this fortunate age… To arms, then, all of you! All of you! And the oppressors and the mighty shall disappear like dust. You, too, women, cast away all the cowards from your embraces; they will give you only cowards for children, and you who are the daughters of the land of beauty must bear children who are noble and brave…This people is its own master…Providence has presented Italy with Victor Emmanuel. Every Italian should rally round him. By the side of Victor Emmanuel every quarrel should be forgotten, all rancor depart… We shall meet again before long to march together to the redemption of our brothers who are still slaves of the stranger.”

Questions:

1-  Who was Giuseppe Garibaldi? ______

2-  Who were the Red Shirts? ______

3-  According to Garibaldi, what should all Italians do? ______

4-  According to Garibaldi, what should Italian women do? ______

5-  What was the Risorgimento? ______