🔷 I MOTI RIVOLUZIONARI DEL 1820-21 + CARBONERIA

Summary

This video explores the revolutionary movements of 1820-1821 in Europe and South America. It highlights the aftermath of Napoleon’s defeat, with the Congress of Vienna restoring monarchies and igniting discontent. Secret societies like the Carboneria in Italy fueled uprisings seeking constitutional reforms or independence from foreign rule. While most European revolts failed due to the intervention of the Holy Alliance, Greece succeeded in gaining independence. In South America, revolutionary leaders such as Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín led successful independence movements, significantly shaping the region's future.

Takeaways

• 😀 After Napoleon's defeat, the Congress of Vienna and the restoration led to dissatisfaction across Europe, with people demanding constitutional reforms and independence from foreign domination.
• 😀 Revolutionaries sought two main goals: limiting absolute power through constitutions and achieving independence from foreign rule.
• 😀 Secret societies, like the Carbonari in Italy, played a crucial role in revolutionary movements across Europe and South America in the 1820-21 period.
• 😀 The Carbonari were a secretive group, often made up of intellectuals and students, inspired by Freemasonry, and aimed to achieve constitutional reforms or Italian unification.
• 😀 Despite their goals, the Carbonari were ineffective due to their secretive nature, lack of mass support, and internal divisions.
• 😀 Major figures in the Carbonari included Giuseppe Mazzini, Ciro Menotti, and poet Silvio Pellico, all of whom contributed to the revolutionary efforts.
• 😀 The first significant revolutions of the 1820-21 period occurred in Spain, where soldiers mutinied in Cadiz, demanding a constitution, which spread to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and Portugal.
• 😀 The Holy Alliance (Austria, Prussia, and Russia) intervened to suppress these revolutions, emphasizing its role in maintaining order post-Congress of Vienna.
• 😀 In Piedmont, after revolts, King Victor Emmanuel I handed over power to his brother, Carlo Felice, but when he returned, he revoked constitutional concessions, with Austrian support to quell the rebels.
• 😀 Greece succeeded in gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829, with the help of Britain, France, and Russia, marking a rare success in the period’s revolutions.

Q & A

What were the primary goals of the revolutionary movements in Europe after Napoleon's defeat?

The primary goals were to limit the absolute power of monarchs by establishing constitutions and to achieve independence from foreign domination, particularly from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and other external powers.

What was the role of secret societies in the revolutionary movements of the 19th century?

Secret societies like the Carboneria in Italy, Filiki Eteria in Greece, and Comuneros in Spain were crucial in organizing revolutionary movements. They advocated for constitutional reforms or independence from foreign powers and often operated in secrecy to avoid repression.

How did the Congress of Vienna influence European politics after Napoleon's defeat?

The Congress of Vienna sought to restore pre-revolutionary monarchies and maintain the status quo across Europe, which led to widespread dissatisfaction among the people. It ignored the revolutionary ideals of liberty and national self-determination.

What were the key features of the Carboneria movement in Italy?

The Carboneria was a secret society in Italy inspired by Freemasonry. It was made up of intellectuals, students, and middle-class individuals who sought constitutional reforms and Italian unification. However, it was criticized for being too secretive and excluding the general population.

Why did the Carboneria fail to achieve its goals in many of its uprisings?

The Carboneria's secretive nature, lack of unity among its members, and exclusion of the general population led to its failure. The movement was also vulnerable to repression by authorities, including the Holy Alliance.

What was the Holy Alliance, and how did it impact the revolutions of 1820-21?

The Holy Alliance was an alliance between Russia, Austria, and Prussia formed after the Congress of Vienna. It intervened to suppress revolutions and maintain the monarchies, quashing uprisings in Italy, Spain, and other parts of Europe.

Which region in Europe successfully gained independence in the 1820s, and what external support did they receive?

Greece successfully gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in the 1820s, with significant support from Britain, France, and Russia, which had interests in extending their influence in the Mediterranean.

What were the outcomes of the 1820-21 revolutionary movements in Spain, Italy, and Portugal?

The revolutions in Spain, Italy, and Portugal initially achieved some success, such as the granting of constitutions, but most were quickly suppressed by the intervention of the Holy Alliance. In Italy, the king revoked the reforms once he returned, and revolts were crushed in the Piedmont region and elsewhere.

How did the independence movements in South America differ from the European revolutions of 1820-21?

The South American independence movements, fueled by leaders like Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín, succeeded in freeing nations like Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico from Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule. These movements were supported by the U.S. through the Monroe Doctrine, which opposed European intervention in the Americas.

What was the Monroe Doctrine, and how did it influence the revolutions in South America?

The Monroe Doctrine, issued by U.S. President James Monroe, declared that European powers should no longer colonize or interfere in the Americas. It provided political support to the South American independence movements and helped prevent European intervention in the region.