Women during the Italian Risorgimento - Research Paper Example

Role of Women in Italian Risorgimento Introduction In the 19 century, Italy underwent a historical transition, through a revolution that was inspired by nationalism. The available literature has documented the selfless efforts of key male leaders that led to the reunification of the Italian states. However, as Schwegman suggests in the book titled, Amazons for Garibaldi: women warriors and the making of the hero of two worlds, the role of the women in the uprisings are rarely recognized (417). To demystify this perception, Scwegman offers us classical examples on how women participated in the war, starting with the Garibaldi’s first wife Anita and others who joined the Red Shirts (432). The women offered themselves to serve the Italians, despite many hurdles such as lack of support from the male populations. This paper examines ways in which the women population contributed to the Risorgimento, either by participating in the armed struggle or through indirect means. Before going into the main subject area, it will be pivotal to revisit some background information. Background Italian reunification, otherwise known as the Risorgimento, describes the period when the Italian embraced a sense of nationhood. The events that took place during the Risorgimento are inspired the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, which resulted to the colonization of some of the Italian provinces. While reunification took place in 1870, before then, most of the states were under either the Austrian or French rule. The first attempt to re-unify the states came in 1848, but it failed while second attempt took place in 1859. The Italian leaders relied heavily on the help of Napoleon III to drive out the Austrians in exchange of Nice and Savoy. The war between Piedmont and Austria broke out in 1859. The re-unification of Italy was impeded by many factors, including dominance of the Austrian forces, which ruled Lombardy and Venetia states. On the other hand, the French forces controlled the Southern Italian Kingdoms, and to defeat this powerful army, the Italian forces had to amass substantial foreign aid. Some of the key leaders who played an important role during the reunification include Victor Emmanuel, Cavour, Mazzini and Garibaldi. In addition, the Italians had to seize the moment after the French forces were withdrawn during the Prussian war. In May 1860, a small army led by Garibaldi led a revolution, which led to the capture of the island of Sicily. The role of Garibaldi in the re-unification efforts through his small army of Red Shirts is highly recognized. The army, which was mainly composed of volunteers from Romagna, Lombardy, and Venetia, set sail in May 1960 for Sicily. After arrival of the Red Shirts, the army registered huge success within the first two months, although they were ill equipped. The re-unification for Italy would not recomplete without the re-capturing of the province of Venetia, which happened 1866 and thereafter the Papal States. This was made successful through the help of the Cavour, who encouraged riots and uprisings, thus giving the troops an opportunity to capture the Papal States. By the end of 1960, most of the states had been captured except Rome and Venetia, which at the time were heavily guarded by the French troops. The opportunity to recapture, these remaining areas presented itself in 1870 after the Franco-Prussian war broke out. In 1871, Rome became part of the large Italy and was made the capital city. The role of women in the army The role of women in Risorgimento is well captured in the documentary titled, three women of the Risorgimento, which was created and directed by Alessandra Ciotti. One of the figures that are highlighted in this moving documentary includes Antonietta De Pace, who is recognized as a founder of the Female Poetical Committee of Napoli. The organization helped the Garibaldi’s army in the mobilization of resources and actual execution of the military campaigners against the Austrians. Other key figures whose efforts are recognized in the documentary include Enrichetta di Lorenzo and Jesse white, an English journalists who fought alongside his husband, Alberto Mario. Jesse white was one of the key women contributors in the revolution and was born in 1832. She played role of a nurse and a biographer during the war against the foreigners. She worked with notable figures like Giuseppe Mazzini and initiated fundraising activities to help the Red shirts army. According to Arnaldi, she was aware of the Mazzini’s writings and other sacrifices that had been made, and that is why she sacrificed to help out as a field nurse (45). However, she first had to enroll for a nursing course in England, but her candidature was refused because at the time only men could be trained as nurses. During her stay in England, Jesse engaged in propaganda campaign and the traveled to Italy to participate in the war. Her sacrifices are well captured in the article titled; Englishwoman is hailed as a heroine of Italy’s unification struggle. Her active role in the army is best captured when Garibaldi was wounded and insisted it was only Jessie who could treat him. Again, in 1857, Jessie travelled to Genoa to push for the unification, but she was jailed for her efforts. While working for the American and British newspapers, she kept the world updated about the triumphs of the Garibaldi’s army in the south. Her efforts were again appreciated in 1871, when the Garibaldi’s army rose up against the Germans in the Franco-Prussian war. Her other role during the struggle was to unite the warring leaders. At one time, she was jailed for her role in the revolution. Her active role in the army can be traced in the spring of 1960 when she volunteered to join the Red Shirts army. Female humanitarian activism In a well written article, titled ‘amazons in Italy: Joshpine Butler and the transformational of Italian female’, Schwegan examines the changing role of women in the Italian society (173). In the article, Schwegan argues that in 1950s and 1960s, radical democratic activism was rife and women played an important role in campaigning on different political issues (178). Women were inspired by political leaders such as Mazzini and took up his call for action. An exemplary example can be found in Sara Nathan who undertook secret military missions on behalf of Mazzini and even suggested the idea of killing Napoleon III. The efforts of the women to participate in the Italian struggle for freedom can also be found in Giorgina Craufurd who was closely associated with the Mazzinian wing of the radical democratic movement. Women’s devotion to the cause of the Italian liberation is again evident by their desire to become volunteers. While reflecting on the role of women, Schwegan finds that during the struggle for the independent Italian nation, women were radical revolutionaries, and others were referred to as Fratellis as a show of devotion to the Mazzinian concept of voluntary fraternity (175). Literary works and moral support The influence of women was felt everywhere, including through literary works. Women used various forms of literature to communicate about the trials and triumphs of the unification period. A classical example can be found in the works of Barret Browning, Isa Blagden and Theodosia Trollope. Although these writers hailed from other foreign countries, they staked their careers on campaigning for the rights of the Italians. According to Beales and Biagini, women writers invested in newly perfomative poetics with the purpose of networking for Italy and their works were celebrated all over the Italy as they praised the war heroines (67). The themes that were raised by these poetic works were discussed in various venues such as saloons by women and their admirers, while challenging the women to participate in the war against the Austrians. A perfect example of woman who used her prowess was Margaret Fuller. When the struggle for unity started in Italy, she wrote articles and sent them to various tabloids including the New York Tribune. Through her actions, Margaret Fuller hoped to gain sympathy from the Americans. She later joined hands with the Marchese Giovanni Ossoli and Garibaldi. She also took charge of the affairs at the Fate BeneFratelli hospital, which has been established by the Princess Belgioioso. Her sacrifices earned her admiration from male counterparts such as the polish poet, Mickiewicz and the Italian legendary, Guiseppe Mazzini. Women sacrifices for the country have widely been examined under the concept of romanticism whereby women supported their husband during the course of the paper. A perfect example that is usually given is that of the Italian Mazzinian couple, Nina Craufurd and Aurelio Saffi. Women supplemented the role of their husbands while mothers and sisters supported their sons and brothers in the course of the war. A perfect example of the relationship between women and close relations is that of the Mazzini’s mother and Aldelaide Cairoli. While there is a perception that women were more likely to support their families than engage in the war struggles, some of the notable figures such as Luigi Settembrini’s wife RaffaelaFaucitano, help us to disapprove this theory. The passion with which women devoted their energy to nationalist issues is further evident from the Maria Corciulo’s masterpiece, a woman patriot and fighter for Italy’s unity and freedom: antonietta de pace in Southern Italy. In this article, selfless sacrifice of Antonietta De Pace is revisited where she is portrayed as one of the ardent fighters in the kingdom of Naples. Her capture in 1855, according to Beales and Biagini caused much furor internationally, and after she was released she participated in the actual liberation of Italy (59). Sometimes, women were persuaded to the call of duty as it is reflected in letter written by Garibaldi, where he urges the women of Sicily to send their sons to the war just like Adelaide Cairoli of Pavia. Pavia’s example is used as she had dedicated so much to the war especially be sending her four sons to the war. Women responded positively to Garibaldi’s glorification of the innate heroism and national resurgence. His charismatic character and his passionate desire to liberate Italy attracted many men and women who were eager to serve in the army. As suggested by Daniels, although at the time women were not permitted to participate in violent struggles, there wrote numerous letters to Garibaldi asking for permission to be allowed to fight for their country (89). To qualify to fight alongside some of the women tried to dress like men and such events points to the passion that they had to turn around their country. While not all women could engage in the armed struggle, they were encouraged to participate by giving their moral and material support. At the same time, they were encouraged to support the Garibaldi’s Marsala proclamation, which called for the religious leaders to give financial support to the army. Women carried these roles with devotion, and they were willing to support the campaign to the end. At the same time, women encouraged their husbands to take up arms and participate in the armed struggle. Due to these initiatives, the campaign was sustained for a long time until all the states were reclaimed from the French and Austrian forces. Women enthusiasm for the ongoing struggle was evident during commemorative occasions and public festivities. One such celebration occurred in Palermo after the Armistice with the Bourbons. After Garibaldi made a speech, there was huge excitement and women showed greater interest of fighting for their country, than men. Such actions demonstrate the passion of the women to support the uprising and even went to great lengths to participate in the actual armed struggle. Movements To better serve the army, women organized themselves in distinct groupings, through which they could mobilize resources required for treatment of the wounded soldiers. Their input is still appreciated in the available literature. One such organization is sorelle d'italia which has thousands of members of Italian origin. The organization has representation in many countries, including the United States, where the organization helps Italian-Americans to observe the Italian heritage and traditions. The group is made-up diverse members from housewives to business women. Through the organization, remembers are able to experience many aspects of the Italian culture and language. While such organization's influences have transformed the way women are treated in the society, the current literature fails to capture how their plight transformed –from being worse to better. The available has focused on the organizations such as the Catholic Centro Italiano Femminile and the left-affiliated Unione Donne Italiane, which were formed at the height of the resistance. Heroines of the Risorgimento While some of the women who participated in the war have already been mentioned, there are some notable ones whose roles were monumental. Their roles in the struggle are described below. Anita Garibaldi Born in 1821 was the wife of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was one of the leaders of the Italian unification. She was in born, and her role in the Risorgimento was, by the way, of accompanying his husband and his red-shirted army of soldiers. In addition, Anita joined his husband in the protection of the Roman Republic against possible take over by the French troops. Her courageous character is immortalized in the film Anita the movie, where she is praised for her role in the uprisings against the foreigners. The efforts of the Anita in the army are well captured in the book, Garibaldi written by Ron Field. In this book, Field (67) revisits a scene in 3rd July 1849 when the French troops Rome to take over the city. Garibaldi gathered a small army of 4,000, which was made up of the Bolognese lancers, the Bersaglieri and the Republican cavalrymen. Undeterred, Anita joined the force, leaving behind her three children in Nice. Anita rode by her husband side wearing red shirt with her hair tucked up inside the hat. In another scene, Field (76) paints a picture of the Garibaldians running away from the Austrian forces, but then suddenly Anita appears to encourage them. The soldiers are emboldened by the presence of the commander’s wife and rallied back and held back the Austrians. Esperance von Schwartz Her other name was Elpis Melena and spent most of her early life in Italy. She is credited is credited with writing Garibaldi’s memoirs and is closely associated with female militancy. Christina Belgiojoso (1808-1871) Born in 1808, Christina was a journalist by professional, and she is credited with documenting much of the Risorgimento’s history. She also helped served in combat zone hospitals. Christina was ell educated and was raised in the world of revolutionary politics, and at one time she was even jailed for political activism. At the height of the Risorgimento, she wrote many articles to Italian newspapers to gain support from the public. While working in the combat zone hospitals, Christina, mobilized women to supply ling and bandages, which would be used to treat the wounded soldiers. Felicita Bevilacqua LaMasa As suggested by Beales and Biagini (57) Felicita was a real patriot and played key role during the unification process. She took part in the ongoing revolution be treating the wounded soldiers and even established a women’s corps to accompany Garibaldi’s army. Conclusion The Risorgimento was a tying time for the women, as they were required to provide men with moral support and mobilize resources for the Garibaldis. However, some of the women such as Anita Garibaldi provided more support by way of directly participating in the armed struggle. Even then, the efforts of the few women who sacrificed themselves for the successful unification of Italy, remains unnoticed. Works Cited Arnaldi, Girolamo. Italy and Its Invaders. Harvard University Press, 2005. Print. Beales, Derek and Biagini, Eugenio (2003). The Risorgimento and the Unification of Italy (2nd ed.). Longman. Print. Daniels, Elizabeth Adams. Jessie White Mario Risorgimento Revolutionary. Athens, Ohio: University Press, 1972. Print. Field, Richard. Garibalid. Botley, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2010. Print. Schwegman, Marjan. Amazons for Garibaldi: women warriors and the making of the hero of two worlds. Modern Italy 15.4(2010): 417-432. Print. Read More