Garabaldis_Qualities

Giuseppe Garibaldi Essay. INTRODUCTION... Giuseppe Garibaldi was a true Italian nationalist who had a vast amount of involvement that is well documented and recognised as some of the main factors that led to Italian unification. Such as his well noted victory at the battle of Volturno in 1860, his astounding victory in taking over Sicily and Naples also in 1860, plus his victories in the 1848 Italian revolutions against the Austrian army and the commander General Redetsky. Garabaldi made a huge significance to the Italian unification through his skilled military leadership, as all who supported him and fought alongside him loved and respected him and his vision for a united Italy. Also with his guerrilla style warfare he used against his opponents and in battle, which inadvertently gave him the upper hand as he possessed a different unsuspecting approach that no other had. PARAGRAPH 1.. The first example of how much a significance Garibaldi’s military leadership was to the result of Italian unification was during the 1848 Italian revolutions. Were he secured a success against the Austrians and the well known Austrian Commander General Redtsky. As in 1848 Garibaldi and members of the Young Italy successfully drove the Austrians out of the city of Milan as after days of fierce street fighting the Commander General Redetsky withdrew his troops from Milan to the foothills of the Alps. This victory however did not last as the Italians suffered a huge defeat at the battle of Custoza mainly due to the fact that there army of a vast 100 thousand men were all mainly unskilled fighting against fully trained skilled soldiers plus they also had a weak indecisive leader in King Charles Albert who only joined and supported the Italian nationalists due to his own pursuit to become king and ruler of Italy. Garibaldi learned from these mistakes and proceeded in his campaign for a united Italy. PARAGRAPH 2.. Another example of how significant Garibaldi’s military leadership accounted for Italian unification. Was in 1860 at his astounding victory in uniting and taking over Sicily and Naples. It is well recognised that if Garibaldi and the volunteer thousand more commonly known as the (Red Shirts)had not sailed to Sicily in 1860, A united Italy would not have been possible. As others including Cavour were not interested in taking the thought of “backward” south. Garibaldi “hijacked” the peasant disturbances in Sicily to force the union of north and south. His military success in Sicily is renowned as being remarkable; although his “red shirt army” were outnumbered they successfully defeated the superior French Bourbon Garrison in Sicily. This win was remarkable and a true representation of the power of Garibaldi’s military leadership as even when outnumbered his highly skilled leadership and guerrilla style warfare led him to victory. PARAGRAPH 3.. His next significant military leadership was as he secured a victories win at the battle of Voltorno in 1860 securing Sicily and now Naples under his control as garibaldi and his now 24,000 “Red shirts” volunteer army defeated the highly skilled Neapolitan army at river Volturno.This was an astounding military achievement recognised by all. Garibaldi secured himself the role of dictator of Sicily and had gained control over the Sicily and Naples; he could have made himself dictator of Italy, as his popularity would have allowed it. Though instead he handed over Naples and Sicily to Victor Emmanuel at Teano in October 1860. Without him doing this a fully united Italy would never have been achieved and only became possible as a result of Garibaldi’s military leadership, his achievements and his longing for a united Italy to become a reality. CONCLUSION... Garibaldi is seen as the sword of the Italian unification. Which is owed to his many victories in battle as if they had never occurred then a united Italy would not have been possible. His popularity, skill at rousing the common people and his military exploits are all key with making the unification of Italy possible. Many people view him as a hero and champion just like A.J.P Taylors statement from his 2007 biography of garibaldi, declaring “Garibaldi is the only wholly admirable figure in modern history”.