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How did Giuseppe Garibaldi become involved in the Italian nationalist movement?
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unification of Italy
The unification of Italy. The dates are those of annexation, first to Sardinia-Piedmont and after 1861 to the Kingdom of Italy.
Giuseppe Garibaldiās involvement in the Italian nationalist movement began in the early 1830s when he came under the influence of Giuseppe Mazzini, the prominent prophet of Italian nationalism. His commitment was solidified by a shared belief with Mazzini that the fragmented Italian states could be unified into a single nation.12
His active participation included:
- Early Radicalism: In 1834, Garibaldi participated in a failed mutiny intended to spark a republican revolution in Piedmont, which resulted in a death sentence and his subsequent exile.1
- War of Liberation: In 1848, he returned to Italy to fight against the Austrians, eventually leading a spirited defense of Rome as an independent republic in 1849.2
- Military Leadership: Garibaldi gained fame as a guerrilla leader, notably commanding the Cacciatori delle Alpi (Alpine Huntsmen) during the 1859 war against Austria.3
- Expedition of the Thousand: In 1860, he led the Expedition of the Thousand to overthrow the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, a pivotal campaign that facilitated the unification of southern Italy with the north.45