How did the Italian National Society support Cavour’s policies?

Founded in 1857, the Italian National Society was a monarchist-unionist organization that played a crucial role in supporting the policies of Camillo Benso di Cavour during the Risorgimento.1

The society provided vital support to Cavour’s agenda in the following ways:

• Broadening Political Appeal: By operating under the presidency of Daniele Manin and the vice presidency of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the organization achieved a wider reach than the moderate political factions could have attained on their own.1
• Shifting Toward Unity: The society helped consolidate nationalist sentiment behind the House of Savoy. Notably, Manin famously renounced his republicanism, promising to support the House of Savoy if they would commit to the doctrine of Italian unity.2
• Collaborative Alignment: The society facilitated a shift among Italian nationalists—including figures like Bettino Ricasoli and Giuseppe La Farina—to collaborate with the Piedmontese government in Turin rather than pursuing isolated, failed republican conspiracies.2

Cavour, who initially viewed the idea of unity with skepticism, eventually accepted the alliance with the National Society, recognizing it as a necessary component in his strategy to achieve Italian independence through state-led diplomatic and military action.21