Italy in the late 19th – early 20th century
The Franco-Prussian War allowed Italy to complete unification: after the French troops guarding papal rule were withdrawn because of the war, the Italian army took Rome in September 1870, which became the capital, and the Pope’s power was limited to the Vatican (a law of 1871 recognised the Pope’s inviolability). Italy was a constitutional monarchy with a two-chamber parliament; Catholicism was recognised as the state religion. The country stayed agrarian: land was held by big owners and peasants were tenants on hard terms; yet railways, a merchant fleet and new industry (for example Fiat, 1899) developed. Incomes were the lowest in Western Europe, many emigrated for work; the Socialist Party was formed in 1892 and a strike in Milan in 1898 turned into clashes. In 1903–1914 (with breaks) J. Giolitti led the government: unions and strikes were allowed, night work by women and children was limited and property and literacy qualifications for voting were abolished. In foreign policy Italy joined the Triple Alliance in 1882, took Eritrea and Somalia, but was defeated at Adwa on 1 March 1896 in a war against Ethiopia. In 1902 it made a neutrality agreement with France, and in 1911 it began a war on Turkey and took Libya.
“Map of Italy”: mark Rome, the Vatican, Milan, Sicily, Eritrea, Somalia and Libya on a map.