In my opinion, all that is needed for the Republic of Venice to survive is to, even slightly, fight against Napoleon. It would still be crushed, but, come the Congress of Vienna, would likely have its independence granted instead of being absorbed by Austria-Hungary. My question is: how would this impact Italian unification? It would likely be a more desirable candidate for unification for liberal nationalists than the monarchist Piedmont-Sardinia, especially if it attempts to stay true to its republican roots, but would Venice desire Italian unification, retain the same amount of power and (at least somewhat) industrialization Piedmont-Sardinia, or potentially even but heads with it, thus strangling unification in its cradle?
In a Surviving Venice Timeline, How Would Italian Unification Go?
- Thread starter atlatlman
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I doubt that Venetian independence would had restored after Napoleonic occupation even if it would had fought even harderd. Had Venice even any fight capacities existing anymore in 1790's? Austria probably still would annex that. Perhaps better would be avoid French revolution and even then I am not sure if Venice could survive as independent nation.
And even if Vienna Congress would decide restore Republic of Venice it probably would be very different nation or perhaps just puppet of Austria. That would make reformists and liberals of Venice even more supportive with unification of Italy. In other hand Venice probably would has stronger identitet.
And even if Vienna Congress would decide restore Republic of Venice it probably would be very different nation or perhaps just puppet of Austria. That would make reformists and liberals of Venice even more supportive with unification of Italy. In other hand Venice probably would has stronger identitet.
Well, Venetians did fight _slightly_, though many of the ones doing that would have been ethnic Croats in modern terms.
It meant nothing because Austria still had to be compensated for the Austrian Netherlands, so the Congress of Vienna was going to confirm Campoformio and Lunéville on the point because that same logic applied.
A restored Republic would also be a mess since the old system would not be enforceable again (and it was _profoundly_ reactionary anyway) and any new Republican one would be seen as Bad Example by the Powers.
In term of industry. The Venetian mainland had little of it, and portions of the region were honestly, dirt poor. Heck, I met old people from rural Veneto who remembered _starvation_ as a relatively common situation as late as the Fifties, over a century later.
It meant nothing because Austria still had to be compensated for the Austrian Netherlands, so the Congress of Vienna was going to confirm Campoformio and Lunéville on the point because that same logic applied.
A restored Republic would also be a mess since the old system would not be enforceable again (and it was _profoundly_ reactionary anyway) and any new Republican one would be seen as Bad Example by the Powers.
In term of industry. The Venetian mainland had little of it, and portions of the region were honestly, dirt poor. Heck, I met old people from rural Veneto who remembered _starvation_ as a relatively common situation as late as the Fifties, over a century later.
As others have pointed out, getting it to happen is very hard. Venice is also going to lose its Stato da Mar regardless, in all likelihood, making it even more of a lame duck.
Lame ducks are more prone to instability than they are to being leaders, and it probably makes Venetians identify less - not more - with pan-Italianism.
Lame ducks are more prone to instability than they are to being leaders, and it probably makes Venetians identify less - not more - with pan-Italianism.
Venice was essentially an Austrian puppet at the time so if the Austrians allow it to remain nominally independent (which is unlikely and no other GP really cares about what happens in Italy) it would be a puppet so not that much changes.
Venice isn't a Republic in the modern way to see it, it was very aristocratic and its leader literally came from Duke and that's assuming the Austrians don't put one of their own candidates on the throne as they did in their other puppet duchies.
Venice is unlikely to be able to do anything even if the Austrians let her do it (which they won't), they aren't strong and aren't nearly as industrialized as Piedmont-Sardinia, Piedmont put itself in so high debt that it took year for an unified Italy (while raising taxes a lot) to pay it back, a thing that Venice is unlikely to do and Piedmont needed French help to beat the Austrians, so the Venetians who have nothing to offer to France won't unify anything.
But Venice is an Austrian puppet so it would change very little from OTL.