Nationalism and the Creation of Italy

Nationalism is the belief that one should be loyal to their people whom they share a common ancestry and history. I really don't see myself as nationalistic. I don't do anything that would be considered nationalistic. I don't really have a loyalty to any one culture or people.

Nationalism helped Italy become its own nation by unifying the Italian people. Before Italy was a nation it had rulers from foreign kingdoms. The provinces of Venetia and Lombardy were ruled by Austria and the southern part of Italy was ruled by Bourbon family who were Spanish. In 1832, Giuseppe Mazzini stated a nationalist group called Young Italy. In 1848, revolts broke out in eight Italian states. A republican government was briefly led by Mazzini but Italy's former leaders drove the nationalist leaders into exile. After 1848, Italian nationalists needed leadership. They had the Kingdom of Peidmont-Sardinia to help them. Sardinia had a liberal constitution so the middle class were able to have a unification under Peidmont-Sardinia instead of a democratic government. In 1852, Camillo di Cavour was named as Sardinia's prime minister. He wanted to expand Sardinia's power. He was able to do this and unify Italy. In 1858, Sardinia was able to drive Austria out of northern Italy with the help of France. Cavour wanted to control sourthern Italy so he helped nationalist rebels there. In May 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Red Shirts were able to take over Sicily and then the rest of southern Italy and unify them with Sardinia.

Simon Bolivar and Latin American Revolutions

Simon Bolivar was a major leader of the Latin American Revolutions and considered a great hero in South America. He is often referred to as El Liberator or the "George Washington of South America." He helped liberate the northern portion of South America from the Spanish rule. This consisted of the present-day countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia.

Simon Bolivar was born on July 24, 1783 in Caracas, Venezuela. He was born to wealthy Creole parents and received a good education. In 1804, he traveled to Europe after his wife died in Venezuela. While there, he studied the philosophies of Enlightenment thinkers and learned of the accomplishments of Napoleon I. In 1807, he then returned to Venezuela after a trip to the United States. In 1808, Caracas declared independence from Spain. Bolivar was sent to Britain on a diplomatic mission. In 1812, the Spanish took over Venezuela and Bolivar fled after returning. In 1813, Bolivar was able to invade Venezuela with assistance from New Granada and declare it a republic. Bolivar was also able to get help from Haiti in 1817. In 1819 Bolivar was declared president of the newly founded Gran Colombia. In the following years Spanish opposition was eliminated. In 1823 Bolivar and Sucre were able to liberate Peru and drive all Spanish presence from South America.