Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter I Political opinions in Sicily: April–June 1860
- Chapter II Cavour and the diplomats: April–June
- Chapter III La Farina and Crispi: June
- Chapter IV Arguments for and against annexation
- Chapter V Arguments over ways and means
- Chapter VI Crispi loses the first round: June
- Chapter VII Cavour loses the second round: July
- Chapter VIII Cavour adjusts his policy: July
- Chapter IX Depretis begins his prodictatorship: July
- Chapter X Cavour plans a revolt at Naples: July
- Chapter XI Cavour fails at Naples: August
- Chapter XII Political differences in Sicily: August
- Chapter XIII Cavour forces Depretis to a choice: 1–8 September
- Chapter XIV Depretis fails to persuade Garibaldi: 8–14 September
- Chapter XV Garibaldi succeeds at Naples: 1–15 September
- Chapter XVI Cavour breaks with Garibaldi: September
- Chapter XVII The radicals at bay: September
- Chapter XVIII Mordini the new prodictator: 17–25 September
- Chapter XIX Further controversy over annexation: September–October
- Chapter XX Mordini summons an assembly: 5 October
- Chapter XXI Pallavicino fights for a plebiscite: 8 October
- Chapter XXII Parliament supports Cavour: October
- Chapter XXIII Mordini changes his mind: 9–13 October
- Chapter XXIV Garibaldi makes his decision: 9–13 October
- Chapter XXV The plebiscite in Sicily: October
- Chapter XXVI The doubtful significance of the vote: October–November
- Chapter XXVII Cavour's government in the south: November–December
- Chapter XXVIII Conclusion
- Index
Chapter XXV - The plebiscite in Sicily: October
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter I Political opinions in Sicily: April–June 1860
- Chapter II Cavour and the diplomats: April–June
- Chapter III La Farina and Crispi: June
- Chapter IV Arguments for and against annexation
- Chapter V Arguments over ways and means
- Chapter VI Crispi loses the first round: June
- Chapter VII Cavour loses the second round: July
- Chapter VIII Cavour adjusts his policy: July
- Chapter IX Depretis begins his prodictatorship: July
- Chapter X Cavour plans a revolt at Naples: July
- Chapter XI Cavour fails at Naples: August
- Chapter XII Political differences in Sicily: August
- Chapter XIII Cavour forces Depretis to a choice: 1–8 September
- Chapter XIV Depretis fails to persuade Garibaldi: 8–14 September
- Chapter XV Garibaldi succeeds at Naples: 1–15 September
- Chapter XVI Cavour breaks with Garibaldi: September
- Chapter XVII The radicals at bay: September
- Chapter XVIII Mordini the new prodictator: 17–25 September
- Chapter XIX Further controversy over annexation: September–October
- Chapter XX Mordini summons an assembly: 5 October
- Chapter XXI Pallavicino fights for a plebiscite: 8 October
- Chapter XXII Parliament supports Cavour: October
- Chapter XXIII Mordini changes his mind: 9–13 October
- Chapter XXIV Garibaldi makes his decision: 9–13 October
- Chapter XXV The plebiscite in Sicily: October
- Chapter XXVI The doubtful significance of the vote: October–November
- Chapter XXVII Cavour's government in the south: November–December
- Chapter XXVIII Conclusion
- Index
Summary
Although they had failed to carry Garibaldi with them at Naples, the radicals clung for a few more hours to the hope that they might keep their foothold in Sicily. But by 13 October, though Crispi did not yet realize it, his foolish omission to keep Palermo informed had forced Mordini into surrender. Crispi should no 4tmbt have visualized earlier that there was the possibility of serious trouble arising from the slowness in communications with Sicily. Briefly recapitulated, the situation at Palermo was that Mordini's project for an assembly had seemed widely acceptable, at least until the 11th. Then on the 12th there had spread rumours of Pallavicino's decision for a plebiscite; and especially as this decision was mistakenly believed to be Garibaldi's, it had successfully captured public opinion. Mordini's despairing account of this fact was contained in perhaps the only telegram during this period to reach Naples in less than twelve hours, and what it said may well have had an influence on Garibaldi's mind. Its effect on Crispi had been to make him suddenly aware that his preoccupation with Naples might be losing him Sicily too; and so he had bent all his efforts to what then seemed the best compromise still attainable, that Sicily as well as Naples should each have both plebiscite and assembly. This device now offered the only chance of keeping radical supremacy in the south, at least for a little longer, and so of forcing Cavour to sacrifice some of his more extreme claims before the revolution was concluded.
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- Cavour and Garibaldi 1860A Study in Political Conflict, pp. 376 - 391Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1985