AHC: Switch the Fates of Yugoslavia and Italy

With a POD no later than 1700, how can the fates of Italy and the region of Yugoslavia be switched (i;e Balkanized Italy, fully or partially unified Yugoslavia)?
 
"Balkanised Italy" is easy. Napoleon III refuses to give Sardinia support in uniting Italy and the Peninsula remains divided into several smaller states.
 
"Balkanised Italy" is easy. Napoleon III refuses to give Sardinia support in uniting Italy and the Peninsula remains divided into several smaller states.

OP says that not POD later than 1700.

It is very easy to keep Italy divided with that POD. Not Italian nationalism and foreign powers, speciality France and Austria, not allows unified Italy.
 
OP says that not POD later than 1700.

It is very easy to keep Italy divided with that POD. Not Italian nationalism and foreign powers, speciality France and Austria, not allows unified Italy.

Didn't see that bit. But seriously, its going to be too hard to change the fates of Italy and Yugoslavia before 1700.

The Balkans were ruled by Austria and the Ottomans, and Italy is still half controlled by Spain.
 
With a POD no later than 1700, how can the fates of Italy and the region of Yugoslavia be switched (i;e Balkanized Italy, fully or partially unified Yugoslavia)?

It hardly can be switched because of the most important factor in History : geography.

Italy is a peninsula, though a central one on the mediterranean point of view. The Appenines apart, communications are not too complicated.

Yougoslavia is in central Europe and was often invaded. And its grography is more fragmented.
 
It hardly can be switched because of the most important factor in History : geography.

Italy is a peninsula, though a central one on the mediterranean point of view. The Appenines apart, communications are not too complicated.

Yougoslavia is in central Europe and was often invaded. And its grography is more fragmented.

While that's true, there are still fault lines in Italy that could lead to an unhappy situation for the peninsula.

North/South divide economically and socially, and this widens after the Industrial Revolution
Monarchism vs. Republicanism (this will be less of issue in the 20th century, but if something happens before then it could be the basis for future conflict)
The Papal Question i.e. what's the Pope's role in a united/disorganized Italy, is he spiritually or temporally powerful etc...
France and Austria keep fighting over the peninsula, if neither has sufficient power then neither will try to back nationalism to remove the stronger one (what France did to Austria in the 19th c.)
 
The Ottoman Empire does worse in the wars of the 1590s and 1600s, resulting in the creation of a Spanish-dominated Yugoslavia (Illyria), with a head start of three centuries - enough to forge a common identity among its peoples, though not really destroy the existing divides.

That does not necessarily mean a balkanized Italy, but the butterflies could very easily keep it separated into at least three states.
 

Dirk

Banned
Not too hard theoretically, but finding an adequate POD and stream of events would be a bitch.

Keep parts of Italy Italian and Catholic, other parts Greek and Orthodox, and other parts Arabic/Bedouin and Sunni. Have temporal lords fighting the Pope 24/7. When Slavs invade the Balkans they convert to one religion, presumably Greek Orthodoxy since the Catholics are too weak to even kick heathens and heretics out of Italy, and over time as nationalism comes to the fore they unite into Yugoslavia.
 
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