Austria cultivates separate Lombardy and Venetian identities

Could the Austrian empire encourage separate Lombardy and Venetian identities to combat Italian nationalism

Would this be successful

What would be the impact
 
Technically, I could see it happening, while not as a separate nationalism but rather as a particularism. Austria was not big on nationalism (largely associated with revolution) at this point.
It wouldn't be that effective or successful : the idea that these regions were part of an Italian national ensemble was far too entrenched and went a no-return point after Napoleonic Italy.
 
You could have incitations for people to join those states, therefore establishing some small colonies in Italian territory that would change their culture
 
People don't have to have monolithic national identities. In fact, those cause problems, look at the Balkans.

The greatest missed opportunity of the Hapsburgs of the nineteenth century was not creating an Italian Confederation styled after the German Confederation. They could have had sole control over things like the military. Italian unity was Napoleon III's pet project but in a timeline were he were deposed, France many never become the champion of Italian Unity. Sardinia-Piedmont is too small to defeat the Hapsburgs on their own. So Italian unity without Piedmont would either have to turn to revolution or compromising with the Austrians. An Italian yet not sovereign confederation would be enough to pacify the nationalists (for a little while) and have much stronger regional identities among the Italians in general.
 
People don't have to have monolithic national identities. In fact, those cause problems, look at the Balkans.

The greatest missed opportunity of the Hapsburgs of the nineteenth century was not creating an Italian Confederation styled after the German Confederation. They could have had sole control over things like the military. Italian unity was Napoleon III's pet project but in a timeline were he were deposed, France many never become the champion of Italian Unity. Sardinia-Piedmont is too small to defeat the Hapsburgs on their own. So Italian unity without Piedmont would either have to turn to revolution or compromising with the Austrians. An Italian yet not sovereign confederation would be enough to pacify the nationalists (for a little while) and have much stronger regional identities among the Italians in general.
Maybe, but the German Confederation didn’t stop Germany from unifying.
 
Could the Austrian empire encourage separate Lombardy and Venetian identities to combat Italian nationalism

Would this be successful

What would be the impact
The issue the hasburg wanted to make an austria indentity that would still be too german for other like unless they invent a language for everyone and forced it via decrees.
 
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