What about an Italy that unifies without Two Sicilies? (say Garibaldi is defeated). Would the north have been better off without the south dragging it down?
What about an Italy that unifies without Two Sicilies? (say Garibaldi is defeated). Would the north have been better off without the south dragging it down?
Italy's fundamental problem is economical
In 1913, IIRC the Italian national income per Capita was that of Britains in -1820s-
Italy was simply bluffing when it comes to great power status
Yes and no, the south did give Italy a bigger market, a bigger army, greater tax income and workers to the norths industry.
But on the other hand lacking the south would have several benefits, the weakness of Italy would be obvious, also to themself, they wouldn't have to invest in (bribe) the south. Italy would be less likely to attempt colonial adventures (with their colonial empire that's a good thing).
In the end Italy without the south would be a smaller country, but it would also be richer and more Central than South European, and it would likely better understand it own limits.
Germany didn't really have land reforms, the primary reason for Germanys succes, beside their coal and iron, was because in Germany being a public servant or learned man was more prestigeous than being rich. Nobles treated proffesors as equals even if they was commoneers, and the nobles sought service in the state rather than owning private businesses. Of course some of it was result of making virtue out of necessarity. But in the long term the result was a society where a honest bureaucrat was a deeply respected, while corrupt bureaucrat was despised scum and where even the lowest born could work himself up through society by gaining a education, rather than having a patron. But these elements of German culture goes back to three things one the Jesuit schools among the Catholics and two the Pietistic among the Protestants, and three the focus of the princely states to build strong unitarian states.
Actually the situation is a bit more complex than that.
Economically speaking that was so, but from a political point of view it is quite the opposite.
From 1900 on , virtually all the prime ministers, and a good share of upper bureaucracy came from the southern upper class. The probem is that the southern upper class had basically a latifondist mentality, and its coming to power did not mean an improving of conditions in southern society, nor an impulse toward industrialization in these regions.
The problem is still felt today.
There wasn't even a standard language - a lot of the dialects were not easily mutually comprehensible.
@EdT: The Italy wank TL I mentioned had the hewing closely to Germany. Any thoughts on that?