WI: Napoleon III doesn't back Italian unification?

So this is something I've been wondering about for a good little while now. If it wasn't for France and Napoleon III Sardinia-Piedmont would have never been able to defeat Austria, thus preventing them from unifying Italy. So lets say for whatever reason Napoleon III decides to not support Sardinia for whatever reason, either the Orsini assassination attempt never happens, there are earlier tensions between France and Prussia (thus the French need closer relations with Austria) or the French Catholics are more vocal in supporting the Papal states. The reason doesn't really matter.

What would the short and long term repercussions be with Italy still divided among many states? How would this affect Austria and its policies in Germany and Italy? How would continuing Papal rule in Italy affect Europe? Would Italy eventually unify on a federal level, similar to the German Empire?
 
Perhaps another Italian state unifies Italy militarily, as Prussia did with Germany. It would be more interesting to see how this changes the run up to WWI and the war itself. You should do a timeline on it!
 
Is that a possible Popewank I smell? With French Catholics backing Senor Popeman they, not Sardegna, would have the advantage of foreign backing.
 
Perhaps another Italian state unifies Italy militarily, as Prussia did with Germany. It would be more interesting to see how this changes the run up to WWI and the war itself. You should do a timeline on it!

Big difference between Italy and Germany. None of the Italian states on their own had the military or industry necessary to challenge Austria (which would be necessary to unify the peninsula). Sardinia tried in 1848-49 and got their ass handed to them (when Austria was dealing with internal revolutions no less!) so I can't see them trying a second time so soon.

Actually I am planning on something similar in my planned Bourbon TL.
 
Big difference between Italy and Germany. None of the Italian states on their own had the military or industry necessary to challenge Austria (which would be necessary to unify the peninsula). Sardinia tried in 1848-49 and got their ass handed to them (when Austria was dealing with internal revolutions no less!) so I can't see them trying a second time so soon.

Actually I am planning on something similar in my planned Bourbon TL.

You are correct sir.

Austria tied up in meddling in Italian affairs will cause big butterflies as Europe builds up to The Great War. I however leave that to your capable hands!
 
If you wanted to be philosophical, you could say that the POD suggested could lead in backwards ripples in the fabric of space-time, causing a different POD which makes the popes of the Renaissance have halfway decent morals and an expansionist streak.

I want a Popewank. Badly.
 
If you wanted to be philosophical, you could say that the POD suggested could lead in backwards ripples in the fabric of space-time, causing a different POD which makes the popes of the Renaissance have halfway decent morals and an expansionist streak.

I want a Popewank. Badly.

Not sure if it would be a wank or not, but I remember that at one point it was proposed that an Italian Confederation should be formed under the Presidency of His Holiness. Could be a sort of Papal wank. Although I doubt Pius IX would be the best choice. And there would still be the issue of Lombardia-Venetia.
 
By wank I meant more of an outright papal conquest of Italy, preferable before the French invasions of the early 1500's. Perhaps the Hapsburgs and popes could team up, or conversely the French could help il poppo. Either way, a main POD could be a different council of Constance, and possibly the non-death of Jan Huss.
 
By wank I meant more of an outright papal conquest of Italy, preferable before the French invasions of the early 1500's. Perhaps the Hapsburgs and popes could team up, or conversely the French could help il poppo. Either way, a main POD could be a different council of Constance, and possibly the non-death of Jan Huss.

Ah OK. Sadly out of my area of expertise but it would be very interesting nonetheless. Personally I'm partial to a Papal-Borgia conquest myself.
 
Not sure if it would be a wank or not, but I remember that at one point it was proposed that an Italian Confederation should be formed under the Presidency of His Holiness. Could be a sort of Papal wank. Although I doubt Pius IX would be the best choice. And there would still be the issue of Lombardia-Venetia.

That idea lost most of it's support after Pius IX's refusal to go against the Catholic Austrians, if I remember things right.
 
I thought that France specifically did NOT want a united Italy, that it tried hard to pull back its support once Piedmont got too successful, it's just that it was too late, and the popular movements throughout Italy pushed in favour of Piedmont.
 
If Napoleon III chooses Austria over Italy (not likely given his background) then the Italian Unification is a Franco-Austrian partition isn't it?

Hey maybe he marries Nene, Sisi's older sister and he's kin with Franz Joseph.
Maybe Plon-Plon joins the family by marrying the younger sister, Marie and there is an Austrian sanctioned Bonapartist coup in the Two Sicilies.

In some ways, this alliance makes more sense than what actually happened. Together, France and Austria can frustrate unification of both Italy and Germany. And why not? These things signaled the decline of Vienna and Paris.
 
So lets say there is no 1859 war. I still think that Piemont would be an ally to Prussia in 1859 so i think it would happen than. But they would still have Nizza and Savoya of course and im not sure that Austria would have to cede both Lombardia and Venezia. If Italy doesnt get Venezia that will place it clearly in the french camp pre WWI.

Of course this may change the german unification too but thats depends on why Napoleon didnt help Italy.
 
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