Italy

Benvenuti in Italia! Italy-page by Kaytlin Green



History Summary

Varieties of people have lived in the Italian region since the early ages. The Etruscans were the first people to rule the peninsula around the 8th century BC and were eventually overrun by the Roman Empire. The ancient Greeks also set up colonies by the southern coast. The Plague or ‘Black Death’ in 1348 was devastating to Italy, and killed one third of its population. The recovery from the Plague led to a recovery of cities, trade and economy which greatly improved Italy’s well-being. Because of this Italy experienced the Renaissance in the 15th century. During the Renaissance, city-states fought for power. Florence, Milan and Venice emerged as dominant players, and these powers agreed to the Peace of Lodi in 1454, which brought peace to the area for the first time in centuries. But, this peace only lasted for 40 years. A series of foreign invasions of Italy known as the Italian Wars continued for several decades. These began with the 1494 invasion by France devastated Northern Italy and ended the independence of many of the city-states. Italy was also invaded and ruled by Napoleon of France for a brief time. The Risorgimento was the political and social process that joined different states of the Italian Peninsula into the single nation of Italy. Italy became a nation-state on March 17, 1861. In 1870, Prussia went to war with France starting the Franco-Prussian War. Italy benefited from Prussia's victory against France by being able to take over the Papal State from French authority. The Italian stated joined together to become one nation, and shortly after that Italy's capital was moved to Rome. Rome itself remained for a decade under the Papacy, and became part of the Kingdom of Italy only on September 20, 1870, the final date of Italian unification. The Vatican City is now, since the Lateran Treaty of 1929, an independent area surrounded by Italy, as is San Marino. In Northern Italy, industrialization and modernization began in the last part of the 19th century. The south, at the same time, was overpopulated, forcing millions of people to search for a better life abroad. Electoral laws excluded people who did not own property from voting until, in 1913, voting was allowed for all men. The Socialist Party became the main political party. Starting from the last two decades of the 19th century, Italy developed its own colonial Empire. Italian colonies were Somalia and Eritrea An attempt to control Ethiopia failed in the First Italo–Ethiopian War of 1895-1896. In 1911, the government sent forces to take over Libya and declared war on the Ottoman Empire which controlled Libya. Italy soon conquered Tripoli and the Dodecanese Islands. The First World War which lasted from1914 to 1918 was an unexpected development. Italy had to decide whether or not to honor their alliance with Germany. At first Italy remained neutral, but public opinion in Italy was divided, with Catholics and socialists recommending peace. However extreme nationalists saw their opportunity to gain lands controlled by Austria. The nationalists won, and in April 1915, the Italian government secretly agreed to the London Pact. Italy declared war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire in exchange for promises of major territorial rewards. In 1916, Italy declared war on Germany, because they were on the side of the Austrians. About 650,000 Italian soldiers died and 950,000 were wounded, and the economy was damaged. Before WWII, Mussolini took control of Rome; he was made Premier, and a month later he became the dictator. Mussolini supported Hitler and became an ally of the Germans. Although Italy was weak and unprepared, Mussolini declared war on France once it had been defeated by Germany in 1940. Then Italy signed an official "Axis" alliance with Germany and Japan in September 1940. The Allied Powers invaded Sicely in August 1943 and then invaded the peninsula in September. Mussolini and his Fascists lost power after that, and Italy joined the Allies. Italy was in chaos at the end of the war, with many resistance groups attempting revenge, with weekly killings and assassinations. The political system needed to be reorganized. Fascism was ended, and new parties emerged. Italy was politically unstable from the 1970’s to the 1980’s. Known as the Years of Lead, this period had many conflicts and terrorist acts. From 1992 to 1997, Italy faced important challenges as voters, unhappy with inefficient government, large amounts of debt, and extensive corruption, wanted to make changes. Currently their government has stabilized although various leaders have been in office.

History Timeline http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/italians.html

__Geography Map of Country on its Continent __

__Map of the world with your country highlighted __



Flag and its significance The Flag of Italy has 3 vertical stripes of green, white, and red. The white represents peace and honesty. The red represents Hardiness, bravery, and strength. The green represents hope, joy,and love.

Historical Enemies

[|Alaric]
Alaric(370-410), a king of the Visigoths who led barbarian hordes against the Roman Empire. In 400 Alaric invaded northern Italy. He was resoundingly defeated by Stilicho at Pollentia in 402 and forced to withdraw. Alaric later returned to Italy and besieged Rome in 408 and 409. In 410 he captured the city and pillaged it for three days. Moving his warriors south toward Sicily, Alaric menaced the entire Western empire. His death from fever in southern Italy ended the immediate threat to the empire's survival.

[|Attila]
Attila, (406-453), a king of the Huns, 43-53. He is commonly known as Attila the Hun and was sometimes called "the scourge of God" because his conquests were so bloody some people thought he was sent by God as punishment for their sins.

In the spring of 452, Attila invaded northern Italy. His hordes pillaged several cities, but spared Rome because of the plea of Pope Leo I and the threat of possible famine and disease. Attila was planning another invasion of the Balkans when he died. Soon after, the Hunnish empire collapsed.

[|Boadicea]
<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Boadicea, or Boudicca, (died 62 A.D.), a queen of ancient Britain. She is famous for the bloody and tragic revolt that she led during the Roman occupation of Britain.

<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Her husband was Prasutagus, king of the Iceni, a Celtic tribe northeast of London. When Prasutagus died without male heirs he left some of his wealth to the Roman Emperor Nero as a peace gesture. The Romans, however, seized and began to plunder the lands of the Iceni.

<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">[|Hamilcar Barca]
<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Hamilcar Barca, (270-228 B.C.), a Carthaginian general and the father of Hannibal. Hamilcar fought well against the Romans as a commander in Sicily (247–241 B.C.) during the First Punic War. The peace terms forced him to leave the island. Returning to Carthage, he put down a soldiers' mutiny (241–238). In 237 B.C. Hamilcar landed in Spain, which he planned to use as a base for a future invasion of Italy. After conquering much territory, he was killed in battle against Spanish tribes.

<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">[|Hannibal]
<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Hannibal, (24-183 B.C.), a Carthaginian general. He was one of the greatest military geniuses of ancient times. In the Second Punic War, Hannibal made a remarkable march across the Alps to invade Italy, where he wiped out three Roman armies. Rome eventually won the war, but Hannibal's skill made the victory costly.

<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">[|Mithridates VI]
<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Mithridates VI, or Mithridates the Great(132? B.C.-63 B.C.), king of Pontus, 12-63 B.C. His conquests of neighboring states brought him into conflict with Rome, which he fought in three wars, which came to be known as the Mithridatic Wars.

<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">[|Odoacer]
<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Odoacer or Odovacar (434-493), the first barbarian ruler of Italy. Odoacer, a German, joined the Roman army in Italy in his youth. Odoacer, a German, joined the Roman army in Italy in his youth. In 476 German mercenaries, led by Odoacer, revolted when the Romans refused their demands for land allotments. They defeated the Roman general Orestes and deposed his son, the boy-emperor Romulus Augustulus.

<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">[|Theodoric the Great]
<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Theodoric the Great, (454-526), founder of the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy. Under Theodoric's father the Ostrogoths became allies of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, and Theodoric spent his youth in Constantinople. Under Theodoric's father the Ostrogoths became allies of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, and Theodoric spent his youth in Constantinople. He succeeded his father as king of the Ostrogoths in 474. In 488, when he threatened to attack Constantinople, the Byzantine emperor persuaded him that Italy offered much richer plunder. Theodoric redirected his forces into Italy, which was under the rule of the German-born general Odoacer. By 489 Theodoric's Ostrogoths were in possession of all of Italy except the capital city of Ravenna. In 493 Theodoric persuaded Odoacer to surrender Ravenna; in exchange he agreed to rule Italy jointly with Odoacer. A week later, however, he murdered Odoacer at a banquet and became sole ruler.

__<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Central Powers (German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria) __ <span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">During WWI Italy was on the side of the Triple Entente

__<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Allie Powers (France, Poland, United Kingdom, Brittish Empire, Union of Soviete Socialist Republics, United States of America, France, China, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Greece, India, mexico, Netherlands, New Zeland, Norway, Phillipine Commonwealth, Poland,Union of South Africa, Yugloslavia) __ <span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">During WWII Italy was an Axis power

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Culture/Traditions

Language-http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa060699a.htm Holidays-http://www.lifeinitaly.com/potpourri/holidays.asp Arts-http://library.thinkquest.org/2838/artgal.htm Customs- http://www.justlanded.com/english/Italy/Articles/Culture/Social-customs-in-Italy



<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Traditional Foods

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<span style="color: #006400; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Traditional Clothing

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<span style="color: #fc1405; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Historical Conflicts


 * Italian wars 1494-1559: Involving Italy an the Great European powers for controll of land in Italy
 * The Italio-Turkish war September 29, 1911- October 18, 1912: This was between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy. This war was over territory claims. The conclusion of the war sparked nationalism in the balkin states.
 * WWI 1914-1918: Italy was originaly involved with the Central Powers (German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria) but when war broke out it joined The Triple Entente (Serbia, France, Brittish Empire, Russian Empire, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Romania, Greece, Portugal, Montenegro, Brazil, U.S.) This war was caused by the assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Italy originaly entered this war because of it's alliances with Germany and Austria Hungary.
 * The Second Italio-Ethiopian war October 1935-May 1936: between the Kingdom of Italy the Ethiopian Empire. This was an Italian victory in which Ethiopia got annexed into the Italian Colony of East Africa; this also increased Benito Mussolini's political popularity.
 * WWII 1940 : Involving Axis and Allie powers of the world (italy was on the axis side). it was caused by Adolf Hitler's actions against the Jewish people.
 * The First Italio-Ethiopia war 1995-1996: This war resulted in an Etheopian victory. It was caused by Italy trying to take over Ethiopian land.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Sites In Italy <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">﻿ <span style="color: #fc1405; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">