The Italian Nationalist Movement and Its Impact on the Emergence of National Identity: Giuseppe Mazzini (1805–1872) as a Case Study

Abstract

This study examines the subject of Italian nationalism and national identity by focusing on the intellectual and political model of Giuseppe Mazzini �1805–1872�, the spiritual father of the Italian Risorgimento in the nineteenth century� Mazzini is the figure who transformed the dream of Italian unity from a mere romantic idea into a comprehensive revolutionary project� The study explores how Mazzini articulated the concept of national identity within a historical context characterized by political fragmentation and foreign domination, and how he managed to transform nationalism from a mere geographical or ethnic bond into a moral doctrine and a humanitarian mission� In its theoretical framework, the study reviews the evolution of the concept of European nationalism between two currents: the political-contractual and the cultural-romantic, demonstrating how Mazzini integrated them to create a unique model that combines popular sovereignty with national spirituality� It traces Mazzini’s historical trajectory, starting from his critique of the Carbonari experience, to his founding of the Young Italy Movement, which relied on mass mobilization and the political education of the youth under the slogan "God and the People�" Furthermore, the study analyzes the three pillars of Mazzinian identity: centralized unity through the rejection of federalism, republicanism through the rejection of the monarchy, and universalism through the concept of the Third Rome and the brotherhood of nations� It discusses the historical paradox represented by the political and military success of the unification project in 1861 at the hands of royalists and realists, alongside Mazzini's ideological failure to implement the republican model for which he struggled� The study concludes that Mazzini, despite his immediate political failure to establish a republic, succeeded in emotionally forging the concept of the Italian nation� He established a model of emancipatory nationalism that inspired global liberation movements in the twentieth century, affirming that for him, national identity was not an end in itself, but rather a means for human liberation and a contribution to human civilization, founded upon the spirit and power of the youth�