15 Most Famous Historical events that happened in Italy

15 Most Famous Historical events that happened in Italy

*Originally published by Faith on July 2022 and Updated by Vanessa on May 2023

The Republic of Italy is located in Southern Europe in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The country contains a lot of history and events that impacted the country and made it the way it is now. Therefore, learning about past events will help an individual understand why there are things done in a certain way and why specific processes are followed.

This article will look at some famous historical events that happened in Italy and the significance and impact they had on the country. The information is also essential in expanding the reader’s general knowledge base.

 1. Italy becomes a nation-state in 1861

A picture of the Italian flag by Devesh T-Wikimedia

Modern Italy became a nation-state in 1861 during the Risorgimento. This was when most states of the Italian peninsula were being united under King Victor Emmanuel the second. For many years, the Italian Peninsula was fragmented into small states. When the war broke out in Austria, the French invaded the Italian Peninsula and consolidated the states.

However, after the downfall of Napoleon, there was a redistribution of the territories and secret societies cropped up supporting the unification of Italy. These resulted in a widespread uprising that wanted unification. In early 1861, a national parliament was convened by Victor Emmanuel the Second where he proclaimed the Kingdom of Italy as a nation-state.

2. Italy enters the first world war in 1915

Italy entered the First World War on the side of the Allies in 1915. When the war first broke out in 1914, Italy declared itself neutral despite being a member of the Triple Alliance since 1882 alongside Germany and Austria-Hungary.

However, in the following months, the country considered their options and looked at which side was going to give them the greatest gains from participating in the war. In May 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary and thus entered the war on the side of the Allies. The decision to join the Allies was largely based on the treaty of London which was signed in 1915 that assured Italy that they would Receive control over the territory of their border with Austria-Hungary.

3. Italy gained Trentino, South Tyrol and Trieste

Italy won the war against Austria-Hungary but at a huge cost in that, there were 600,000 people dead and 950,000 others wounded. Many people were disgusted by the cost of the conflict. In the post-war treaty of Germain which was signed in 1919, Italy gained Trentino, which was part of Slovenia-speaking Gorizia, partly Croatian-speaking Istria and the German-speaking Trieste.

However, the nationalists felt that they had been robbed of their birthright because they did not get a Yugoslav port which was largely inhabited by Italian speakers.

4. Benito Mussolini formed the government

A picture of Benito Mussolini by Martianmister-Wikimedia

In 1922, the fascist leader Benito Mussolini formed the government after three years of political and economic unrest. Many people were yearning for a unified country that featured strong leadership and national unity and Benito Mussolini used this to his advantage. He used his charisma to establish a fascist nation.

His form of leadership featured absolute power of the state in that the government took control of major parts of the society. Also, it was a form of dictatorship in that he made all the important decisions himself without seeking the opinion of the citizens.

5. Italy invaded Ethiopia

In 1935, the Italian troops invaded Ethiopia intending to colonize it as other nations in the west had done for countries in Africa. Benito Mussolini ignored the protests from the League of Nations and declared Ethiopia an Italian empire.

However, the Italians had the country under their control until they were liberated by the South African and British troops who were fighting the Second World War.  

6. Italy joined the Second World War

In 1940, Italy joined the second world war as one of the Axis Powers on the German side. The axis powers had Italy, German and Japan being opposed by the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States.

The second world war on the Axis side featured institutions that coordinated foreign policy and combined military operations.

7. Benito Mussolini was overthrown

Benito Mussolini. Photo sourced from wikimedia-Wikimedia

In 1943, Sicily was invaded by the allies as Italy has aligned itself with the Axis powers during the second world war. The dictator was voted out of power by his grand council. He was arrested after leaving a meeting with King Vittorio Emmanuel.

During this time, the Italian leader was overwhelmed by the military reverses that the Italian military had suffered and he seemed to be looking for a way out of power. After his arrest, there seemed to be relief in the country as his era of dictatorship had taken the country to the brink of disaster.

8. The Italian Republic was formed in 1946

A constitutional referendum was held in 1946 and the Republican side won by 54% and thus making Italy a republic. The Kingdom of Italy was no more in that the royal family was exiled. A constituent assembly was formed and it wrote the constitution of Italy that started being used in 1948.

The introduction of the constitution in the country ensured that there was democracy unlike the era of Benito Mussolini where he made all the decisions. The main political parties in Italy were The Italian Socialist Party, Italian Communist Party and the Christian Democracy.

9. Italy joined the United Nations

The United Nations Logo by Zoologist-Wikimedia

In 1955, Italy became a member of the United Nations. This was the start of a history of collaborations and supporting the activities of the United Nations. This move shows how the country has grown from dictatorship to advocating for the maintenance of international peace, security and the promotion of human rights.

10. Italy being accepted to the Eurozone

In 1999, Italy was accepted into the eurozone and became one of the first countries to use the euro after it was introduced in 2002. The eurozone features countries that use the euro as their main currency. This move improved the economy and collaboration between Italy and other countries.

11. The final Italian king only governed for 36 days

Despite having a royal dynasty up to 1946, Italy was a dictatorship until 1945. King Umberto II only governed from 9 May to 12 June 1946 after the kingdom decided to become a republic following World War II.

He spent his final days in exile in Portugal. He is referred to as “the May King” in Italy to reflect his exceptionally brief rule.

12. Signing of the Treaty of Rome (1957)

Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

An important turning point in the history of Europe was the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. It established the European Economic Community (EEC), whose goal was to develop a market that was open to all of its member states. By encouraging the free flow of products, services, capital, and people, the treaty created the foundation for financial integration and collaboration.

It encouraged a spirit of cooperation and solidarity among European states, eventually resulting in the creation of the European Union (EU). A continent that had previously been scarred by war was made peaceful and stable by the Treaty of Rome, which also laid the path for economic development and prosperity.

13. Rapid economic growth took place

The 1950s and 1960s in Italy saw the country experience a major shift during the time of the Economic Miracle. Italy underwent a quick economic and industrialization following the devastation of World War Two.

The administration put into place important laws to encourage development and pull in foreign investment, which sparked an increase in industry and infrastructure projects. A wealthy middle class developed during this time, and work opportunities increased. Living conditions also improved significantly during this time.

14. Italy was shaken by the tragic assassination of Aldo Moro (1978)

The original uploader was NiloGlock at Italian Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The murder of Aldo Moro in 1978 was a shock to most Italians. The Red Brigades, an extremist left-wing organisation, abducted Moro, a well-known Italian statesman and former prime minister.

After being imprisoned for 55 days, Moro was finally put to death despite the government’s and the international community’s heroic attempts to secure his release. A political crisis and widening social disharmony were caused by his murder, which shocked all of Italy.

15. 1990 FIFA World Cup (1990)

A historic event that brought together countries from all over the world in a celebration of football was the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Italy. Italy, the host nation, showed its love for the game by creating an exciting and energetic environment for both the players and the spectators.

The tournament saw thrilling games, spectacular goals, and standout performances. Although West Germany won the competition, the fact that Italy hosted the World Cup was enough of a gesture to prove to the world that they were an important country.