Possibilites of Italian unification between 1400 and 1520

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Originally posted by Faeelin
So what would've happened if mehmed had invaded italy?

They would be halted at Calabria!

They would have made no serious gains and eventually be repelled. Italians can fight, its just when they are led by Mussolini is it where they surrender in droves.

Realistically, the parts of Italy still have their own identity. As you can tell, my ancestors are from Calabria, and left Italy indirectly because of the 'Reunification.' The South got a raw deal from the Savoyards and the Northerners. Napoli, which had a much steadier economy then it does now, was severly damaged due to the effects of the 'Reunification.'

 

[Dark Knight]

Originally posted by Faeelin
So what would've happened if mehmed had invaded italy?

What was the Ottoman navy like at this point? I thought it only became large after the Ottomans conquered the Mameluke holdings and needed to control the eastern Mediterranean.

 

[Faeelin]

The Ottoman navy was able to cut off venice from the albanian territories, and mouned a successful invasion of southern italy, before pulling out due to civil war.

 

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Originally posted by Faeelin
Anyone care to give me some help on how the city states of italy could have unified in this time period? A more successful ottoman empire along with other incursions forces a defensive alliance? A more profitable victory for france in the italian wars? Any other ideas are welcome.

without doubt the best chance for italy to be united in those times
was when Cesare Borgia, duke of valentinois had conquered the romagna, eliminated the vitelli faction,killed oliverotto da fermo,and the orsinis, he also had forced the florentines and venetians to stay neutral,his demise came when his father (alexander VII) died and he couldn´t get a friendly pope in the papacy, had he managed to do that, the french or the spanish would have need to ally with him to defeat the other. and his power to rule all of italy except naples or lombardia (depending which power he allied)

 

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Originally posted by Dark Knight

Machiavelli issued a call for Italy to eject the "barbarbians" (that is, French and Spanish interlopers). This doesn't necessarily imply political unity.

machiavelli through the entire book (il principe, a must-read book to understand politics) is looking for a man who would unify italy.
notice that the book is dedicated to lorenzo de medicis, machiavelli hoped that giovanni medicis grandson of lorenzo would fit in his ideal of the prince.
of course he also dedicated the book to lorenzo because he wanted to enter in the political scene again

 

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Originally posted by mh1419


They would be halted at Calabria!

They would have made no serious gains and eventually be repelled. Italians can fight, its just when they are led by Mussolini is it where they surrender in droves.

Well the only problem with your arguement is that it wouldn't simply be a Turco-Italian war in this instance The Papacy would -certainly- call for troops from abroad, namely Spain and France as well as various German (HRE) states.

As for the Ottoman navy, it was well-funded and manned during Mehmet II's reign---more than capable to transport a massive invasion force to Otranto which the Ottomans already held (hence they already had a beachead on the peninsula)

 

[Jayavarman]

Also, the French, Spanish, or German states may exact some sort of concession from the Italians. They would not have allowed a unified Italian state.

 

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Originally posted by tuna


Well the only problem with your arguement is that it wouldn't simply be a Turco-Italian war in this instance The Papacy would -certainly- call for troops from abroad, namely Spain and France as well as various German (HRE) states.
B]

I know, but there would be Italians fighting there too. And I was saying that Italians are not pushovers in battle, though they got a bad reputation after WWII.

Also, the French, Spanish, or German states may exact some sort of concession from the Italians. They would not have allowed a unified Italian state.

I did not say that there would be a unified state. Though that response probably was not directed towards me.