381] THE REVIVAL OF THE PLEBISCITE IN ITALY 83 



ment. In the Austrian subject provinces, the Lombardo- 

 Venetian states, the iron rule of Metternich tried to stem 

 the popular tide and the growing feeling of national con- 

 sciousness.* 



A second revolution in Sicily in January, 1848, started 

 the fire which soon swept all Italy. When, with the excep- 

 tion of the resistance of a few strongholds, the revolutionary 

 movement in Sicily had succeeded, Ferdinand, to save his 

 crown, granted a constitution for Naples and Sicily. In 

 February, Charles Albert did the same in Piedmont. The 

 example of Sicily, Naples, and Piedmont, forced the Duke 

 of Tuscany's hand, and soon also the Papal States saw the 

 creation of a lay ministry and the granting of a constitu- 

 tion. Thus, to quote Pietro Orsi, "all Italy, except the 

 territory ruled by Austria, now found itself on the way to 

 freedom. "= 



But even in the territories ruled by Austria things were 

 stirring. In order to " damage the interests of the Austrian 

 government which possessed a tobacco monopoly,"® the 

 Lombardo- Venetians banished smoking. To break this self- 

 imposed sacrifice the Austrian military employed force, and 

 a massacre followed in Milan, which set the provinces 

 ablaze. The news of revolutions in France and in Vienna 

 fastened matters. On the 17th of March the civil and 

 military governors of Venice were forced to grant the re- 

 quest for a civil guard. In Milan, the capital of Lombardy, 

 the Viceroy was compelled to flee and the Austrian soldiery 

 under Radetzky was expelled by force. On March 22 the 

 Italian "Iricolore" was hoisted over Milan. The revolt 

 spread through Lombardy and the Austrian troops had to 

 fall back on the fortresses on the Mincio. Soon Venice 

 ejected the foreigner and instituted a provisional govern- 

 ment under Daniel Manin. Other Venetian cities, except 



* P. Orsi, Modern Italy, i74S-i8f;8, London, New York, 1900, chap- 

 ters, vii-ix. 



<* Ibid. 



• Ibid., J). 160. 



