Italy wasnt always a unified country. Over 300 years, the area had been dominated by the French, Austrians, Spanish, the papacy, and several Italians. The north was industrialized and the south, agricultural, but most Italians wanted a united Italy in spite of the established customs and territorial differences. Over the years, three legal plans for unity surfaced. Some individuals wanted a democratic state with universal suffrage. Some wanted a unification of states controlled by the papacy. On the other hand, some wanted an Italian kingdom lead by Piedmont-Sardinia, which was a kingdom on its own. Piedmont-Sardinia had a liberal constitution, which made Italians believe that its king, Victor Emmanuel II, was liberal as well. Sardinias leading statesman, Count Camillo di Cavour, wanted a unified Italy under Sardinian leadership but made up of only the northern states. In order for that to happen, the Austrians had to be removed from Lombardy and Venetia, which he knew could not be accomplished without assistance. Cavour privately formed a pact with Louis Napoleon of France, persuading him to provide aid in case Sardinia fell subject to an attack. Then in 1859, Cavour picked a fight with Austria. Just like he planned, France came to his aid. After Austria was conquered Napoleon III pulled out of the pact. In conclusion, Sardinia obtained solely Lombardy. Outraged, Cavour resigned. Nevertheless, the Austrian troops invasion of Italy enraged nationalists all over Italy, so Cavour returned to work. He worked a deal with Napoleon to smooth over any objections the French had about a new Italian state, and the central Italian states joined Sardinia. Half of Italy became united, and half remained independent. Cavour next had to influence a nationalist reformist named Giuseppe Garibaldi whose thousand-man army of Red Shirts was a threat to Cavours plan for unification. In 1860, Garibaldi conquered Sicily and effortlessly beat the much gre