The Eastern Question in Italian Politics: From State Building to Great Power Aspirations

The Eastern Question played a crucial role in shaping Italian foreign policy from the Restoration to the late Nineteenth century. Far from being merely a diplomatic issue concerning the Ottoman Empire, it provided the Kingdom of Sardinia with a strategic framework to advance State-building process and gain international recognition. Beginning with the establishment of commercial and diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire, Piedmont gradually linked the Italian national cause to the political transformation of Southeastern Europe. The political thought of Cesare Balbo, Vincenzo Gioberti, and Camillo Cavour contributed to the creation of a coherent strategy connecting the Italian and Eastern Questions. After unification, this approach evolved from support for the principle of nationality toward the pursuit of Great-Power status and imperial ambitions. The Eastern Question thus remained a central point in Italian diplomacy, revealing the continuity between the political culture of the Risorgimento and Italy's later international aspirations.