Giuseppe Garibaldi and Sweden: Between Solidarity and Scandinavism

The events of Italian Risorgimento and the attempts by Swedish Scandinavists (adherents to the intellectual movement seeking to establish one unified Nordic State) to return Sweden to an influential international role crossed each other. Whilst Sweden experienced both a constitutional crisis with Norway and a significant strengthening of the popular demand for democratic reforms, Piedmont was seen by the Scandinavists as a role model vis-à-vis the unification, in a democratic way, of different kingdoms under a crown that, in their plans, ought to be in the Nordic context the Swedish one. The solidarity movement supporting Garibaldi, identified as the symbol of the popular struggle against despotism, anticipated the prolonged and important season of Swedish popular movements, which were to play a crucial role in the history of Swedish Social Democracy.