<P> We are Corsicans by birth and sentiment, but first of all we feel Italian by language, origins, customs, traditions; and Italians are all brothers and united in the face of history and in the face of God...As Corsicans we wish to be neither slaves nor "rebels" and as Italians we have the right to deal as equals with the other Italian brothers...Either we shall be free or we shall be nothing...Either we shall win or we shall die (against the French), weapons in hand...The war against France is right and holy as the name of God is holy and right, and here on our mountains will appear for Italy the sun of liberty...</P> <P> The initial important figure in the development of Italian nationalism was Giuseppe Mazzini, who became a nationalist in the 1820s . In his political career, Mazzini held as objectives the liberation of Italy from the Austrian occupation, indirect control by Austria, princely despotism, aristocratic privilege, and clerical authority . Mazzini was captivated by ancient Rome that he considered the "temple of humanity" and sought to establish a united Italy as a "Third Rome" that emphasized Roman spiritual values that Italian nationalists claimed were preserved by the Catholic Church . Mazzini and Italian nationalists in general promoted the concept of Romanità (the Roman - ness), which claimed that Roman culture made invaluable contributions to the Italian and Western civilization . Since the 1820s, Mazzini supported a revolution to create a utopy of an ideal Italian republic based in Rome . Mazzini formed revolutionary patriotic Young Italy society in 1832 . Upon Young Italy breaking apart in the 1830s, Mazzini reconstituted it in 1839 with the intention to gain the support of workers' groups . However, at the time Mazzini was hostile to socialism due to his belief that all classes needed to be united in the cause of creating a united Italy rather than divided against each other . </P> <P> Vincenzo Gioberti in 1843 in his book On the Civil and Moral Primacy of the Italians, advocated a federal state of Italy led by the Pope . </P> <P> Camillo Benso, the future Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia and afterwards the Kingdom of Italy, worked as an editor for the nationalist Italian newspaper Il Risorgimento in the 1840s . Cavour was a clear example of civic nationalism with a high consideration for values including freedom, tolerance, equality, and individual rights compatible with a sober nationalism . </P>

Why was nationalism particularly significant to italian unification