I found that Nationalism played a minor role in the very beginning of Unification but was built up over a number of years. Towards the end of the Unification there were many people setting up nationalist parties trying to bring awareness to the rest of the Italian nation. Through doing this, the country was considered stronger. In 1848 there was a revolution in Rome, this revolution help nationalism to increase because many Italians realised how good the unification would be. .
Unification was a result of opportunism. Mazzini, Garibaldi, and Cavour all took advantage of every opportunity they were given to achieve their end result. Cavour says: .
".We shall not have long to wait for our opportunity.I have faith that Italy will become one state and will have Rome for its capital.But remember, among my political friends no one believes the enterprise possible." .
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In 1858 Cavour wanted to start a war against Austria; though Cavour might not have gotten the war he had hoped for if it wasn't for the ineptitude of the Austrians. This then gave Cavour the opportunity to spread the anti-Austrian attitude through Italy in 1858 by imposing military conscription on Lombardy and Venetia. There was much tension between Austrians asking for exile and Piedmontese refusing. This gave Cavour the excuse to start military action like he had hoped for in the beginning. .
Unification wasn't achieved only because of opportunism. When war was started between France, Britain and Russia, in the Crimean War, Mazzini straight away went to aid France and Britain so that then if Italy was ever in trouble they would come to Piedmont's aid. This was also an act of opportunism. Garibaldi on the other hand tried to make his own luck and opportunities. First he created his "red shirts" army, and then he went and took over Sicily then Naples. He was then able to defeat the Neapolitan troops at Calatafimi. This wasn't all luck but many aspects of it were.