What political problems faced Italy before world war one and What was Transformismo?
The emergence of the United Italian state between 1861 and 1870 was the outcome of a complex series of interrelated processes known as the 'Risorgimento', meaning the rebirth of Italy, going back into the mid-eighteenth century. Italian independence and unification were brought about by a small, dynamic elite, the moderate Liberals led by Camillo Cavour, and a pre-national state, Piedmont, using the means of diplomacy and war between 1859- 1870. The masses were notably absent from the events which brought about independence and unification. On the surface it seemed like a good idea but it aroused amongst politically conscious Italians exaggerated expectations concerning Italy's immediate prospects of power and prosperity; and in forging a new nation without involving or satisfying the mass of the population it threw up a socio-political system riddled with potential weaknesses.
This resulted in a number of political problems:

1) Old Constitution Given the leading role played by Piedmont during the struggles for independence and unity, it is hardly surprising that the political system of the new Italy should have been fashioned in her image. Thus, Italy in 1861 received not a new 'tailor-made' constitution drawn up by a widely elected constituent assembly but the Statuto, the existing constitution of Piedmont. An old, flawed Constitution was adopted which was not truly republican in nature.
2) Narrow franchise Though parliament was undoubtedly Italy's most truly national institution, it was also a weak flawed one, its main weakness lying in the very narrow franchise which was restricted by age, gender, literacy, tax and property qualifications to less than 2 per cent of the population. Even after the electoral reform of 1882 a tiny 8 per cent had the vote, whilst between then