Piedmont's Role Under French And Austrian Rule

Piedmont, located in northwest Italy, has been a springboard for Italian unification, playing a key role in the Risorgimento and the first war of Italian independence (1848-1849). Under the leadership of the House of Savoy, the region enjoyed several advantages in its quest for national leadership. These included ambitious monarchs, a strong army, a long military tradition, and an efficient bureaucracy. In the 1850s, Piedmont became increasingly assertive under Camillo Benso, Count Cavour, fostering anti-Habsburg sentiments throughout Italy and soliciting French support. This eventually led to the Franco-Austrian War of 1859, also known as the Sardinian War or the Italian War of 1859, where France and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fought against the Austrian Empire. The war resulted in the loss of Lombardy for Austria and contributed to the process of Italian Unification. Earlier, in the late 18th century, Piedmont had been a part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and was invaded by French forces, leading to the establishment of the short-lived Piedmontese Republic under French military occupation.

The Piedmontese Republic was a French client republic

Following this invasion, Italian patriot Giovanni Antonio Ranza proclaimed the Republic of Alba, also known as the 'Republic of Piedmont', as a replacement for the Sardinian monarchy on Piedmontese territory. This ultrashort-lived republic, which lasted until 28 April 1796, served as the predecessor to the later Piedmontese Republic.

In June 1797, Napoleon conquered the neighbouring Republic of Genoa and turned it into the pro-French Ligurian Republic. This inspired democratic revolutionaries in Piedmont to agitate for the overthrow of the Sardinian monarchy. In April 1798, these revolutionaries launched an uprising, but they were defeated, and over a hundred prisoners of war were executed by the Sardinian royal army.

In July 1798, France intervened on behalf of its Ligurian sister republic and conquered Piedmont under the leadership of Barthélemy Catherine Joubert. On 6 December 1798, General Joubert occupied Turin, and the King of Sardinia, Charles Emmanuel IV, signed a document of abdication. The Piedmontese Republic was officially declared on 9 December 1798, though it was heavily dependent on France and lacked true independence due to the French military occupation.

The political future of the Piedmontese Republic was uncertain from the start. Some Piedmontese Jacobins favoured an independent republic, while others wanted to unite with neighbouring republics or become citizens of the French Republic. Ultimately, France decided to annex Piedmont in February 1799, and the Piedmontese Republic ceased to exist.

Piedmont-Sardinia went to war with Austria in 1859

The Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia went to war with the Austrian Empire in 1859, in what became known as the Second Italian War of Independence. This conflict was also called the Sardinian War, the Austro-Sardinian War, the Franco-Austrian War, or the Italian War of 1859. The war was a crucial part of the process of Italian Unification, as it led to the expulsion of Austria from Italy.

In the year preceding the war, the Plombières Agreement was signed, with France agreeing to support Sardinia's efforts to expel Austria from Italy. In return, France would receive territorial compensation in the form of the Duchy of Savoy and the County of Nice. The two states formalised this agreement by signing a military alliance in January 1859.

Sardinia mobilised its army on 9 March 1859, and Austria responded by mobilising its own forces on 9 April. On 23 April, Austria delivered an ultimatum to Sardinia, demanding its demobilisation. When Sardinia refused, war was declared on 26 April, and Austria invaded three days later. France declared war on Austria on 3 May, and the first French troops entered Piedmont on 25 April.

The French Army for the Italian campaign was substantial, consisting of 170,000 soldiers, 2,000 horsemen, and 312 guns—half of the entire French Army. The army was divided into five corps, each led by senior French military figures. Napoleon III himself participated in the war and was present on the battlefield, as he believed this would motivate the French people.

The Sardinian Army was smaller, with about 70,000 soldiers, 4,000 horsemen, and 90 guns. It was divided into five divisions, with two volunteer formations also present. The army was led by Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy, supported by Alfonso Ferrero la Marmora.

The Austrian Army fielded more men than the Sardinian Army, with 220,000 soldiers, 824 guns, and 22,000 horsemen. It was led by Field Marshal Ferenc Graf Gyulay.

The Austrian invasion was stopped by the arrival of French troops in Piedmont, which had begun in late April. The Austrians were defeated at the Battle of Magenta on 4 June and pushed back to Lombardy. The Franco-Sardinian victory at the Battle of Solferino on 24 June resulted in the end of the war and the signing of the Armistice of Villafranca on 12 July.

Austria ceded Lombardy to France, which then gave it to Sardinia. Exploiting the collapse of Austrian power in Italy, Sardinia annexed the United Provinces of Central Italy, consisting of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy of Parma, the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, and the Papal Legations, on 22 March 1860. Two days later, Sardinia ceded Savoy and Nice to France as compensation for its assistance.

Piedmont was annexed by France in 1802

Piedmont, located in northwest Italy, was annexed by France in September 1802. The region borders France to its west and has been under French control several times throughout its history.

Piedmont was the main part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, whose rulers preferred to call themselves 'Kings of Sardinia' as the title 'king' was of higher rank than 'prince'. In 1720, the Duke of Savoy became the King of Sardinia, founding what evolved into the Kingdom of Sardinia and increasing the importance of its capital, Turin.

In 1796, Piedmont suffered its first French Revolutionary invasion with the Montenotte campaign. After a series of French victories, Italian patriot Giovanni Antonio Ranza proclaimed the 'Republic of Alba' in the town of Alba, calling for an independent Piedmontese republic. However, this ultrashort-lived republic ended on 28 April 1796 with the Armistice of Cherasco, which returned most of Piedmont to Sardinian rule.

In 1798, democratic revolutionaries in Piedmont launched an uprising, aided by external armed bands. However, they were defeated, and the Sardinian royal army executed over a hundred prisoners of war. France then intervened and conquered Piedmont under the leadership of Barthélemy Catherine Joubert. On 6 December 1798, General Joubert occupied Turin, and King Charles Emmanuel IV of Savoy signed a document of abdication, going into exile.

The Piedmontese Republic was declared on 9 December 1798, though it was heavily dependent on France and under French military occupation. The state's goal was French annexation, which was realised in February 1799. However, this sparked a conspiracy to prevent French annexation, which was discovered and resulted in the arrest of several conspirators.

In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte took back all of northern Italy after the Battle of Marengo, and the Piedmontese Republic was reestablished as the Subalpine Republic. This republic lasted until 11 September 1802, when it was divided between the French Republic and the Italian Republic, marking the point at which Piedmont was annexed by France.

In the subsequent years, Piedmont played a significant role in Italian unification, acting as a springboard for unification efforts in 1859-1861. The House of Savoy became Kings of Italy, and Turin briefly became the Italian capital.

Piedmont was a springboard for Italian unification

The Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, under the leadership of the House of Savoy, played a crucial role in the Italian unification movement known as the Risorgimento. Piedmont-Sardinia's ambitions for Italian unification were evident as early as the first war of Italian independence in 1848-1849, when it went to war against Austrian domination in Lombardy. However, this initial campaign ended in defeat, with Austrian forces occupying Piedmontese territories. Despite this setback, Piedmont-Sardinia remained committed to the nationalist cause.

In the 1850s, under the leadership of Camillo Benso, Count Cavour, Piedmont actively fostered anti-Habsburg sentiments throughout Italy and sought French support for its unification goals. This culminated in the Plombières Agreement in 1858, where France pledged to aid Sardinia-Piedmont in expelling Austria from Italy in exchange for territorial compensation. The Franco-Sardinian alliance was formalised in January 1859, and the two nations went to war against Austria in 1859, known as the Austro-French Piedmontese War or the Second Italian War of Independence. The French arrival in Piedmont halted the Austrian advance, and subsequent victories at Magenta and Solferino forced the Austrians to cede Lombardy to France, which was then given to Sardinia-Piedmont.

The defeat of Austria and the acquisition of Lombardy significantly advanced the Sardinian-Piedmontese unification agenda. Exploiting Austria's weakened position, Sardinia-Piedmont annexed the United Provinces of Central Italy in 1860, including the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy of Parma, the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, and the Papal Legations. This expansion solidified Piedmont's role as a springboard for Italian unification, with the House of Savoy becoming Kings of Italy. Turin, the capital of Piedmont, also briefly served as the capital of Italy from 1861 to 1865.

However, the administrative and institutional importance of Piedmont diminished when the Italian capital was moved to Florence and then to Rome. Nonetheless, Piedmont's historical role was recognised through the title of the crown prince of Italy, who was known as the Prince of Piedmont. Additionally, Piedmont played a significant part in Italy's first industrialisation phase, with Turin becoming a major industrial centre.

Piedmont was part of the Kingdom of Italy within the Holy Roman Empire

In the 9th and 10th centuries, Piedmont was invaded by the Magyars, Saracens, and Muslim Moors. At this time, Piedmont was part of the Kingdom of Italy within the Holy Roman Empire and was subdivided into several marches and counties.

In 1046, Otto of Savoy added Piedmont to the County of Savoy, with its capital at Chambéry, now in France. Chambéry remained the capital of the County of Savoy until 1563, when it was moved to Turin. In 1416, the County of Savoy became the Duchy of Savoy.

In 1720, the Duke of Savoy became King of Sardinia, founding what evolved into the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Kingdom of Sardinia, which included Piedmont, was a maritime and Italian power, with a population of three and a half million people by 1815.

In the 19th century, Piedmont played a key role in the Risorgimento and the first war of Italian independence (1848-1849). Under the leadership of the House of Savoy, the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont pursued expansionist policies and supported Italian unification.

In 1859, the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, along with the Second French Empire, went to war against the Austrian Empire in what became known as the Austro-French Piedmontese War or the Second Italian War of Independence. This conflict resulted in the defeat of Austria and the cession of Lombardy to France, which was then given to Sardinia.

In summary, Piedmont was a significant region within the Kingdom of Italy during the Holy Roman Empire and played a crucial role in the unification of Italy in the 19th century.

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