Victor Emmanuel II
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Victor Emmanuel II, King of Italy (Italian: Vittorio Emanuele II; March 14, 1820 – January 9, 1878) was the King of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia from 1849–1861. On February 18, 1861, he assumed the title as King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy, a title he held till his death in 1878.
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[edit] Life
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Victor Emmanuel was born in Turin. During the reign of his father, Charles Albert, the kingdoms of Sardinia and Piedmont were united. Charles Albert went to war in 1848 against the Austrian Empire (which ruled most of northern Italy), but was defeated at the Battle of Novara the following year. Charles Albert abdicated and Victor Emmanuel became king of Piedmont–Sardinia on March 24, 1849.
Under his command, and owing to the skills of his minister, Count Cavour, the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont grew to include the whole of Italy (1860 – 1870), through the process of Italian Unification. Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy became Victor Emmanuel II of Italy. However, Cavour, his trusted advisor, did most of the work and was very powerful. Some of his goals were to industrialize Piedmont, building railroads, to reduce the influence of the Catholic Church, to effect economic reform through a new tax system, and to improve foreign affairs, using diplomacy to make allies, e.g., France, which intervened in Piedmont's war with Austria.
Victor Emmanuel II was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church after the Italian army attacked Rome in 1870 and forced Pope Pius IX to retreat into Vatican City, a moment that marked the end of temporal papal power.
In an effort to suggest dynastic continuity, Victor Emmanuel kept the ordinal number "II" under which he had succeeded as King of Savoy, though he had become the first king of Italy. This decision proved unpopular with the newly-unified southern Italians, as it seemed to represent a Piedmontese takeover of their regions.
[edit] Crimean War
Piedmont joined Britain and France in the war against Russia, in an effort to obtain their good will. After successfully seeking British support and ingratiating himself with France's Napoleon III at the Congress of Paris following the end of the Crimean War, Count Cavour arranged a secret meeting with the French emperor. In 1858, they met at Plombieres, where they agreed that if the French were to help Piedmont battle Austria for the lands of Venetia and Lombardy, France would be awarded Nice and Savoy.
[edit] War of Italian Unification
Cavour and Napoleon III fought against Austria in 1858 and were winning the war; however, there were serious casualties for France. Napoleon III secretly made a treaty with Franz Joseph of Austria at Villafranca, whereby Piedmont gained Lombardy — but nothing more. France did receive Nice and Savoy, while Austria kept Venetia -- which displeased the Piedmontese, the more so since the treaty had been prepared without their knowledge. Soon after, Cavour died, and the king had to find other advisors.
The alliance with France ended, but Italy was technically united between 1861 to 1870. The north, led by Victor Emanuel II, and the south, whose insurgencies were led by Garibaldi, united in 1861. In 1866, Italy lost battles against Austria but, as a result of an alliance with Prussia, finally received Venetia via France. After two failed marches on Rome, led by Garibaldi, Italian forces took the city in 1870 owing to the French preoccupation with a possible Franco-Prussian war. Venice was given to Piedmont by Prussia after the Austro-Prussian war in 1866. Italian unification had been achieved, though was not complete until Rome was made the country's capital in 1871.
[edit] Wives and children
In 1842 he was married to a cousin, Maria Adelaide of Habsburg (b.1822-d.1855) and had children including:
- Marie Clothilde 1843-1911, who married Napoleon Joseph 1822-1891 (the Prince Napoleon). Their grandson Louis was the pretender of Bonaparte.
- Umberto (b.1844-d.1900), later King of Italy.
- Amedeo (b.1845-d.1890), later King of Spain.
- Oddone Eugenio (b.1846-d.1866), Duke of Montferrat.
- Maria Pia of Savoy 1847-1911, married Louis of Portugal.
- Carlo Alberto (b.1851-d.1854), Duke of Chablais.
- Vittorio Emanuele (1852).
In 1869 he married morganatically his mistress Rosa Theresa Vercellona Guerrieri (3 June 1833–26 December 1885). Popularly known in Piedmontese as “Bela Rosin”, she was born a commoner but made Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda in 1858. Their offspring were:
- Vittoria (born 2 December 1848)
- Emanuele Alberto (born 16 March 1851), Count of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda.
[edit] Titles and honours as King of Italy
Victor Emmanuel II, by the Grace of God, King of Italy, King of Sardinia, Cyprus, Jerusalem, Armenia, Duke of Savoy, count of Maurienne, Marquis (of the Holy Roman Empire) in Italy; Prince of Piedmont, Carignan, Oneglia, Poirino, Trino; Prince and Perpetual vicar of the Holy Roman Empire; Prince of Carmagnola, Montmellian with Arbin and Francin, Prince bailliff of the Duchy of Aosta, Prince of Chieri, Dronero, Crescentino, Riva di Chieri e Banna, Busca, Bene, Brà, Duke of Genoa, Monferrat, Aosta, Duke of Chablais, Genevois, Duke of Piacenza, Marquis of Saluzzo, Ivrea, Susa, del Maro, Oristano, Cesana, Savona, Tarantasia, Borgomanero e Cureggio, Caselle, Rivoli, Pianezza, Govone, Salussola, Racconigi con Tegerone, Migliabruna e Motturone, Cavallermaggiore, Marene, Modane e Lanslebourg, Livorno Ferraris, Santhià Agliè, Centallo e Demonte, Desana, Ghemme, Vigone, Count of Barge, Villafranca, Ginevra, Nizza, Tenda, Romont, Asti, Alessandria, del Goceano, Novara, Tortona, Bobbio, Soissons, Sant'Antioco, Pollenzo, Roccabruna, Tricerro, Bairo, Ozegna, delle Apertole, Baron of Vaud e del Faucigni, Lord of Vercelli, Pinerolo, della Lomellina, della Valle Sesia, del marchesato di Ceva, Overlord of Monaco, Roccabruna and 11/12th of Menton, Noble patrician of Venice, Patrician of Ferrara.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- External link: Genealogy of recent members of the House of Savoy
- View of Venezia Square Victor Emmanuel II monument
| Styles of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy |
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| Reference style | His Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
| Alternative style | Sire |
| Preceded by: Charles Albert |
King of Sardinia, since 1861 as King of Italy 1849-1878 |
Succeeded by: Umberto I |
Categories: Articles with sections needing expansion | Italian monarchs | House of Savoy | Risorgimento | Claimant Kings of Jerusalem | Contemporary Italian history | People of the Revolutions of 1848 | Natives of Turin | Knights of the Garter | Knights of the Golden Fleece | 1820 births | 1878 deaths
