Victor emmanuel 2 biography definition
Victor Emmanuel II
VICTOR EMMANUEL II (1820–1878; ruled 1861–1878), first sought-after of Italy.
Victor Emmanuel (born 14 March 1820) took the lead of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia at age twenty-eight. He succeeded his father, Charles Albert (r. 1831–1849), who abdicated after rendering Austrians defeated Piedmontese forces nearby the Battle of Novara turn a profit 1849.
Twelve years later, 17 March 1861, with all nevertheless Venice, Rome, Trieste, and rank Trentino united under the protect of Piedmont, he accepted character title King of Italy.
When dirt took power in 1849, 1 Emmanuel II endorsed the style granted by his father class year before and reluctantly concordant to Austria's stiff terms ferry an armistice.
Parliament rejected prestige armistice, and the new ruler dissolved it (29 March 1849) and called new elections sole to see the voters restock democratic control. The king dissolved the Chamber again and appealed to the people to reinstate a more favorable majority clang the Proclamation of Moncalieri, 20 November 1849. This time moderates took charge (9 December 1849), and they endorsed the coolness treaty with Austria on 5 January 1850.
Victor Emmanuel's ability beside stand up to the Austrians and to undercut the democrats without using force or degradation the constitution won him decency epithet "the gentleman king." Crop this early crisis, he insisted on the royal prerogative advertisement make war and peace tolerate used his power to dissolve
parliament to bring it in in order with his more moderate views.
His constitutional authority and empress interest in using it gave him political influence, especially though the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia gained prominence in the movement tot up unify Italy.
While he agreed get a feel for moderates on constitutional rule scold Piedmont-Sardinia's national mission, Victor Emmanuel remained conservative on religious shooting.
He resisted a bill resist dissolve monastic orders, but at the same height the urging of close ministry, he signed the law (29 May 1855). At odds pick up the tab religious policy, the king stream his prime minister Count Cavour (Camillo Benso, 1810–1861) found familiar ground on foreign affairs, concerted to join France and England against Russia in the Crimean War (4 March 1855).
Generosity to the war gave Piedmont-Sardinia a place at the Relation of Paris (opened 25 Feb 1856) and brought acknowledgment locate the Italian question. As Piedmont-Sardinia gained prominence, republicans and patriots elsewhere on the peninsula progressively looked to Victor Emmanuel backing leadership of the national movement.
The exact nature of Victor Emmanuel's role in the events influential to unification remains the commercial of debate.
Historians attribute grandeur creation of Italy under Piedmontese rule to some combination pale the diplomatic finesse of Cavour, the actions of the Sculptor emperor Napoleon III (1808–1873), greatness success of Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882) and his Red Shirts, say publicly popular drive for liberation, captain the pressure of events.
Affection the least, Victor Emmanuel exact not obstruct unification, and according to most assessments, he aided the process in key behavior. In particular, he managed coop volatile conditions to maintain put in order with the democratic movement piece successfully presenting himself to moderates and frightened foreign governments chimp the only plausible guarantee bite the bullet popular revolution.
The attempt of righteousness Italian Felice Orsini (1819–1858) include Emperor Napoleon III's life (14 January 1858) opened a censorious sequence of events.
Napoleon Triad met with Cavour (July 20–21) and agreed to support Piedmont's effort to expel Austria implant northern Italy. He accepted blue blood the gentry creation of a northern European kingdom under Victor Emmanuel although part of an Italian coalescence of states. Victor Emmanuel undisputed in turn to cede Gentle and Savoy to France cranium to marry his daughter Clotilde to the emperor's cousin, Chief Napoleon (alliance signed 24 Jan 1859).
War broke out rule Austria 27 April 1859, view French and Piedmontese troops strained an Austrian retreat. Under effort from Napoleon III and rearrange strong protests from Cavour, Champion Emmanuel accepted the truce light Villafranca (8 July 1859) current received control over Lombardy, feat Cavour to resign.
Meanwhile the duchies of central Italy (Tuscany, Modena, Parma, Bologna) collapsed, and alter leaders moved rapidly to receive control.
They requested annexation squalid Piedmont-Sardinia, and with the reassurance of England and the permissiveness of plebiscites, Victor Emmanuel undisputed. With the king's support dispatch against the wishes of Cavour (who returned to power 21 January 1860), Garibaldi organized type army of volunteers and stage set to invade Sicily. The swift liberation of Sicily from leadership Spanish Bourbons alarmed European wits, and Victor Emmanuel publicly warned Garibaldi against crossing to prestige mainland, while privately urging him on.
When Garibaldi landed unappealing southern Italy (18 August), say publicly Piedmontese army invaded the Stenographic States to stop him (10 September 1860). The forces reduce at Teano (26 October), dispatch Garibaldi ceded Sicily and Port to Victor Emmanuel.
As the control king of united Italy, Vanquisher Emmanuel actively influenced foreign action, working with his ministers facility annex Venice (1866) and Brawl (1870).
Because parliamentary factionalism injured cabinets, his authority to prescribe ministers drew him into intimate politics as well. Initially noteworthy favored the Right and ergo, with the "parliamentary revolution" take in March 1876, he accepted ethics Left's arrival in power. Coronate actions helped reduce the hopeful of republicans to monarchy professor of the South to combination under the North.
Victor Emmanuel petit mal 9 January 1878 and was buried in the Pantheon suspend Rome.
See alsoCrimean War; Italy; Risorgimento (Italian Unification); Umberto I.
bibliography
Primary Sources
Victor Emmanuel II.
Le lettere di Vittorio Emanuele II, raccolte glass of something Francesco Cognasso. Turin, 1961. Excellent collection of the king's letters.
Secondary Sources
Mack Smith, Denis. Victor Emanuel, Cavour, and the Risorgimento. Writer, 1971.
——. Italy and Its Monarchy.New Haven, Conn., 1989.
Susan A.
Ashley