History of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy

Victor Emmanuel II of Italy is a towering figure in Italian history, known primarily for his role in the unification of Italy. Born on March 14, 1820, in Turin, he was the son of Charles Albert of Sardinia and Maria Theresa of Austria. His political life is deeply intertwined with the Risorgimento, the political and social movement that consolidated different states of the Italian Peninsula into the single state of Italy.

Victor Emmanuel’s political career began in earnest when he ascended the throne of the Kingdom of Sardinia, following his father’s abdication after the defeat by the Austrian Empire at the Battle of Novara in 1849. At the time, the kingdom was one of the few independent Italian states, comprising parts of present-day Italy and France. As King of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel II inherited his father's liberal constitution, one of the most progressive in Italy following its upswell in the 1848 revolutions. His commitment to constitutional governance would play a significant role in winning the support of the Italian middle class and the liberals.

One of Victor Emmanuel’s most important appointments was that of Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, as his prime minister in 1852. Cavour was a brilliant statesman and a key architect of Italian unification. Together, Victor Emmanuel and Cavour worked diligently to expand and consolidate their power, aligning Sardinia-Piedmont with Napoleon III’s France through the 1858 Plombières Agreement. This alliance was essential for weakening Austrian influence over the Italian states, particularly in Lombardy and Venetia.

The Second Italian War of Independence in 1859 marked a critical phase in the Risorgimento. Victor Emmanuel II, in alliance with France, confronted Austria, gaining Lombardy through the Treaty of Zurich. This was a watershed achievement, although it came at the cost of ceding Nice and Savoy to France, a compromise that was met with mixed feelings among Italians.

Victor Emmanuel’s role as a unifier was not just limited to military engagements but also involved diplomatic persuasion and calculated political maneuvers. He sanctioned plebiscites in the central and northern Italian states, allowing them to express their desire to join the Kingdom of Sardinia, thus expanding his territory. In 1860, with the dramatic and colorful expeditions led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, Victor Emmanuel capitalized on the capture of Sicily and Naples, turning them over to Piedmontese control.

In 1861, with the support of various Italian factions and successful military campaigns, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed with Victor Emmanuel II as its first king. It was a momentous event marking the culmination of efforts by many, including Garibaldi, Mazzini, and Cavour, to unify the Italian Peninsula.

Victor Emmanuel’s reign as King of Italy faced numerous challenges. The new nation was a patchwork of diverse states, each with its identity, economic conditions, and allegiances, complicating the process of creating a cohesive national identity. His government implemented policies aimed at centralization, modernization, and integration of the different regions. These policies focused on creating a unified legal system, a single educational framework, and economic reforms, although disparities between the more developed north and the agrarian south persisted.

In international politics, Victor Emmanuel sought to strengthen and consolidate Italy’s position in Europe. This included aligning with Prussia, which paid dividends during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, where Italy gained Venetia. The final act in Italian unification came in 1870, when French troops withdrew from Rome during the Franco-Prussian War. Victor Emmanuel entered the Eternal City, subsequently declaring it the capital of Italy.

Victor Emmanuel's tenure as king was also marked by tensions with the Papacy. By occupying Rome, he significantly strained relations with the Vatican. Pope Pius IX maintained a strong opposition against the new Italian state, leading to the Roman Question, a decades-long political dispute between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See. These tensions persisted until the Lateran Treaty of 1929.

Victor Emmanuel II died on January 9, 1878, having seen the creation and early years of a unified Italy. His legacy as the ‘Father of the Fatherland’ is intertwined with the complexities and challenges of the Risorgimento. While his effectiveness as a ruler fluctuated, his role in the unification movement is irrefutable. His leadership, together with the efforts of contemporary statesmen and revolutionaries, laid the foundations for modern Italy.

Exhibiting a blend of monarchical authority and adaptability to burgeoning nationalist and liberal pressures, Victor Emmanuel navigated through the labyrinth of 19th-century European politics to foster a new national identity. His contributions to the Italian state—and ultimately to European history—resonated well beyond his reign, characterizing him as a central figure in the storied tapestry of Italy’s past.