Victor Emmanuel II of Italy

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Victor Emmanuel II (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.

1 Life
2 Crimean War
3 War of Italian Unification
4 Wife and sons
5 See also
6 External links

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Life

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Image:VittorioMonument.jpg 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 Sardinia–Piedmont on March 24, 1849.

Under his command, and with the skillful action of his minister, Count Cavour, the Kingdom of Sardinia grew to include whole Italy (1860 – 1870), through the process of Italian Unification and thus Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy became Victor Emmanuel II of Italy. However Count Cavour, his trusted advisor, did most of the work, and was very powerful. Some of his goals were to a) industrialize, b) reduce influence of Catholic Church, and c) better foreign affairs, using diplomacy to make allies. Cito Emmanuel II was also excommunicated from the Roman Catholic faith after the Italian army attacked Rome and forced Pope Pius IX to retreat and form Vatican city.

Victor Emmanuel would keep the former ordinal number though he became the first king of Italy, in order to maintain the dynastical continuity. However, this proved to be unpopular with the newly unified southern Italians as it seemed to be a Piedmontese takeover.

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Crimean War

Sardinia joined Britain and France in a war against Russia, to get their "good will". After ingratiating himself with Napoleon III at the Congress of Paris, following the end of the Crimean War, aswell as gaining British support,Count Cavour arranged a secret meeting with Napoleon III of France. They met at Plombieres in 1858 where they agreed that if France would help Sardinia battle against Austria for the lands of Venetia and Lombardy, France would be given Nice and Savoy.

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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 Francis Joseph of Austria at Villafranca, where Sardinia gained Lombardy — but no more. France, however, still got Nice and Savoy. Austria kept Venetia, which displeased Sardinia. The treaty had been made without their knowledge. Soon after this Cavour died, and the king had to find other advisors. The alliance with France ended, but Italy was united by the end of Victor Emanuel’s reign as Italy made an alliance with Prussia. Venice was given to Piedmont by Prussia after the Austro-Prussian war in 1866 and Rome was taken from French protection in 1871.

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Wife and sons

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 1847-1911, married Louis of Portugal.
Carlo Alberto (b.1851-d.1854), Duke of Chablais.
Vittorio Emanuele (1852).

Rosa Theresa Vercellona Guerrieri (nicknamed La Rosina) was once Victor Emmanuel's mistress. The Count of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda was probably their (illegitimate) son.

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