Italico Valore - A more successful 1848 revolution in Italy - a TL
There is that, of course (and it dates back to when Cavour was a page at the court of Turin). For that matter, even his son never truly loved Cavour.
Anyway, in 1848 Cavour was quite a new entry in the Turin Parliament (he was elected on 27 April 1848 for the first time), and was mostly known as a political journalist (together with Cesare Balbo, he founded Il Risorgimento, a liberal newspaper supporting the transformation of Sardinia into a constitutional monarchy). He's certainly not the person who CA will choose to mediate between Cattaneo and Casati.
Balbo or Massimo d’Azeglio
And the king would not stay in Milan, but would be with the army
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D'Azeglio was a really good colonel in the Piedmontese army (he distinguished himself defending Vicenza), so maybe he'd best stay with the Army (for the sake of the TL). Balbo wanted to unify Piedmont and Lombardy but his position was defeated in Parliament (leading to his resignation three months later), so it would be nice if he could broker the deal. Also, his analysis of the situation and the possibilities on how to reach Italian *unity seem the most pragmatic, so having him in a better position than OTL gives room for nice developments.
Balbo and Cavour were friends (as I mentioned they co-founded "Il Risorgimento", and fundamentally on similar positions politically (although Balbo was also a devout Catholic, while Cavour was more influenced by his mother's relatives in Geneva). In terms of approach to the future of Lombardy, they were in perfect agreement: Lombardy was to be annexed to Sardinia. No ifs or buts, no republics and so on. I might add that neither of them was thinking of "Italian unification" in 1848, except in terms of some vague (and loose) confederation. For that matter, Cavour changed his positions over the next decade (and his agents were all over the map in Italy), and Sardinia became a safe haven for the political exiles (well, not necessarily all the rabid republicans at least, but when he set up the war of 1859 his objectives were substantially limited to Lombardy, Veneto, Parma and Modena. To his merit, his goals were never set in stone, and he managed to take the good and the bad in stride (well, he felt betrayed when Louis Napoleon signed a separate cease fire with Austria without prior consultations with Sardinia, and it was the only single time his composure was lost, luckily only for a few days).
All I was saying is that, between Balbo and d'Azeglio (the two options you mentioned), I would have the former mediate for the annexation of Lombardy to Piedmont. If he succeeds, this could also speed up Cavour's career by some months given their mutual friendship you mentioned.
I was saying exactly the same thing: it'd not make any difference to have one or the other negotiating in Milan, they'd have the same goal (and possibly Balbo is the better choice, being more flexible and diplomatic that the early Cavour not to mention better known and respected)
Oh, I see. Thanks for the clarification, sorry, I got a little confused. I know it might be a bit of a stretch, but it would be fun to see Cavour as the Finance Minister of a Balbo government when the war is over. I keep imagining what he could have done with the whole (ora sizeable chunk) of Northern Italy instead of "only" Sardinia-Piedmont.
That might be interesting, but it might be difficult to have CA swallow the name of Cavour in the cabinet, in particular in a such important ministry. However it depends how much of Northern Italy falls into Piedmontese hands, and how the next election plays. It should be to the benefit of liberals, but do not discount the influence of the landholders and how small a lot of colleges were. In any case, CA will not last many more years in any case, his health is quite bad and I think he will abdicate anyway pretty soon after the end of the war. The difference ITTL is that the abdication will be in a much better and happier state of mind than IOTL .
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Cavour is not there as a big player, he's just there in Milan with other Piedemontese diplomats who are helping the king in the negotiation process and, while Casati and Cattaneo scream at themselves and Sardinian diplomats let it play out, Cavour (again in a quite junior proposition) proposes this compromise which is accepted by both parties. I thought it was nice for him to be introduced in such a way but if it's too much of a stretch I'd be willing to consider other options, like Balbo or D'Azeglio...or a total stranger.
For the moment CA is leaving the direction of the army to his officers, a bit unconventional for sure, but he wanted to make sure that a smooth transition would occour by using his prestige as liberator to find a satisfactory deal
For the moment CA is leaving the direction of the army to his officers, a bit unconventional for sure, but he wanted to make sure that a smooth transition would occour by using his prestige as liberator to find a satisfactory deal
7. BROTHERS OF ITALY
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7. BROTHERS OF ITALY
The duchies of Parma and Modena were in full revolution with the local dukes fleeing from the rebellous population who was becoming restless from the lack of liberal reform and unwillingness to join the cause of Piedmont, even if the duke of Modena promised a statute when he was going to return. After the expulsion of the restauration loyalists a more moderate executive took power and declared for Piedmont sending their armies along with the Tuscan ones to Vicenza, where Carlo Alberto was rallying his forces.
On the 10th Carlo Alberto met General Giovanni Durando in Vicenza, commander of the papal expeditionary force. During the meeting Durando took off his hat at the sight of the king and greeted him with "Majesty" making a bow of the head. The event will be immortalized by Risorgimento painter Hayez and considered a founding moment of what will be called "The spirit of Forty-eight"
"The spirit of Forty-eight" was that general feeling of euphoria that accompanied the war on the peninsula, which permeated all sections of the population, which pushed men to enroll and soldiers in battle. It was also an idea of national awakening, the return of a common identity of the Italian peoples that had been dormant for some time, woken up with Napoleon and who was now rising. The struggle against the Austrian foreigners who had occupied the north for centuries was galvanizing kings and peasants into the rebellion against the order created by Vienna. The liberal movements of the Forty-eight or specifically the War of Independence were a historical moment that had the opportunity to question everything and people felt it. For this reason, after some hesitation, they threw themselves into the fraternal struggle against the foreigner.
A Tuscan patriot leaves his family to partake in the fight in the North, as many men (and some women) did from all over the peninsula
Foreigners were beaten but not defeated. Von Westmeath had sent requests for reinforcements to the imperial court which promptly ignored them. The situation in Hungary was requiring more resources than necessary and Vienna remained the main target of the reaction. Fortunately for revolutionaries, Italy was a periphery for the empire. However, a body of 12,000 men from Illyria under the command of General Nugent had been redirected to the Veneto, which the Austrians intended to keep to protect their flank. In total, 34,000 Austrian troops were still gathered in Veneto, against at least double the number of Italians. With the empire paralyzed, Von Westmeath could only spare his strength and avoid getting involved in a pitched battle he couldn't win.
Venice was now free from the Austrians and the provisional government led by Daniele Manin had already started the first steps to create a functional state granting individual freedom to it's citizens and freedom of press, lifting many restrictions which were imposed by Austria. Nontheless the revolution was not smooth: the bourgeoisie and the nobility were opposed to a radical republic and Manin tackled the problem inviting them to participate to the government to ease their fears. The Serenissima was a marittime nation but had no fleet: the Austrian navy was docked in Pola, even if most of their sailors were Venetians and thus Niccolò Tommaseo, one of the main revolutionaries, commandeered a fast ship with some volunteers and sailed to Pola to incite the sailors to rise up. Miraculosly, he was not spotted by picket ships and penetrated in Pola's harbour where he gave the news to the crews who, after learning of the uprising, joined in mutining against their Austrian commanders and starting a riot in the city. Using the confusion Tommaseo, along with some ships, managed to flee and return to Venice which had now gained it's navy. The Serenissima sent envoys and messengers to the Terrafirma aiming to gain the support of the main cities which had revolted and expelled the Austrians. Manin was a traditional venetian, having few respect for the mainland but understood the need for unity in this moment; to sweeten the deal he proposed to abolish some taxes such as the personal one. This, along with the Piedimontese advance, was enough for major cities like Treviso, Padova and Rovigo to accept the deal in order to have a stronger hand in future diplomacy.
On the 13th of April Carlo Alberto, generals Bava, De Sonnaz and Durando and their staff had a meeting in Vicenza where the main HQ of the Italian Armies was located and started planning a final offensive to end the war: the main objective was the expulsion of the Austrian army from the Venetian plain and, from there, secure the border and squash any resistance remaining behind Italian lines such as the fortresses of Mantua and Verona.
The duchies of Parma and Modena were in full revolution with the local dukes fleeing from the rebellous population who was becoming restless from the lack of liberal reform and unwillingness to join the cause of Piedmont, even if the duke of Modena promised a statute when he was going to return. After the expulsion of the restauration loyalists a more moderate executive took power and declared for Piedmont sending their armies along with the Tuscan ones to Vicenza, where Carlo Alberto was rallying his forces.
On the 10th Carlo Alberto met General Giovanni Durando in Vicenza, commander of the papal expeditionary force. During the meeting Durando took off his hat at the sight of the king and greeted him with "Majesty" making a bow of the head. The event will be immortalized by Risorgimento painter Hayez and considered a founding moment of what will be called "The spirit of Forty-eight"
"The spirit of Forty-eight" was that general feeling of euphoria that accompanied the war on the peninsula, which permeated all sections of the population, which pushed men to enroll and soldiers in battle. It was also an idea of national awakening, the return of a common identity of the Italian peoples that had been dormant for some time, woken up with Napoleon and who was now rising. The struggle against the Austrian foreigners who had occupied the north for centuries was galvanizing kings and peasants into the rebellion against the order created by Vienna. The liberal movements of the Forty-eight or specifically the War of Independence were a historical moment that had the opportunity to question everything and people felt it. For this reason, after some hesitation, they threw themselves into the fraternal struggle against the foreigner.
A Tuscan patriot leaves his family to partake in the fight in the North, as many men (and some women) did from all over the peninsula
Foreigners were beaten but not defeated. Von Westmeath had sent requests for reinforcements to the imperial court which promptly ignored them. The situation in Hungary was requiring more resources than necessary and Vienna remained the main target of the reaction. Fortunately for revolutionaries, Italy was a periphery for the empire. However, a body of 12,000 men from Illyria under the command of General Nugent had been redirected to the Veneto, which the Austrians intended to keep to protect their flank. In total, 34,000 Austrian troops were still gathered in Veneto, against at least double the number of Italians. With the empire paralyzed, Von Westmeath could only spare his strength and avoid getting involved in a pitched battle he couldn't win.
Venice was now free from the Austrians and the provisional government led by Daniele Manin had already started the first steps to create a functional state granting individual freedom to it's citizens and freedom of press, lifting many restrictions which were imposed by Austria. Nontheless the revolution was not smooth: the bourgeoisie and the nobility were opposed to a radical republic and Manin tackled the problem inviting them to participate to the government to ease their fears. The Serenissima was a marittime nation but had no fleet: the Austrian navy was docked in Pola, even if most of their sailors were Venetians and thus Niccolò Tommaseo, one of the main revolutionaries, commandeered a fast ship with some volunteers and sailed to Pola to incite the sailors to rise up. Miraculosly, he was not spotted by picket ships and penetrated in Pola's harbour where he gave the news to the crews who, after learning of the uprising, joined in mutining against their Austrian commanders and starting a riot in the city. Using the confusion Tommaseo, along with some ships, managed to flee and return to Venice which had now gained it's navy. The Serenissima sent envoys and messengers to the Terrafirma aiming to gain the support of the main cities which had revolted and expelled the Austrians. Manin was a traditional venetian, having few respect for the mainland but understood the need for unity in this moment; to sweeten the deal he proposed to abolish some taxes such as the personal one. This, along with the Piedimontese advance, was enough for major cities like Treviso, Padova and Rovigo to accept the deal in order to have a stronger hand in future diplomacy.
On the 13th of April Carlo Alberto, generals Bava, De Sonnaz and Durando and their staff had a meeting in Vicenza where the main HQ of the Italian Armies was located and started planning a final offensive to end the war: the main objective was the expulsion of the Austrian army from the Venetian plain and, from there, secure the border and squash any resistance remaining behind Italian lines such as the fortresses of Mantua and Verona.
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I do fear my comments are starting to tire you, but I cannot help noticing that some of your ideas are running against historical record and the personalities of the players. I wanted to help you writing a more credible story, but it's up to you as the writer to choose what to put in. I add some final comments about the last developments; if you are not interested, just ignore them.
The same hold true for the second main fortress, Mantua. Peschiera and Legnago were minor fortresses, and quite obsolete. Evacuating them is much more reasonable.
Incidentally, the Neapolitan contingents cannot have already arrived, they had quite a lot of way to go. The Tuscan volunteers would not cross the Po river near Ferrara, they would go via Mantua.
Obviously, Manin was not at all a follower of Mazzini: the republic Manin dreamed of was a resurgent Serenissima, Mazzini's ideas were quite different.
Cavour was not in the diplomatic service. He was an aristocrat and a newspaper editor who had started to dabble in politics, but was not even a MP at this stage (the first election was scheduled for 27 April). Finding him in the Piedmontese official delegation is a bit strange, considering that CA did not like him at all.
It would be reasonable, but it would not be in the chords of CA: his upbringing as well all the traditions of House Savoy called for him to be with the army. It's also his first war (his participation in suppressing the constitutionalists in Spain doesn't count: it happened almost 30 years earlier, and he was just a minor officer under a cloud), and he knows it will be his last. He will never renounce leading from the front.
Verona was the main fortress of the Quadrilateral, and it's hard to believe that the Austrians did evacuate it completely. I can understand not trying to hold the city, and holing up in the citadel, but evacuating it completely...
The same hold true for the second main fortress, Mantua. Peschiera and Legnago were minor fortresses, and quite obsolete. Evacuating them is much more reasonable.
Chioggia was already liberated by Venice. I don't see the need to send a major general to liaise with Venice at this stage.
Why meet them in Rovigo, which is quite out of the way? Vicenza would be a much better choice.
Incidentally, the Neapolitan contingents cannot have already arrived, they had quite a lot of way to go. The Tuscan volunteers would not cross the Po river near Ferrara, they would go via Mantua.
There were no Austrian warships in Venice (actually, Wien had been worried for years about the political unrest in Venice). The Austrian fleet was at port in Pola, at the southern tip of Istria. Just after the successful insurgency, a number of Venetian patriots urged Daniele Manin to send a fast ship to Pola, in order to engineer a mutiny in the fleet (a majority of the sailors was Venetian, and the official language was the Venetian dialect). Unsurprisingly, Daniele Manin refused, and instead of taking advantage of this opportunity decided to send back the Austrian soldiers and administrators to Trieste by ship: the ship taking them to Trieste met an Austrian warship at sea, notified them of the successful insurrection in Venice and any chance of a successful mutiny evaporated forever. Daniele Manin was a fervent Venetian patriot, a good and honest man, but was not really cut out of revolutionary cloth. The best that can be said of him is that he tried to set up a law-abiding insurrection, not a revolution. Maybe ITTL Niccolo Tommaseo and the other firebrands will prevail, and there is an attempt to incite a mutiny in Pola.
Obviously, Manin was not at all a follower of Mazzini: the republic Manin dreamed of was a resurgent Serenissima, Mazzini's ideas were quite different.
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Of course not! As I have already said, I'm a bit of an amateur so there are many things that I ignore. This kind of insight is very useful as I aim for a plausible story, even if sometimes a bit stretched.
I've read something about Cavour and wanted to introduce him to the story as the cunning politician he was but if it's impossible for him to be there, who would? D'Azeglio is on the front lines at the moment and the only one would be Balbo which is more plausible and for the sake of the scenario we'll just assume that the vote passes in Torino and Lombardy is annexed.
About CA I understand that he is a monarch involved in a war that has "blown out of proportion" from a simple land grab profiting from the instability of Austria to a war of liberation of the Italian people. I figured that he would have capitalised on his leading of the army that freed Milan to endear himself to the local people and mending ties between the factions, not just as a military leader but as a political one.
His leading the army to the generals is a bit of delegation as he knows Bava is probably Sardinia's best general and his trust in De Sonnaz has been proven right at the moment. The king has already met Tuscan and Papal troops and is marching to the front.
With the loss of Radetzky's army in Milan Austrian presence has taken a heavy hit. I have no certain numbers about Austrian troop placement and numbers but since there's a full fledged insurrection in Vienna and Prague and the Hungarians have declared their independence, recalling their units (most of which would be disarmed and detained by the Austrians) reducing their overall strength and requiring the management of fewer resources and more problems. Even of the Quadrilateral fortresses were manned their garrisons would be much smaller without Radetzky's units and would make resistance harder and pointless, especially with a rebellious population. Von Westmeath's strategy is to trade land for time awaiting reinforcements and husbanding his forces, to regroup and counterattack. The Piedmontese have crossed Lombardy far more quickly than OTL and this has taken their enemies by surprise.
I wish I had a map with all OTL's occupied territory and respective parties! If the Neapolitan troops are not there yet then it's only the papal army; I'll correct the crossing of the Tuscans ASAP
About the navy, I'll se what to do. I don't feel confident that the Venetians would be able to pull that off because it would take just one Austrian ship to prevent it. Anyway the navy was useless in this war OTL and it would be the same ITTL.
Venice is the only republic in Italy. The Milanese are under Piedmont and more monarchical and the rest of Italy was not that warm to mazzinian ideas except for Rome maybe. OTL Venice would be annexed by Sardinia and TTL it won't go differently. I figured Venice could have it's spotlight as a safe heaven for Mazzini and other republicans to organise their contribution to the war.
Insights like this are extremely precious, thank you for noticing!
As another minor nitpick, OTL Manin outright ignored the insurgents in the former Venetian Terrafirma. I see that TTL he is being far more efficient, but any particular reason to do so? I perfectly understand the problems of writing a story being an amateur (as my only, short-lived attempt at a timeline shows), so, please do take my questions and constructive criticism for what they are: a sign of appreciation of your TL and your ideas.
From the point of view of the purely military aspects, the presence of CA would not help anything. It's probably more beneficial if he stays away and avoids juggling the elbow of the generals. My objection was rather in terms of personality: CA craves martial laurels, and will suffer a lot being away. His son was exactly the same. He couldn't delegate and was always breathing on the shoulder of the generals in (nominal) charge.
I said that the Austrians would not try yo held the cities of Verona and Mantua, only the two citadels. It would be a few thousand soldiers, mostly fortress gunners, and the two citadels might be a bargain point at the peace table.
If the mutiny is properly organised and comes as a surprise, I'm quite confident the Venetians might pull it off. As I said, a good majority of the sailors is Venetian. Even if they manage to gain a handful of ships, it will be very much useful for Venice, and it might lead to some possible attempt to foment insurrections in Dalmatia and the islands (Tommaseo was himself from Spalato, and was very much for it). At least, warships would be useful to oppose any Austrian attempt to blockade Venice from the sea (IOTL, the French navy did this, for a time) and allow some commerce raiding.
As I said, Venice idea of a republic was not a Mazzinian one.
Nice
Manin was utterly incapable of seeing the benefits of joining forces with the cities of the mainland. A typically Venetian blind spot. He did not even coordinate efforts when Nugent came down from Friuli
Yes, and that is surprising to me. One would think that to restore the Serenissima he would have thought "big", coordinating both with the former Stato da Mar and the former Stato da Tera as well. Speaking of which, this turning of events could have repercussions in Zara as well. OTL the city rose in rebellion on March the 18th, same day as the "Five Days". This string of successes could set the whole Dalmatian coast (at least the cities, at this point still very much Italian) aflame.
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Chapter 7 will be revised to correct some inaccuracies and provide more insight about other events. One thing's for sure, Austria is burning but it won't collapse as this would have massive consequences. For now CA and the Piedemontese has had it good, thanks to the blow they deal in Milan to the Austrians, but the enemy is reorganising and even if Italy is a secondary front ( considering that Vienna, Prague and Hungary are rebelling) they're not beaten, but just waiting.
Thomas1195
Banned
Yeah, had Manin been replaced by a more revolutionary leader, Italy could have well grabbed the whole Dalmatian coast.