Italy with an imperial title?

Is it even possible to have Italy "upgraded" from a kingdom to an empire.

The only long shot possibilty I can think of is in the late 19th early 20th century, if BOTH the French and German Empires exist, and Italy wins big against Austria and Turkey in a war, taking ALL of Dalmatia and Albania.
AS a way of showing that Italy is now a great power, Italy takes the now common imperial title.

Anyone have other ideas?

(PS I know that Victor Emmanuel III was titled emperor, but that was of Abyssinia not Italy.)
 
Your best bet is to have Italy unite with a more Federal structure, similar to that of Germany, in which there are several component monarchies within the nation's structure. In that case, whomever is the over-monarch would likely take on a higher title in order to be above his kingly subordinates. Perhaps even granted a revived "Holy Roman Emperor" title by the Pope if the new nation is united along Conservative lines acceptable to the Papacy.
 
Your best bet is to have Italy unite with a more Federal structure, similar to that of Germany, in which there are several component monarchies within the nation's structure. In that case, whomever is the over-monarch would likely take on a higher title in order to be above his kingly subordinates. Perhaps even granted a revived "Holy Roman Emperor" title by the Pope if the new nation is united along Conservative lines acceptable to the Papacy.
There is no way the people or the elites of norther italy would accept term of unification so conservative that the pope aproves.
 
Your best bet is to have Italy unite with a more Federal structure, similar to that of Germany, in which there are several component monarchies within the nation's structure. In that case, whomever is the over-monarch would likely take on a higher title in order to be above his kingly subordinates. Perhaps even granted a revived "Holy Roman Emperor" title by the Pope if the new nation is united along Conservative lines acceptable to the Papacy.

The Pope would almost never support Italian unification at the cost of their authority in the Papal States...i.e. would never support Italian unification.

The best POD might be an Italian unionism more rooted in romantic classicism, resulting in an Italy that tried more directly to take after Ancient Rome? If this were the case, I could imagine the Latin title Victor Immanuelis, Dei Gratia Imperator Romae et Italianorum? Or in English Victor Emmanuel, by the Grace of God Emperor of Rome and of the Italians?
 
What if victor emmanuel and pius XI make a deal without Duce? The papacy gets even more compensation and tighter control over Italian life, in exchange for crowning his majesty as emperor.
 
There is no way the people or the elites of norther italy would accept term of unification so conservative that the pope aproves.

They very well could, or the Pope might, be frog-matched into it if we're talking a unification in '48. If the Republicans/weak crown Constitutionalists are in the assent and harnessing popular opinion (Which let's remember was powerful enough to drag reluctant monarchs into wars) with a Habsburg Empire crumbling due to failures to surpress Prague, Hungary, and Vienna the Italian sovergeins are likely going to come together to co-opt the cause of unity to save their local power base rather than be washed into irrelevance by a revolutionary tide.
 
-Italic League develops into first a trade treaty then a mutual defense pact

-Italian Wars see more unified Italian forces not only defeat the French at Fornovo but turn it into a rout, forcing Parma and Ferrara into the League

-Republic of Italy forms upon repeated expulsions of foreign invaders with Senate based on representatives of ruling families/polities and approval needed by Ruling Council at 5/7 (Venice, Milan, Genoa, Florence, Papal States, Naples, Ferrara; later 11 with Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and Savoy...then...)

-Italy begins power consolidation against Ottomans as alternative to Habsburgs, taking control of Greece, Tunisia, Barbary States, and most Mediterranean Islands by 1700. They also begin colonization efforts in other parts of the world

-Depending on the course they may take control of any number of kingdoms over the decades and unite the crowns under a singular Empire with time
 
Lots of ways to get this to happen. Most involve first unification in various forms then probably conquest and colonization elsewhere (ie a Savoyard personal union with Spain). Couple with a victory over Austria and the collapse of the latter and there you have it
 
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