The end of an Era, 1845: III
King Murat II wasn't a fool, one thing is invading a collapsing Empire with help of local minorities, the other is invade the most powerful nation of the Continent. He didn't declare war over France or Austria, instead he entered negotiation talks from the moment that the Republic of Sardinia was declared. It would be a smart tactic that saved his neck from the worst, a secret deal with the French was made in August 1845: Murat would keep his Italian Kingdom with Tuscany, Lazio, Sicily, and Naples, but the city of Rome would be returned to the Pope, and all claims over French-Controlled regions would be forfeit. With the retreat of Murat's Kingdom, the 3 Northern Republics accused him of betrayal of the Italians, the 3 Republics declared the Unification of the Republic of Italy with Capital in Milan.
Napoleon III was in charge of over 140,000 troops including 20,000 Imperial Guards. His forces crossed the Aosta Valley similarly to how his father crossed the Alps 45 years earlier, Napoleon III wanted to prove himself a great commander like his father and took personal command of the Army. He was a great tactical commander and was raised by his own father for that, the Italians organized the Third liberation army with about 72,000 soldiers to try to stop Napoleon while a peace was achieved with Austria. The Italians were defeated in a matter of weeks and Milan fell to the French in October, causing the surrender of the Italian Republic.
In Austria, Emperor Ferdinand and the Court fleed Vienna, going to Moravia. The revolutionary Students of the Paramilitary "Academic Legion" took control of the city and demanded the abdication of Ferdinand and the creation of a constitutional monarchy under Franz Joseph, the nephew of the Kaiser. Under the influence of Reactionary ministers that assured the Kaiser that they could defeat the Liberals of Vienna, the Hungarian Uprising, and the Italian invasion that was already halted in Trieste, Ferdinand refused. Instead the Liberals invited Franz Joseph to be their Kaiser, he accepted. Meanwhile Bohemia remained loyal to Ferdinand.
Meanwhile, the stagnation of the Frankfurt Parliament would be their downfall, the crown of Kaiser was offered to Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, but he refused it, claiming that "Only God can appoint the Kings". Prussian troops invaded the city of Frankfurt in September, capturing and dissolving the Parliament. Wilhelm used the dissolution of the parliament and the Austrian crisis to put Prussia finally into the leadership role over the German Confederation.
The Catalan uprising was defeated in a month after Jerôme's campaign, the state of Catalonia is put under Martial law, the Constitution was suspended locally by Jerôme.
Napoleon III was in charge of over 140,000 troops including 20,000 Imperial Guards. His forces crossed the Aosta Valley similarly to how his father crossed the Alps 45 years earlier, Napoleon III wanted to prove himself a great commander like his father and took personal command of the Army. He was a great tactical commander and was raised by his own father for that, the Italians organized the Third liberation army with about 72,000 soldiers to try to stop Napoleon while a peace was achieved with Austria. The Italians were defeated in a matter of weeks and Milan fell to the French in October, causing the surrender of the Italian Republic.
In Austria, Emperor Ferdinand and the Court fleed Vienna, going to Moravia. The revolutionary Students of the Paramilitary "Academic Legion" took control of the city and demanded the abdication of Ferdinand and the creation of a constitutional monarchy under Franz Joseph, the nephew of the Kaiser. Under the influence of Reactionary ministers that assured the Kaiser that they could defeat the Liberals of Vienna, the Hungarian Uprising, and the Italian invasion that was already halted in Trieste, Ferdinand refused. Instead the Liberals invited Franz Joseph to be their Kaiser, he accepted. Meanwhile Bohemia remained loyal to Ferdinand.
Meanwhile, the stagnation of the Frankfurt Parliament would be their downfall, the crown of Kaiser was offered to Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, but he refused it, claiming that "Only God can appoint the Kings". Prussian troops invaded the city of Frankfurt in September, capturing and dissolving the Parliament. Wilhelm used the dissolution of the parliament and the Austrian crisis to put Prussia finally into the leadership role over the German Confederation.
The Catalan uprising was defeated in a month after Jerôme's campaign, the state of Catalonia is put under Martial law, the Constitution was suspended locally by Jerôme.
