Victor Emmanuel III Abdicated The Throne Of Italy 68 years ago today.

On this day in 1946, Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicated the throne of Italy, in an attempt to distance the monarchy from WWII as well as help increase the chances of winning the upcoming referendum on whether or not to make Italy a Republic later that year (which she ended up voting for).

My grandmother was still living in Rome at the time, she just lived through 5 years of World War II and she remembers that day very well. Her father had just survived the war as an Italian soldier and he was really sad to hear the King was abdicating the throne. He apparently loved the monarchy.

(Just thought I'd mention a pretty interesting historical date today. It's still May 9th in America BTW)

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1944 then. Abdicated too late for referendum purposes.

This is definitely true.

At that point it was too late to repair the damage done to the image of the monarchy.

Though while we're on the topic, it does lead me to think: what if the monarchists won the 1946 referendum?
 
This is definitely true.

At that point it was too late to repair the damage done to the image of the monarchy.

Though while we're on the topic, it does lead me to think: what if the monarchists won the 1946 referendum?

Communists and Socialists march in streets in outrage?
 
Well they'd be a minority in this scenario so....

Minority? I don't know. They came out rather strong after the war, I was told. In polls maybe not, but in a certain prestige and creed, yeah. Less.. tainted than other parts of the politic ranges.

And they could seize this as an opportunity to gain power from republicans etc.
 
Minority? I don't know. They came out rather strong after the war, I was told. In polls maybe not, but in a certain prestige and creed, yeah. Less.. tainted than other parts of the politic ranges.

And they could seize this as an opportunity to gain power from republicans etc.

Do you think Italy would remain a monarchy if the referendum was won by the monarchists?
 
Then De Gasperi gnashes his teeth and keeps on governing. Umberto sticks to a purely ceremonial role. Of course the monarchy is kept if they win: it was binding either way.
 
Do you think Italy would remain a monarchy if the referendum was won by the monarchists?

And it's what I point at. It's possible it do't last long, depending on popular outrage, power plays, etc.

I admit, it depend all on conditions. But a backlash may happens, albeit bourgeois etc may try to go into a 'République des Républicains' plot à la Henri Guillemin and France post-1870 to save the deal.

A baloney republic can serve the Right better than a monarch at times...

Binding? Realpolitiks tend to always win when rules and interests clash.
 
And it's what I point at. It's possible it do't last long, depending on popular outrage, power plays, etc.

I admit, it depend all on conditions. But a backlash may happens, albeit bourgeois etc may try to go into a 'République des Républicains' plot à la Henri Guillemin and France post-1870 to save the deal.

A baloney republic can serve the Right better than a monarch at times...

A TL based on this premise would be interesting...
 
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