History of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy

Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, known as the figurehead of Italian unification, played a pivotal role as a politician in the movement that led to the establishment of Italy as a single nation-state. His political journey was marked by deft alliances, strategic warfare, and a keen sense of national identity that earned him the title "Father of the Fatherland," and his reign set the stage for modern Italy.

Victor Emmanuel was born on March 14, 1820, in Turin, in what was then the Kingdom of Sardinia. He was the eldest son of Charles Albert, King of Sardinia, and Maria Theresa of Austria. Not initially expected to become a unifying national leader, Victor Emmanuel's early education and training were conventional for a prince of his time, focusing on the military arts and governance.

In 1849, following the abdication of his father, who failed in his endeavors during the First Italian War of Independence, Victor Emmanuel ascended the throne as King of Sardinia. The political landscape in Italy during this period was fragmented, with the Italian Peninsula divided into various states and territories, many under foreign domination or influence, including Austria, France, and the Papal States. The dream of a unified Italy—il Risorgimento—was a vision cherished by many Italian nationalists but seemed elusive.

As King of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel's political acumen was marked by his collaboration with the astute statesman Count Camillo di Cavour, who became his prime minister. Cavour was instrumental in crafting a foreign policy that aligned Sardinia-Piedmont with powerful allies and garnered support for Italian unification. This alliance began with a strategic partnership formulated during the Crimean War (1853–1856), where Victor Emmanuel's kingdom sided with Britain and France against Russia. This participation, although minor militarily, bolstered Sardinia's influence on the diplomatic stage and earned it a seat at the Congress of Paris in 1856.

Cavour perceived an opportunity to advance the cause of Italian unification through an alliance with France, then under the rule of Emperor Napoleon III. Through strategic diplomacy, Victor Emmanuel and Cavour secured a secret pact—the Plombières Agreement—whereby France pledged military support in a war against Austria, in exchange for territorial compensation in Savoy and Nice to France. This agreement led to the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859. The Sardinian army, with French support, scored victories against the Austrians at battles such as Magenta and Solferino, weakening Austrian dominance over the Italian states.

Following these victories, a wave of nationalist uprisings swept through Italy, resulting in the annexation of Lombardy to Sardinia. The success of these uprisings intensified the momentum for unification. In the years that followed, central Italian states joined Sardinia through popular plebiscites, an essential strategy to ensure that the unification was a product of popular will rather than mere conquest.

Victor Emmanuel's most dramatic political shift occurred with the 1860 Expedition of the Thousand, led by the fiery nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi. Garibaldi, with a volunteer army, successfully overthrew the Bourbon monarchy in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Initially, there was tension between Garibaldi's republicans and the monarchic intentions of Victor Emmanuel, but diplomatic negotiations led to a meeting between Garibaldi and King Victor Emmanuel at Teano. Garibaldi accepted Victor Emmanuel's leadership, symbolically handing over the southern territories, which were annexed to the growing Italian state through a popular vote.

On March 17, 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, with Victor Emmanuel II as its first king, a testament to his political tenacity and vision for a unified Italy. Yet, the process of unification was incomplete; the Papal States, including Rome, remained outside the Italian fold, protected by French troops.

The Austro-Prussian War of 1866 presented another political opportunity under Victor Emmanuel's reign. Aligning with Prussia, Italy engaged Austria again in the hopes of capturing the Venetian region. Although militarily less successful, diplomatic negotiations resulted in Italy gaining control of Venetia through the Treaty of Vienna.

The unification was finally completed in 1870 when France, embroiled in the Franco-Prussian War, withdrew its troops from Rome. Italian forces entered the city, effectively ending Papal temporal power and making Rome the capital of Italy, fulfilling the dreams of nationalists. Victor Emmanuel moved to Rome in 1871, and it officially became the seat of the Italian government.

Victor Emmanuel II's political legacy is profound. Through his leadership, decisiveness in diplomatic ventures, and skillful orchestration of alliances with both national figures like Cavour and Garibaldi, and international powers, he curbed divisionary impulses and forged a united Italy. His rule set the foundations of a nation that embraced modern governance, albeit initially limited in parliamentary democracy.

Victor Emmanuel II died on January 9, 1878. His passing was marked by a nation in mourning, recognizing him not only for his role in unification but in providing a coherent national identity that helped Italy consolidate into a single polity. His burial in the Pantheon in Rome underscores his importance in Italian history, echoing his title as the "Father of the Fatherland."