The Kingdom of Italy

The Kingdom of Italy was a state which existed from 1861 — when King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy — until 1943, when Italy under Benito Mussolini was invaded by The Imperium during The Italian War of Conquest. The state was founded as a result of the unification of Italy under the influence of the Savoy-led Kingdom of Sardinia.

The Kingdom of Italy is the precursor state to the Italian Empire now ruled by King Victor Emmanuel III's son Umberto II of Italy.

## History

### Unification

The creation of the Kingdom of Italy was the result of concerted efforts of Italian nationalists and monarchists loyal to the House of Savoy to establish a united kingdom encompassing the entire Italian Peninsula. The Unification involved many Great Powers including France and Prussia who had interests in the area. The Kingdom of Italy was eventually unified on the 17th March 1861.

### Liberal era (1870–1914)

After unification, Italy's politics favored liberalism. In 1887, Francesco Crispi became Prime Minister and began focusing government efforts on foreign policy. Crispi worked to build Italy as a great world power through increased military expenditures, advocacy of expansionism and trying to win the favor of Germany. Italy joined the Triple Alliance which included both Germany and Austria–Hungary in 1882 and which remained officially intact until 1915.

### The Great War (1914-1918)

In the lead-up to World War I, the Kingdom of Italy faced a number of short-term and long-term problems in determining its allies and objectives. Italy's recent success in occupying Libya as a result of the Italo-Turkish War had sparked tension with its Triple Alliance allies. They wanted to form an alliance with the Ottoman Empire as a threat to British Expansion in the Middle East.

In Italy, society was divided over the war: Italian socialists generally opposed the war and supported pacificism, while nationalists militantly supported the war. Future Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, demanded that Italy join the war. For nationalists, Italy had to maintain its alliance with the Central Powers in order to gain colonial territories at the expense of France.

With nationalist sentiment firmly on the side of reclaiming Italian territories of Austria-Hungary, Italy entered negotiations with the Triple Entente. The negotiations ended successfully in April 1915 when the London Pact was brokered with the Italian government. The pact ensured Italy the right to attain all Italian-populated lands it wanted from Austria-Hungary. The proposal fulfilled the desires of Italian nationalists and Italian imperialism and was agreed to. Italy joined the Triple Entente in its war against Austria-Hungary.

Despite the Italian War Effort being very good and The Italians lost 460,000 Men in the War, They were betrayed by their Entente Allies and not given their promised lands. Civil unrest erupted in Italy between nationalists who supported the war effort and opposed the "mutilated victory".

### Fascist Italy (1922-1941)

Furious, a now Far-Right Benito Mussolini created the *Fasci di Combattimento.* This would become known as The Fascists. On 15 April 1919, the Fascists made their debut in political violence, when a group of members from the *Fasci di Combattimento* attacked the offices of *Avanti!*. Mussolini moved the organization away from the left and turned the revolutionary movement into an electoral movement in 1921 named the *Partito Nazionale Fascista* (National Fascist Party).

In October 1922, Mussolini took advantage of a general strike by workers and announced his demands to the government to give the Fascist Party political power or face a coup. The Italian government under King Vittorio Emmanuele III faced a political crisis. The King was forced to decide which of the two rival movements in Italy would form the new government: Mussolini's Fascists or the anti-royalist Italian Socialist Party, ultimately deciding to endorse the Fascists.

On 28 October 1922, the King invited Mussolini to become Prime Minister, allowing Mussolini and the Fascist Party to pursue their political ambitions as long as they supported the monarchy and its interests. His supporters named him *"Il Duce"* ("The Leader"). A personality cult was developed that portrayed him as the nation's saviour which was aided by the personal popularity he held with Italians already.

Over the next four years, Mussolini eliminated nearly all checks and balances on his power. In 1926, Mussolini passed a law that declared he was responsible only to the King and made him the sole person able to determine Parliament's agenda. Soon after all other parties were banned in 1928, parliamentary elections were replaced by plebiscites in which the Grand Council nominated a single list of candidates. Mussolini wielded enormous political powers as the effective ruler of Italy. The King was a figurehead and handled ceremonial roles.

Italy suffered little economic damage from The Great Depression

#### **War of Liberation**

The War of Liberation was a mess for Italy. The Pact of Rome with Germany meant an Axis of Powers had formed. When the German Reich invaded Poland in 1939, Italy opted to sit it out for a while. After The Fall of Poland in October 1939, The Kingdom of Italy declared War on France and Britain. They immediately collapsed in Libya against the French. Hitler had to dispatch Erwin Rommel to Italian North Africa to resolve the issue

The Italian Failure in North Africa leads Rommel to order an invasion of Tunisia and French Algeria. This goes well and The Italian Army now lead by Rommel capture Tunis. After this, Rommel is withdrawn for a German Invasion of the Benelux. This German Invasion in the North would be supported by an Italian Invasion on the French Alps. However, this attack would never come due to The Imperiumist Takeover in January 1940 which would see the collapse of the German Reich.

Luckily for Italy, The New Imperium would continue the fight. The Imperium wouldn't directly support Italy but it was enough for Italy to keep fighting. In the Invasion of France, The United States of America would enter the war. Despite the United States being economically weak due to The Great Depression, the new found strength was a much needed moral boost for The Allies.

The Italians were pushed by the Anglo-American forces in Piedmont and the Italian Army lost Piedmont which put Italy at threat from invasion. However the invasion of Italy was halted due to The Imperium's advance in 1941. The Allied Forces then made a peace deal with the Italian Empire where the UK gave Italy Sudan and parts of British North Africa temporarily in return for Italian Neutrality. Piedmont went to France during the deal. The Italians formerly exited the war in the 19th of August 1940.

#### **Imperian Conquest**

After the fall of France and surrender of the Allies, The Imperium approached the Italians about an Alliance against the Free Atlantic States. The Fascists and Monarchists within Italy wanted to join the Alliance whereas the Democratic Parties wished to join a Faction with the Free Atlantic States. The minority Communists in Italy wanted to join the UEAS. After some brief political violence, The Fascists and Monarchists came out on top. The Imperium during this time began preparing for an invasion of Italy to secure Imperiumist Power. When The Italian Government contacted The Imperium in 1943, The Imperium demanded subjugation or conquer. The Italian Government was in a frenzy but The Imperium invaded anyway.

Italy fought valiantly and the war was by no means easy for The Imperium which brought Italian Praise from The Emperor.

### Collapse

With the Italian Surrender, Benito Mussolini relinquished control. The Imperium originally intended on annexing the Italian Lands but instead saw it fit to keep them as a puppet state. The Italian Empire or Imperiumist Italy was born. King Emanuel III was given full power in 1943 after Mussolini's execution for attempting to start a fascist revolt, despite him being Imperial Governor of Italy, and The Kingdom of Italy was no more.