Victor Emmanuel II
(Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel of Italy)
1820–1878
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Born the eldest son of Charles Albert of Sardinia and Maria Theresa of Tuscany, Victor fought in the First Italian War of Independence before being made King of Piedmont-Sardinia following his father's abdication. He appointed Camillo di Cavour, a political mastermind, as his Prime Minister, and after the success of the Crimean War Cavour arranged an agreement with the French Emperor: the kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia in exchange for French acquisistion of Nice and Savoy. Napoleon III, however, chose to initate an additional treaty with Austrian leader Franz Joseph I, and as a result France was stripped of its Italian territories and Victor Emmanuel was unable to acquire Venetia. Meanwhile, the Italian king had driven the pope into the Vatican City and was thereafter excommunicated from the Catholic Church, but he managed to save face when Giuseppe Garibaldi obtained for him the territories of Sicily and Naples. The Kingdom of Italy was officially established in 1861, and Victor Emmanuel II was chosen as its king.
Victor obtained additional land during the Third Italian War of Independence, this time allying himself with Prussia. He managed to capture Rome after the French withdrew, and he established the city as the capital of Italy. The remainder of his reign was spent quietly, as he dealt with little more than economic and cultural issues. He passed away in Rome shortly following the reversal of his excommunication by Pope Pius IX and was buried in the Pantheon.
Key events during the life of Victor Emmanuel II:
| Born the eldest son of Charles Albert and Maria Theresa of Austria | |
| Fought in First Italian War of Independence | |
| Became King of Piedmont-Sardinia after his father abdicated the throne | |
| Appointed Camillo di Cavour Prime Minister | |
| Crimean War against Russia | |
| Second Italian War of Independence | |
| Beginning of Italo-French campaign against Austria | |
| Drove the pope into the Vatican City. Was excommunicated from the Catholic Church | |
| Kingdom of Italy was established with Victor Emmanuel as its king | |
| Third Italian War of Independence | |
| Took Rome and established the city as the capital of Italy | |
| Died in Rome |
Other Resources
| Garibaldi and Italian Unity in | Nations of Europe and the Great War by Charles Morris |
| The Expansion of Germany in | Nations of Europe and the Great War by Charles Morris |
| King of United Italy in | Growth of the British Empire by M. B. Synge |
| The Liberation of Italy in | The History of Prussia by John S.C. Abbott |
Image Links | ||
|---|---|---|
 Garibaldi Welcoming Victor Emmanuel II. as King of Italy in Greatest Nations - Germany |
Victor Emmanuel III. Taking the Oath of Office in Greatest Nations - Germany |
Meeting of Victor Emmanuel and Garibaldi in Back Matter |
| Led several campaigns in the Wars of Italian Unification. Renowned as a hero patriot of Italy. | |
| Nephew of Napoleon, elected emperor of France after revolution of 1848. Deposed after disastrous Franco-Prussian War. | |
| Wife of Napoleon III and Empress of France. Influential figure in society and fashion as well as politics. | |
| First Kaiser of a United German Empire. With Bismarck as Chancellor, defeated Austria and France. |