Two Sicilies, AA Realm between past and future

"Peace brings prosperity for all!"​

Ferdinand II does not miss any chance – either public or private – to recall everyone this phrase, a sort of personal motto that he delivered the first time during the inauguration of a lumber mill in September 1841. These years, which evidence strong popular recognition for the monarchy, social peace and economic development, can be split into three different periods, each one characterised by different items in the political agenda of the government (which, from a pure ideological point of view is still bound to Reactionary principles). In order to simplify the concepts, we can call them the "Spending", "Saving" and "Take-off" periods. Industrial take-off would deserve an exhaustive description in parallel with the development of railways, thus today I can spend few words on the first two stages.

Spending period (1836-39)​

Amid unproductive court expenses and short-lived macroeconomic measures, a group of theorists begins to apply to government and administration those principles of rationality and efficiency still confined to academic books. If not able to stimulate economic growth and industrial development through appropriate policies, the State should at least avoid distracting resources for futile or unproductive aims. Such belief is still minoritarian, as demonstrated by certain public events staged in these years.

For example, these are the most successful years of the Neapolitan opera, with Teatro San Carlo representing the temple of European music. The great composer Gaetano Donizetti (Lucia di Lammermoor, Roberto Devereux, Poliuto his main operas staged in these last years) has been the San Carlo's artistic director from 1822 to 1838, a responsibility inherited by a certain … Gioacchino Rossini [RH].

The staging of these operas represents a source of immense prestige for Naples and the Kingdom, but also a unquestionable drain of money. In 1839, the foundation managing the theatre has been left with a "hole" of 2.000 pound-equivalent that the government has to deal with. The deficit, cumulated with other expenditures later described, will knock down the state balance for some years requiring the leaning cure of the subsequent "saving period" to be paid back at year end 1842.

Similarly expensive – and unproductive – events have been the celebrations held also in 1838 for 100th anniversary of the Bourbon ruling over Two Sicilies and the birth of Lodovico, eldest son of King Ferdinand and his second wife of Maria Teresa.

Other expenditures, even if not directly practical from an industrial standpoint, have been in any case favourable to Naples' wrecked security, like the establishment in 1839 of a gas lighting system deployed by the "Compagnia per la Illuminazione", first Italian (and apparently third European after London and Paris) city to do so [RH].

Saving period (1840-42)​

State budget in 1838 is the last physiologically in balance, excluding extraordinary costs described before. The necessity of a reshuffling and rationalisation of the Council of Ministers emerges clearly by mid-1840, when the spending spree starts to calm down. Public debt has reached 2.600 pounds (an interesting 23% of annual Gross Domestic Product), bankers like Rothschild are available to lend the government at an onerous 20% interest rate and government coffers are empty.

With the appointment of Giuseppe Pisanelli as President of the Council of Ministers and Fulco Ruffo di Calabria as Minister Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the government team is complete. Santangelo and Del Carretto are still there, as well as General Filangieri – the only one with some Liberal sympathies. Constrained by balance difficulties, the government implements a sharp policy of cost curtailing at every level: from Court endowments and diplomatic gifts to education costs, where it is possible the mandate is clear: expenditures must be limited. Only productive investments survive, like the 1.000 pounds for the construction of the lumber mill inaugurated by the King in 1841.

The appointment of a responsible for Foreign Affairs limits for example the useless practice previously followed of sending diplomatic gifts to doubtful partners. During the rebellions of the Beys of Tunis (1836-37) and Muhammad Ali, Wadi of Egypt (1838-40), against the Ottoman Empire, Two Sicilies fancifully tried to attract those insurgents in its own sphere of influence with gifts and diplomatic recognition. Even a new ambassador was appointed and sent to Al Qahira in June 1838 when Muhammad Ali pretended to create an independent Egyptian state under his dynasty. After two years of skirmishes and tentative peace talks imposed by the Great Powers, scared by the British military support to the Ottomans, Muhammad Ali accepts the terms of the Treaty of London in October 1840, gives up Syria, Palestine, Cyprus and Crete and submits again to Sultan Mahmud II. In few weeks, all the diplomatic efforts spent in years result in no benefits for the Two Sicilies...


Anyway, with the strict financial rigor enforced by the government, in December 1842 public debt is paid back. By now, yearly education budget has been reduced by circa 1/6 versus previous years and interest on public debt represents 3% of GDP. Lack of money for sanitation works produces a terrible epidemic of cholera in Catanzaro and unrestrained corruption in the island provinces reaches its maximum. But the State balance is now financially sound and can start to supporting the industrial development This picture summarise the Kingdom ranking among the countries in this period, just before the beginning of the take-off. Please look at total population: the renowned passion of Italians has produced a +20% in inhabitants, just in 6 years!


Actually, having decided to stick to real history, years until Liberal and Italian Revolutions are passing by with extreme calm. I've been investing my resources in catching up with industrialisation structures. More details on next post. Enjoy!

Mechanical horses, or the industrial take-off​

Early '40s witness the beginning of Two Sicilies' industrialisation, a gradual introduction of apparently small inventions and applications, together with the gradual evolution of pre-industrial manufactories into modern factories. If we would like to describe this progress in few simple words, we might want to condense it with "steam power", "machines ", "factories" and – obviously – "railways". By 1846, the Kingdom of Two Sicilies would develop a touch of all…

Steam power has had application with mills since decades, but a very first industrially practicable steam engine has been designed and developed in 1838 at the foundry of Pietrarsa, near Naples, in cooperation with the physics students of the university. The same partnership will play an even more important role in the development in 1840 of a wholly-internal production of mechanical parts, that diversified collection of gizmos, devices and components allowing the construction of bigger equipments. The Neapolitan mechanics practice is by far the most significant and innovative of Italy by this time, allowing for the construction of new factories and the introduction of specific machines capable to improve productivity in a wider field of professions [RH].

Even if not directly developed in the country, other inventions spilled in at impressive pace from outside. The first mechanical saws and reapers modelled on Hussey and McCormick's US-patented machines arrived in 1840, significantly improving production of lumber and agricultural produces. In the following couple of years also threshing machines and power looms become a usual sight in the Neapolitan and Sicilian rural areas.

A new strongly interventionist government takes advantage of these innovations to increase the number and variety of factories in the country. By 1844 a brand-new lumber mill and a cement factory are up and running, respectively in the continental and insular parts of the nation, with craftsmen and clerks relocating to these modern manufacturing plants to get better salaries.


This is an age of not only manufacturing improvement: a more rational ad hoc money printing makes monetary policies increasingly clear and allows the domestic currency, the ducat, to become the most reliable currency among the Italian states. A survey conducted in 1844 by the Minister Secretary of the Interiors finds that 100% of households can buy or produce internally basic life goods, even if some areas of underdevelopment remain, as shown by the 1842-46 outbreaks of cholera in Catanzaro.

A Minister of Education which has recovered its budget after the cuts of the saving period (51% of public budget goes to schooling in 1844) is now heavily funding universities, making them capable to spread the most relevant European cultural advances (including the late classical theories of celebrated economists). In February 1844 the world first seismologic observatory is founded on top of the Vesuvius [RH] under the directorship of physicist Macedonio Melloni.

And finally, comes the train. On 7th September 1846, a portion of the track going from Naples to Portici is inaugurated with a locomotive and few wagons, full of prominent officers and aristocrats, running in the countryside at the stunning speed of forty kilometres per hour. They are the first Italians [RH] travelling on a train – I mean, at least on an Italian train – which actually is the "Bayard" shown here above, completely designed, developed and built in the Kingdom in June 1846. Despite the spectacular inauguration with fireworks and songs performed by the Royal Guard Band’s, the plans of the Minister of the Interiors Santangelo depict the benefits of the commercial use of an integral railroad system spanning from Naples to Palermo.


Further investments scheduled by the Council of Minister with the approval of King Ferdinand II would like to extend the trail from the capital to Reggio, the southern extreme of the peninsula, in the following years – and from there to Palermo. Unfortunately, the subsequent events do not permit such investments and the railways remain almost unchanged for years… but considering that many of the factories are in the capital's surroundings, simply with the Naples network the industrial production has increased by 23%. The results of the first national census published in December 1846 will confirm the idea of a developing nation, even if politics are not improving at the same pace of economy...

On 1st December 1846, in the presence of King Ferdinand II, the national bureau of statistics releases the outcome of the first national census. Here some interesting data contained in the survey:

• Estimated population: 9.916.000 people (+32% vs. the inhabitants presumed ten years before), specialists suggest Two Sicilies to be the 15° most populated country in the world.
  
  
• Biggest cities: Naples (575.000 – 6% of total residents), Palermo and Messina (230.000 each).
  
  
• Literacy: 38.8% (vs. presumed 35% in 1836).
  
  
• Land forces: 4 professional divisions, totalling 28.000 units (Sardinia-Piedmont counts on 5) – available also 4 reserve divisions. Navy: 9 ships (including 1 steamer), biggest Italian fleet but smaller than French (73 ships) and Spanish (19 ships).
  
  
• Factories: 5 (same number of Sardinia-Piedmont and Ottoman Empire). Imports: coal, iron, timber; exports: fish, fruit, wool, sulphur, grain, glass, lumber, cement, ammunitions, wine.

What's happening around (1836-1848)​

After more than 10 years of gameplay, I suppose some information regarding the world situation – which is actually difficult to elaborate inside a "nation focused" AAR – is deserved.

• The Carlist issue has been finally settled only in 1843. From 1839 to 1843 Don Carlos (claimant to the title of Carlos V of Spain) has been King of Navarra thanks to the support of the Basque separatists, but after a two-months conflict in Summer 1843 the pretender has been exiled and Spanish territorial unity recovered.
  
  
• France has pursued an aggressive stance in the Maghreb. It has annexed Aldjazair in 1841 and only because of other great powers' opposition the attempt to do the same with Morocco (1844) has been unsuccessful.
  
  
• The Caroline Affair has resulted in a fully-fledged conflict between USA and British Empire (1842-1844). The result has been a smashing defeat for the young Federal Republic, which has been forced to secede the counties of Burlington and Portland to the British North America.

• On the South, Texas decides to join the USA in 1846. War between Mexico and USA and the rebellion of California and Deseret from Mexico have ensued. Military developments are still unpredictable years later. In any case, in 1850 Mexico has recouped Southern California (including Los Angeles and San Diego) and brought down to satellite the "Bear Flag Republic".
  
  
• The Schleswig Question has erupted in open conflict (1847-1848) among Austria and Prussia on one side and Holstein-Denmark-Sweden on the other. Disproportion in military forces has proved too hard even for the strong Scandinavian mutual aid. Prussia has conducted a swift campaign occupying and annexing the small duchy; although a noble commitment to the Holstein cause, for Denmark and Sweden there is nothing to do apart giving up their support to the small Duchy, incorporated into the stronger and stronger Kingdom of Prussia.

General context of the Liberal Revolutions​

Absolute monarchy comes abruptly to an end in June 1847 – and monarchy as a whole 9 months later during the harshness of the Independence War, with the ousting of the Bourbon dynasty. These happenings are strictly interconnected with the Liberal Revolutions of 1848 in Europe, thus we need some background….

Liberalism and Nationalism have had two different agendas in recent years. Even if a general consensus has emerged against the Austrian rule over Northern Italy and the Habsburg hegemony over Central duchies, the views of moderate and radical movements differ on the means to get this result. Generally, the Pope and the Kings of Two Sicilies and Sardinia-Piedmont hope to form a sort of confederation of independent states, without changes in existing borders. Nobility and upper classes share the same view, scared by the risk of a national revolution turning into a social revolution. Such principle has been clearly sanctioned by the so-called Neoguelphism, inspired by Vincenzo Gioberti's proposal of a federation of lawful States under the lead of the Pope. Radicals such as Giuseppe Mazzini design instead a unified republican state, with the aim of a general improvement of lower classes education and living standards.

Upon election of Pius IX in June 1846, the conservative solution seems to get ground. The election of an apparently Liberal Pope has been interpreted as a strong sign of changing times. Year 1846 has already recorded specific examples of changes. In March, barricades in Berlin have convinced King Frederick William IV to grant a constitution, even if conservative forces remain predominant politically. In September, also the King of Bavaria Ludwig I will be forced to grant a Constitution to his subjects. Following these concessions, the most important states in the German Confederation have started their long way to constitutionalism. Even more noteworthy has been the general upset of the European public opinion against an illiberal Austria for the cruel suppression of the Free City of Krakow, which has been again the focus of Polish nationalist uprisings during February-May 1846.


Anyway, let's go back to Italy and Pius IX. As first move after election, he has given political amnesties and relaxed censorship. These timid reforms have caused widespread excitement throughout Italy and have been quickly constrained by a Pope who maybe during his first months of ruling has been somewhat inclined to follow a "trendy Liberalism" without considering that his concessions have only provoked greater demands and would result few months later in both Revolution and Independence War.

After an initial opening to Liberalism, the reaction of King Ferdinand II has always been unsympathetic against these new instances. He has been particularly smacked in 1844 by the failed insurrection of the Bandiera brothers [RH], two members of "La Giovine Italia", the revolutionary secret society founded by Mazzini. They landed in Calabria to ignite a popular revolt but were soon taken prisoner and executed with nine companions. The cruel repression caused the public opinion to blame on the King and his government for the martyrdom of the eleven "patriots", without considering that for the reactionaries in Naples' cabinet they were nothing more than brigands.


From that moment on, Ferdinand II lost confidence on gradual reforms and ordered Minister Del Carretto to maintain a strict police control on his subjects, in particular in the insular domains, which he believed more and more corrupt. In the last years, his government has more and more relinquished on a strict alliance with the Church to contain advancements in the political consciousness of the masses. From 1838 until the election of Pius IX, the royal grants to Jesuits and priests have become conspicuous and have for sure increased the appreciation of the reactionary Roman Curia. Even the appointment of Admiral Salerno as the highest authority of the Navy has something to do with the realignment between Two Sicilies and Papal States, being him a nephew of one of the most influent Cardinals and a zealous Catholic himself.

Few Liberals loyal to the King, such as General Filangieri, continue to put pressure on him to grant a constitution and make some concessions to the "modernisers". Unfortunately, until the very last day, Ferdinand II remains convinced that his state already is in possess of the institutions that his people wants, but the events will prove he is wrong…