Chapter 12 : Socialism awakens
The Liberal movement had been divided since the beginnings of the Revolution between the classical Liberals and the “Populists”. The rift had grown for years between the two groups and it was not a surprise when the old Carmagnolesi broke apart. Led by the young Napuglione Buonaparte, the posthumous son of the Revolutionary General, the soon-to-be Socialists gathered in Florence to discuss their program. Buonaparte himself would take the stage for a few hours, calling for the people to gather behind the banners of the true revolutionary, quoting the words of Bresci that “
The Etrurian Revolution was nothing but a precursor of another revolution, one that will be bigger, more solemn, and which will be the last.”
Napoleone Buonaparte in 1854
Many has been written on Napoleone. During his youth he was only seen in the shadow of his father who was far from being loved by many in the Republic because of his final actions. He could however count on the support of many, like the previous Consul Pietro Testi. He did not experiment true poverty as he claimed several times in his life but one can think that his concern for the lower classes was genuine. Populism sure helped him to increase his political weight in the Republic but his writings and actions show that it was not merely a tool, and his actions would be praised by Otto Marx although he also considered that he had been too bourgeois to lead the true Revolution and had been too much implicated in bourgeois politics.
With the Firenze Proclamation, the Socialist movement began to take roots in Italy. The Communardi, the movement of Buonaparte, were the rightful heirs of the Italian Socialism tradition. Strongly linked with the Army [1], they supported strong intervention of the state into the economy with the key control of the vital industries and sectors of activity like railways, coal mines, ammunition factories, shipyards ... Walking into the footsteps of Bresci they called for better living conditions, minimum wages and compulsory public and free education. To not go against the Catholic masses, they adopted a secular view on the relations between the Pope and the Republic, calling for a separation of the Church and State but not going as far as the persecutions of the early Republican days.
The Communardi were soon joined on the political arena by a priest, long known in Napoli for his popular speeches, Ermanno Carni. This young Neapolitan had long criticized the abuses of capitalism and also witrhin the Church claiming that the it was contrary to the message of the Apostles. Of course, it was not the first time that a Christian movement claimed to go to the roots by helping the poors but Ermanno Carni always paid attention to the hierarchy, not condemning too fast and not angering the people who could remove him. Moreover he enjoyed a peculiar position in the Two-Sicilies and condemning him would have been too dangerous at this point. Moreover he enjoyed the support of the most liberal Cardinals, who hoped that his movement could be the way for the Church to regain his influence in the Peninsula. Indeed the Social-Catholics, as their name implies, supported the Church, especially in the educational affairs. They lacked support of the army in contrary to Buonaparte’s supporters, given they wanted to cut their budget, to finance more social-reforms.
The rift created between Liberals and Socialists was an heavy burden for the Consul, which had to arbitrate the divisions and try to keep the Progressives Senators with him and the Constitutionalists. Decided to avoid unrest at home with a possible loss of majority in the Senate, Lomonaco decided to host a Great German Council in Rome to help the potential revolutionaries in Germany. The move deeply angered both the Emperor in Prague and the King in Anvers, with both Burgundian and Italian forces increasing on both sides of the Alpes in the contested area of Savoy[2]. All German nationalist organization were contacted, even if the majority of the deputies would belong to the Liberal and Socialist movements. Tensions were high between Danubians because of the Salzburg War[3] and with them being the main participants, the Congress was delayed.
On the internal side, a riot erupted in Fiume in Istria, caused by Croatian Patriots, of course supported by the absolutist neighbouring Kingdom of Illyria. Illyria thought of themselves as the natural hegemon of the South Slavic People and distributed propaganda in the disputed peninsula. The uprising was swiftly quelled by the Army but the “Illyrian problem” had grown in the public opinion. The nationalist newspaper kept telling that Dalmatia was a rightful Venetian territory and thus a core Italian territory and that the Republic was need to bring a new Order in the Balkans. However it still paled in comparison with the Arborean Islands, still controlled by Catalonia. Even in the more radical interventionist circles, Dalmatia was a secondary matter. But the revolt of Fiume was not forgotten and would be used years later in the propaganda.
Eventually, while Italy was in a full electoral campaign, the German nationalists were gathered in Roma in January-February 1855. After much discussion the different organisations decided the creation of a United Front in South Germany. The Radicals would take control of the decadent monarchies and theocracies with the support of the people and Italian weapons and would challenge the Bohemian and Burgundian armies. Already Lomonaco was funnelling funds and rebels prepared their coups throughout South Germany.
The second Italian Consular election saw a shift in politics. Etruria had been the political core of the country and the unification had not changed the Liberal orientation of the country. But the Socialist movement drew many of his votes from this same Liberal base, dividing even more the electorate. And even with a common ticket, due to the fact that Carni could not become Consul while being a Priest, the new popular movement could not hope to win over the conservative rural populations of the South and North-West. Their campagn was also hindered by the lack of monetary supports, the financial and industrial elites threatened by their propositions. Thus the Royalists won and their candidate Massimo Disderi, marquess of Taparelli became the second Consul of the Italian Republic.
[1] : The Etrurian Army had been a major stronghold of Revolutionaries since the Revolution but their domination soon was challenged by the new Conservative leadership led by di Robilant or Pacoret. There were thus tensions in the army between these two movements with most of the soldiers adhering to the Communardi POV and the leadership strongly linked with the Royalists.
[2] : “Greater Savoy” had been coined by a Genevan deputy in Anvers calling for the annexation of the Alpine Passes by Burgundy to unite the Arpitanians under one banner in 1820. Savoy being an Anglois ally it did not come to pass but the Burgundian government was still planning at the time on an eventual annexation in the case of a future war.
[3] : the Kingdom of Bavaria had attempted to annex the Archbishopric of Salzburg but had soon faced both the Archduchy of Austria along with Bohemia and was forced to relinquish several conditions to the winners. Not to say, even in Republican circles, this war of Princes divided the Danubian movement
------------------------------------------------
So many words to just introduce the Socialists. Sure would have been easier to just say : "Then Socialism emerged as a new political force in 1854
"
Just to have it clear, they are not Marxists. Think Robespierre's ideas enriched by Utopian Socialism. Yeah that's kind of hard to imagine. Not to say there will be Marxism. I mean I don't have the skills nor the will to write a completely new Socialist ideology. But maybe it would be a bit different for sure.
Ahh, the German revolutionary, long oppressed by the political order established by Prague and Anvers (and to a lesser extent, Copenhagen). It's time we bring back the German Revolutionary Wars. This time, we actually wipe the Habsburg, the fake-llbasch, and the Jagiellons from the face of the Earth.
Stay tuned for the München Revolution. Jagiellons will have to wait though.
Europe is unstable, and hopefully revolutions will start firing, so that the previous vote is invalidated. What about Burgundian revolutionaries?
Burgundy is incredibly stable. Even later when they were fully occupied they did not rebel.
Revolutions and Instable Europe will come for sure. But will Italy continue as always with Conservatives in the Consulate ? That remains to be seen.