It's nice to see at least one cardinal acknowledging the importance of popular resistance to authoritarian crackdown, but the nature of these things was always going to lead to an instinctive liberal like Trinca being overcome by events.
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The problem is that this isn't a fight the papacy can or will win. This pope is burning through all the goodwill built up domestically and internationally to rule his nation like a medieval absolute monarch...but to no avail. The people by this time are perfectly capable of revolution, and I suspect that this may be the nation that first falls to a facist dictatorship or communism.
Pope Nicholas is a relic of a dying time; a time when noble-blooded rulers ruled from their keeps and the people kept their heads down and were lead along placidly (if such a time truly existed under that definition). Now is a time where the people can no longer be safely ignored, they are to aware of the fact that their lives are awful and that it could be better. Nicholas can delay all he wants, but if people believe their lives will never get better through peaceful means, they will take action. Change can either come slowly and quietly, or in a storm of rage and blood.
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I'm not going to dispute that Nicholas is a brutal authoritarian since his actions in the Peloponnese are well-documented, but I don't fully trust Trinca either. While the reforms seem reasonable, Trinca's nonchalant take on Marxism is a bit strange. I doubt communists would make a distinction between Nicholas' school of thought and Trinca's Christian socialists.
Some form of socialism can absolutely be sold as Christian virtue, given how Jesus especially was very much into giving aid freely and without recompence, that every man is your neighbour, and that a rich man is going to find it imposing difficult to get into heaven due to how much power he has on earth (and how likely it is that he isn't using it to help people to the fullest extent).
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I don't disagree with that, but I'm not sure the Marxists would see things that way. Communists don't exactly like socialists throughout history, and Trinca is part of the papal power structure. I doubt they'd see him as one of the good ones, rather just the best of a rotten system, who even then isn't good enough. I think Nicholas needs opposition, but Trinca must be careful he doesn't weaken right authoritarians only to replace them with left authoritarians.
I'm sure if Trinca is very good and cooperates nicely with the Communists they will show him the courtesy of shooting him last.
As always I find the Church's hypocrisy amusing, the Papacy has waged many bloody and violent wars and often dragged allies in to help them win, all in the cause of uniting Italy. But when France tries to reclaim it's lost territories, suddenly it's a terrible crime. I hardly think Trinca and his colleagues would have though arbitration an acceptable way to decide Italy's future, nor accepted the result had it decided against unification.
The Papacy absolutely could win the fight, if they keep the army and Inquisition on side then they can ride out any amount of protest. I'm not saying they will, Nicholas seems quite ham fisted and could easily cock it up, but such regimes are often very resilient in the absence of large outside shocks.
There is probably a parallel with the Soviet Union here. It was said a Soviet leader had to balance the Party, the KGB and the Army and could only afford to annoy one at any one time, only Stalin ever had the absolute authority to do more and survive. It appears a Pope must balance the Curia, the Army and the Inquisition to stay in power. Nicholas is clearly losing some of his Cardinals, yet if he is doing nationwide suppression he must have the Inquisition on side and at least some of the Curia. The balance then lies with the Army, if they return home victorious and satisfied then all will be well, but if it a pyrrhic victory or costly defeat things may go badly.
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Pope Nicholas is certainly turning Italy into his own authoritarian "paradise" but, as Trinca shows, internal support for this shift is not as high as the pope would think. And, with the pope having removed much of the possibility for gradual change, a storm is coming.
You're both right in a way. Trinca was accepted at first by the more moderate socialists as a way into the halls of power but, now that that avenue has been blocked off, the communist side is having an easy time depicting Trinca as, at best, an insufficient moderate and, at worst, as a mole for the enemy. And just like that Trinca has been cut off from the resistance.
Nicholas is not defenseless by any means. His experience in Greece gives him a good handle on how to repress dissent and keep things ticking. The question is whether he'll be successful on a national scale.
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Chapter LIII: Lions Led by Donkeys
From the personal diaries of Cardinal Fabio Puccetti
Monday 9th of May 1910
After a few years of blessed rest, the pope has asked me to once again lead the armies of the Papacy against the French menace. This will probably interfere with my plans for Ravenna in July, but I hope that I will be able to move there for a while if the Austrian front moves East as it always does. I fear that Nicholas' eagerness to rebuild an alliance with Germany may have been a mistake, especially so soon after the unfavorable ending of the Great War; I expect we will have to bear most of the costs for this conflict while the Kaiser will be able to hold on to his beloved Elsass, a questionable use of our resources. Nonetheless, Nicholas assured me that the fighting will be over in a few brief months, and we should be able to get it done without the need for an additional tax, the old royal treasuries should bear the brunt of our expenses and we will have no need to harass the already-unhappy nobles. Of course, the usual pleasantries will have to be observed and it will be important to use the correct rivalries to prompt some "spontaneous" donations, but the war will largely be an opportunity to peacock and strengthen ties.
As for the war itself, I expect it will be just as the last time. The much-feared chemical weapons did not significantly hamper our victory in 1905 and the Franco-Austrian forces have not increased significantly enough to alter our well-practiced strategy. Not just that, but this time we will not have a Dalmatia to surrender too early and Germany will not relinquish Elsass unless something goes terribly wrong. One minor inconvenience is Slovenia's presence in this fight which will extend the Austrian front beyond our usual plans. I've given orders for the generals on that front to try to hold Slovenia if they can but that it's an acceptable loss if the situation calls for it.
My last remaining choice is from where to conduct this contest, I suppose that Florence would be a convenient choice, especially since France will require the most attention. If all goes well, my bags will be ready tomorrow and a chartered train north should arrive within the day.
Wednesday 7th of August 1910
Though long and grueling, the fighting seems to have turned far enough in our favor that we may begin to make demands. Unfortunately for us, our allies have proved to be less than satisfactory: Slovenia has sued for peace with Austria after a pitiful defense, while Germany struggles to hold back the enemy in Elsass. We are the only ones to have made steady progress with Toulon, Grenoble, and Lyon in the West and Southern Tyrol in the East. Our rivals have been fighting like demons and a French army is doing its darndest to take back Lyon, an unfortunate land if ever there was one. I am unfamiliar with the place itself, but I've received reports that the countryside reeks of the gas every day of the year and barely anything still lives there aside from scores of lice-bitten soldiers.
In any case, I've been in communication with the pope about what we should ask of our enemies and the broad strokes are clear. Either East or West, we should strive to unite all Italians under our flag and cripple our foes as much as possible. The logical target for dismemberment is Austria-Hungary with its weak foundation and its current isolation from any other great powers while we can content ourselves with bruising France in preparation for a final thrust some years from now. Of course, the final result will depend on how close we get to Paris and Vienna but a good idea, for now, is to take Corsica from France to be paired with an independent Croatia under Italian hegemony, a sturdier state to replace the failed experiment that was Dalmatia.
But, speaking of the capitals, I will still have to contend with Germany's failures. For the time being, I will trust them to handle the Austrians and will use our recent conscripts to strengthen our attack of Toulon from which we can encircle the French still in Lyon and push forward to Paris. I wouldn't normally bother with such an unbalanced plan, but I have my orders to end the conflict as soon as possible since the nation's funds are running low and we need those conscripts to return to work if the economy is to do well. I'm not especially concerned but I would prefer to save myself from further problems down the line if they can be avoided.
Wednesday 30th of November 1910
The war is over. I have lost. Toulon is a bloody disaster. A quarter of a million dead on our side while the French walk away with hardly a scratch. Gas and machine guns did us in.
I know not what to write for this most total of defeats. I expected this to be another medal to my name, but this failure has annihilated any dignity I once had. The pope has informed me that I will not be defrocked to hold up appearances but that I am to consider myself a layman in all but name, I am not excommunicated simply because I expect the verdict to come crashing down when things calm down. Every one of my plans now amounts to nothing; I was selfish and stupid and now I am left to wander alone without consolation or aid with my failure alone to keep me company.
Of course, in the official version of events, nothing of the sort shows up. Officially, our men fought bravely and valiantly but evil dissidents sabotaged our efforts, and the Germans were cowardly and abandoned Alsace-Lorraine to France. Sabotage and deceit are the words of the day, but I don't know how many still believe this sort of thing, the protests are enough of a sign of that. Not just a couple, not the kind that can be scared by some shots in the crowd, enough that it doesn't matter who is taken as there are always more to take their place.
And I brought this about. My career is finished, and something has snapped. I don't know where I will go or what I will do, only that it will be a living hell until at last, it can be done. It is over.
Author's note:
Cardinal Puccetti was expelled from politics after his disastrous conduct of the Franco-German war. Never a man of particular talent, he rose to the rank of Archbishop of Fermo where members of his family had long held sway. He was promoted to cardinal by Innocent XV in 1896 to appease the aristocratic faction in the curia which was in the process of passing from Cardinal Felicetti to Cardinal Fatta (then Pope Nicholas VI). Puccetti proved an adequate leader during the last Dalmatian war but proved incapable of maintaining the rapid pace of modern warfare. He died a couple of weeks into 1911, unable to see the full extent of the consequences of his defeat.
Monday 9th of May 1910
After a few years of blessed rest, the pope has asked me to once again lead the armies of the Papacy against the French menace. This will probably interfere with my plans for Ravenna in July, but I hope that I will be able to move there for a while if the Austrian front moves East as it always does. I fear that Nicholas' eagerness to rebuild an alliance with Germany may have been a mistake, especially so soon after the unfavorable ending of the Great War; I expect we will have to bear most of the costs for this conflict while the Kaiser will be able to hold on to his beloved Elsass, a questionable use of our resources. Nonetheless, Nicholas assured me that the fighting will be over in a few brief months, and we should be able to get it done without the need for an additional tax, the old royal treasuries should bear the brunt of our expenses and we will have no need to harass the already-unhappy nobles. Of course, the usual pleasantries will have to be observed and it will be important to use the correct rivalries to prompt some "spontaneous" donations, but the war will largely be an opportunity to peacock and strengthen ties.
As for the war itself, I expect it will be just as the last time. The much-feared chemical weapons did not significantly hamper our victory in 1905 and the Franco-Austrian forces have not increased significantly enough to alter our well-practiced strategy. Not just that, but this time we will not have a Dalmatia to surrender too early and Germany will not relinquish Elsass unless something goes terribly wrong. One minor inconvenience is Slovenia's presence in this fight which will extend the Austrian front beyond our usual plans. I've given orders for the generals on that front to try to hold Slovenia if they can but that it's an acceptable loss if the situation calls for it.
My last remaining choice is from where to conduct this contest, I suppose that Florence would be a convenient choice, especially since France will require the most attention. If all goes well, my bags will be ready tomorrow and a chartered train north should arrive within the day.
Wednesday 7th of August 1910
Though long and grueling, the fighting seems to have turned far enough in our favor that we may begin to make demands. Unfortunately for us, our allies have proved to be less than satisfactory: Slovenia has sued for peace with Austria after a pitiful defense, while Germany struggles to hold back the enemy in Elsass. We are the only ones to have made steady progress with Toulon, Grenoble, and Lyon in the West and Southern Tyrol in the East. Our rivals have been fighting like demons and a French army is doing its darndest to take back Lyon, an unfortunate land if ever there was one. I am unfamiliar with the place itself, but I've received reports that the countryside reeks of the gas every day of the year and barely anything still lives there aside from scores of lice-bitten soldiers.
In any case, I've been in communication with the pope about what we should ask of our enemies and the broad strokes are clear. Either East or West, we should strive to unite all Italians under our flag and cripple our foes as much as possible. The logical target for dismemberment is Austria-Hungary with its weak foundation and its current isolation from any other great powers while we can content ourselves with bruising France in preparation for a final thrust some years from now. Of course, the final result will depend on how close we get to Paris and Vienna but a good idea, for now, is to take Corsica from France to be paired with an independent Croatia under Italian hegemony, a sturdier state to replace the failed experiment that was Dalmatia.
But, speaking of the capitals, I will still have to contend with Germany's failures. For the time being, I will trust them to handle the Austrians and will use our recent conscripts to strengthen our attack of Toulon from which we can encircle the French still in Lyon and push forward to Paris. I wouldn't normally bother with such an unbalanced plan, but I have my orders to end the conflict as soon as possible since the nation's funds are running low and we need those conscripts to return to work if the economy is to do well. I'm not especially concerned but I would prefer to save myself from further problems down the line if they can be avoided.
Wednesday 30th of November 1910
The war is over. I have lost. Toulon is a bloody disaster. A quarter of a million dead on our side while the French walk away with hardly a scratch. Gas and machine guns did us in.
I know not what to write for this most total of defeats. I expected this to be another medal to my name, but this failure has annihilated any dignity I once had. The pope has informed me that I will not be defrocked to hold up appearances but that I am to consider myself a layman in all but name, I am not excommunicated simply because I expect the verdict to come crashing down when things calm down. Every one of my plans now amounts to nothing; I was selfish and stupid and now I am left to wander alone without consolation or aid with my failure alone to keep me company.
Of course, in the official version of events, nothing of the sort shows up. Officially, our men fought bravely and valiantly but evil dissidents sabotaged our efforts, and the Germans were cowardly and abandoned Alsace-Lorraine to France. Sabotage and deceit are the words of the day, but I don't know how many still believe this sort of thing, the protests are enough of a sign of that. Not just a couple, not the kind that can be scared by some shots in the crowd, enough that it doesn't matter who is taken as there are always more to take their place.
And I brought this about. My career is finished, and something has snapped. I don't know where I will go or what I will do, only that it will be a living hell until at last, it can be done. It is over.
Author's note:
Cardinal Puccetti was expelled from politics after his disastrous conduct of the Franco-German war. Never a man of particular talent, he rose to the rank of Archbishop of Fermo where members of his family had long held sway. He was promoted to cardinal by Innocent XV in 1896 to appease the aristocratic faction in the curia which was in the process of passing from Cardinal Felicetti to Cardinal Fatta (then Pope Nicholas VI). Puccetti proved an adequate leader during the last Dalmatian war but proved incapable of maintaining the rapid pace of modern warfare. He died a couple of weeks into 1911, unable to see the full extent of the consequences of his defeat.
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He turned out to be correct! He must possess amazing powers of prediction, to be right about this particular thing when so many before him were wrong.
Of course, I don't think he's happy that his prediction came true. It sure feels like things are about to blow up on the domestic front.
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Facism doesn't do well with military defeats. It may well be that this pope is remembered as the one who in a few years compeltly destroyed a millenia of institution.
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That must have been a devastating defeat for the Italian people. I suppose it's interesting how Vic 2 effectively simulates the devastation of WWI style fighting, but the player still joins these wars to preserve their prestige regardless of the consequences.
I can't say I'm surprised to see Puccetti scape-goated, and he probably deserves it. Problem is, the bad decisions go all the way to the top as far as I'm concerned. I'll also be curious how Italy handles this. I'd assume it further radicalizes the workers toward the socialists since they were anti-war in OTL. Maybe we will have a red pope soon.
So not only are the Cardinals bad at being religious leaders they also struggle as military ones. The biggest surprise is that it took this long to go wrong.
From the Pope's perspective there is one upside to this defeat, there will be very few angry former soliders coming home as Puccetti got most of them killed. Though there are still plenty of relatives and families left, not to mention the workers and everyone else the Papacy has ignored, let down or betrayed. A backdrop that makes that final note about "full extent of the consequences" particularly ominous. Well ominous for the Papal Kingdom, potentially a source of hope for everyone else.
From the Pope's perspective there is one upside to this defeat, there will be very few angry former soliders coming home as Puccetti got most of them killed. Though there are still plenty of relatives and families left, not to mention the workers and everyone else the Papacy has ignored, let down or betrayed. A backdrop that makes that final note about "full extent of the consequences" particularly ominous. Well ominous for the Papal Kingdom, potentially a source of hope for everyone else.
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The domestic front is going to be particularly fraught and the pope will have to deal with it as best he can (whatever that means)
A red tide is rising across Italy and this defeat is one more reason to oppose Nicholas. He needs to be very careful if he wants things to go his way.
You're correct about the soldiers' families, and with so many soldiers gone, there is ample space for anger to grow. The "full extent of the consequences" will be revealed soon enough and it will be A LOTSo not only are the Cardinals bad at being religious leaders they also struggle as military ones. The biggest surprise is that it took this long to go wrong.
From the Pope's perspective there is one upside to this defeat, there will be very few angry former soliders coming home as Puccetti got most of them killed. Though there are still plenty of relatives and families left, not to mention the workers and everyone else the Papacy has ignored, let down or betrayed. A backdrop that makes that final note about "full extent of the consequences" particularly ominous. Well ominous for the Papal Kingdom, potentially a source of hope for everyone else.
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Chapter LIV: Do You Hear the People Sing?
From the personal diaries of Cardinal Luca Zambrano
Sunday 6th of June 1909
The unification process has encountered a roadblock here in Piedmont where the former king Emanuele Filiberto refuses to leave the Palace of Venaria. To make matters worse, an unpleasant-looking mob has been harassing my men in the execution of their orders. The royal depositions in Naples and Palermo were a walk in the park compared to this; that was in large part thanks to our understanding with the local magnates who managed to explain the purpose of this operation in the appropriate terms. It was soon agreed that a unitary system would reduce everyone's taxes since an entire level of government would no longer be present and allow for greater job opportunities elsewhere in Italy without the bureaucracy that the old structure used to entail.
Here it seems that the old Savoyard electoral spirit still lives on since we are most often met with accusations of tyranny. I have explained that the sole difference for their representation is that the candidates they elect will be appointed to the senate by the pope directly instead of a local king but still this does not please them. On the contrary, there are certain agitators who are demanding a return to the elections they once had before unification and a second house of government for the day-to-day needs of the country. I don't have many reservations against this idea in principle, but our current context makes it unfeasible under the circumstances. Firstly, we can't be shown to modify core aspects of our constitution in response to protests; if we did that, we would just invite more and more revolts and we would shift from the acceptable into the undesirable. And secondly, merging the end of federalism with a new house all at once would be an excessive step and cause more revolts throughout the country, and perhaps even lead to violence.
For now, I just need to contain the disorders in Torino and coax Emanuele Filiberto out of his palace with a few personal concessions. A number of traditional estates of the house of Savoy might be granted in perpetuity and would give them enough security to let their theoretical power fall. It would be best for this to happen soon as I have received news of minor protests in solidarity in Florence, but we can hope that those should die down as soon as the crux of the issue is resolved.
I believe that a mixed show of strength and conciliation are just what is needed to calm spirits. I can convince certain members of the house of Savoy to attend a mass and I will give them the communion with the assurance that the old royal estates will be considered as family property and be unaffected by the transition. The restructure will simply be is a way to lift responsibility from their heads without any lost prosperity.
As for the crowds, I should just take care to keep them under military observation in case anything gets out of hand, but not provoke a response of that kind. The most I can accept are a few warning shots above the protesters' heads to scare off the worst elements, but I have informed the soldiers that it should not come to violence under any circumstance. At worst, they should commit to an orderly retreat outside of the city and await further orders at that point.
Though the situation may escalate, I am confident that it will remain as a minor footnote in the restructuring of the Italian state which will be a lot more efficient without the cumbersome apparatus inherited from pre-unitary times. A new country will rise and it's to be expected that there be those who are unhappy but, as good shepherds, we must ensure that the flock does not come to harm but is returned safely to the pen.
Wednesday 6th of July 1910
I have received a letter from certain members of the Albanian elite requesting Italian aid for a coup to oust the Ottoman government there. The missive claimed to be on behalf of the entire government, but it was sloppy in many of its assertions: the king was never mentioned as either a supporter or a detractor and a number of opposition members were indicated as Ottoman agents. This amounts to an uncertain plot almost certainly hatched because of an internal dispute without any real justification whatsoever, Albania has thrived as an Ottoman princedom, and, with both of them under the Italian wing, there is no reason for them to seek a separate accord.
Even if we ignore the reprehensible act of bringing war to a country to appease a small clique of oligarchs, Italy has no reason to support these movements and anger the Ottoman Empire. They are some of our oldest allies and they are currently engaged in a fight with the French in Tunisia on our behalf, to betray this hard-fought relationship for Albania of all places is nothing short of lunacy. Especially now that Greece has joined our sphere of influence and the Southern Balkans can be considered relatively at peace or, at least, separated enough from the other Great Powers as to not cause a larger conflict.
As such, I had to send a reply forbidding in the strongest terms any action against the Ottoman garrisons under the threat of retaliation against the rebels. Now, with the French war going on, I don't believe that we could spare precious resources for the East, but I expect that a simple rebuke will be a workable enough deterrent, at least until the foreign situation calms down and we can take our decisions on less volatile foundations.
I have read up on the course of the war and it seems to follow the usual pattern with a few concerning differences. Though it's dressed up and hidden, the fact that both Austria-Hungary and France are using gas weapons has increased our casualties far beyond what should be acceptable for a war of this scale. The sacrifice of a few brave men can be accepted when it serves a purpose, but it just seems wasteful at this point. Italy has never been dedicated to military research beyond the bare minimum, and I accept the ideological reasons, but we need to be able to defend ourselves on equal footing against modern warfare; if we do not, we just consign more of our men to the grave than is ever necessary. I have my disagreements with Nicholas, but I agree that France and Austria-Hungary need to be broken once and for all to ensure security at home. I don't know if that is the war where that will happen, but I pray to God that He may send us a solution.
Sunday 9th of April 1911
I am still mulling over Nicholas' declaration of the Greater Italian dream and the consequences that it will have for our future. I think that a fully Italian Adriatic and the return of Corsica are enviable goals that would allow us to be globally recognized as the hegemon of the Mediterranean and stabilize our position. However, such a goal would be a titanic one for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it would require that we avenge our recent tragic collapse with a clear defeat of Austria-Hungary to break off the entirety of their coastline, and only then could we attempt a direct assault on France which would probably also require a German reconquest of Alsace-Lorraine.
Fortunately for our Eastern capabilities, our recent alliance with Serbia has consolidated our control over the region after many decades of pressure and we now have enough allies to give the Austrians a proper kicking when they will next try their hand at an invasion. My one concern here is that the constellation of Balkan states that we protect might cause a greater international catastrophe through their own bickering. While the Southwest is reasonably stable, or at least within our sphere of influence, Romania was a frequent cause of headaches in recent years. This is mainly due to its overlapping claims with Bulgaria which has remained in the Russian sphere ever since its independence. The few wars that we have fought in Romania's defense were always whenever the Russians were concerned with matters in Asia but there is a distinct possibility that this may escalate in the future. For now, the best policy is to maintain our positive relations with the Russians and sacrifice Romania if it comes to that; after all, our presence there is an indulgence, the real prize is the Mediterranean.
Speaking of which, it would be wise to plan for a way to incorporate the Adriatic lands of our allies. For certain nations like Serbia, I expect that an exchange could be arranged where we provide them with Austrian territories as a reparation, but that is not always applicable. Albania for example, when the whole country is in our area of interest, there is not much of an exchange that can be made. Incorporation as a federal equal might have worked under Innocent's Italy but these days federalism is rather passé. Whatever it will be is going to require a good amount of internal as well as external pressure but there is no hurry for such grandiose plans, we must first rebuild, and only then will we be able to aim for our goals.
Saturday 12th of August 1911
I have received concerning reports from around the country about violence erupting in our main northern cities. These are no mere riots; they seem too coordinated to be springing up by chance alone. A dozen people have already died and there is no sign that this will stop. We cannot have this escalate under any circumstance, we have already suffered too much with the war and the recession and we cannot add civil violence to that unhappy list. The people of Italy have entrusted us with their government, and we cannot beat them down in their time of need.
I have explained this necessity to Nicholas in my letters, but my warnings have not been heeded in the slightest; I am on my way to Rome this very moment to demand an audience with the pope to make the gravity of this situation clear beyond any shadow of a doubt. He has already ordered the army north as a deterrent, but we are much beyond that stage, anyone who could have been scared off is now furious and no longer susceptible to threats.
This achieves nothing more than the inflammation of this crisis and the creation of new martyrs. We of all people should know that the creation of martyrs does nothing to weaken a cause but rather makes its adherents more committed to their goal.
An economic crisis or a lost war might be handled on their own but with both of them combined there is little that we can do to hold everything as normal, our only choice is to capitulate and give our subjects what they want. Nicholas wants to kill those he is entrusted with but what kind of father beats his children and claims that the violence is for their own good? He believes himself Christ with his "forgive them, they know not what they do" but he is both Pilate and Peter condemning the innocent while denying God.
We are so close to a point of no return, and he wants to cross it with a declaration of emergency and abolition of civil rights. This cannot be allowed; he must be stopped or he will forever stain the Church with his sin.
Sunday 6th of June 1909
The unification process has encountered a roadblock here in Piedmont where the former king Emanuele Filiberto refuses to leave the Palace of Venaria. To make matters worse, an unpleasant-looking mob has been harassing my men in the execution of their orders. The royal depositions in Naples and Palermo were a walk in the park compared to this; that was in large part thanks to our understanding with the local magnates who managed to explain the purpose of this operation in the appropriate terms. It was soon agreed that a unitary system would reduce everyone's taxes since an entire level of government would no longer be present and allow for greater job opportunities elsewhere in Italy without the bureaucracy that the old structure used to entail.
Here it seems that the old Savoyard electoral spirit still lives on since we are most often met with accusations of tyranny. I have explained that the sole difference for their representation is that the candidates they elect will be appointed to the senate by the pope directly instead of a local king but still this does not please them. On the contrary, there are certain agitators who are demanding a return to the elections they once had before unification and a second house of government for the day-to-day needs of the country. I don't have many reservations against this idea in principle, but our current context makes it unfeasible under the circumstances. Firstly, we can't be shown to modify core aspects of our constitution in response to protests; if we did that, we would just invite more and more revolts and we would shift from the acceptable into the undesirable. And secondly, merging the end of federalism with a new house all at once would be an excessive step and cause more revolts throughout the country, and perhaps even lead to violence.
For now, I just need to contain the disorders in Torino and coax Emanuele Filiberto out of his palace with a few personal concessions. A number of traditional estates of the house of Savoy might be granted in perpetuity and would give them enough security to let their theoretical power fall. It would be best for this to happen soon as I have received news of minor protests in solidarity in Florence, but we can hope that those should die down as soon as the crux of the issue is resolved.
I believe that a mixed show of strength and conciliation are just what is needed to calm spirits. I can convince certain members of the house of Savoy to attend a mass and I will give them the communion with the assurance that the old royal estates will be considered as family property and be unaffected by the transition. The restructure will simply be is a way to lift responsibility from their heads without any lost prosperity.
As for the crowds, I should just take care to keep them under military observation in case anything gets out of hand, but not provoke a response of that kind. The most I can accept are a few warning shots above the protesters' heads to scare off the worst elements, but I have informed the soldiers that it should not come to violence under any circumstance. At worst, they should commit to an orderly retreat outside of the city and await further orders at that point.
Though the situation may escalate, I am confident that it will remain as a minor footnote in the restructuring of the Italian state which will be a lot more efficient without the cumbersome apparatus inherited from pre-unitary times. A new country will rise and it's to be expected that there be those who are unhappy but, as good shepherds, we must ensure that the flock does not come to harm but is returned safely to the pen.
Wednesday 6th of July 1910
I have received a letter from certain members of the Albanian elite requesting Italian aid for a coup to oust the Ottoman government there. The missive claimed to be on behalf of the entire government, but it was sloppy in many of its assertions: the king was never mentioned as either a supporter or a detractor and a number of opposition members were indicated as Ottoman agents. This amounts to an uncertain plot almost certainly hatched because of an internal dispute without any real justification whatsoever, Albania has thrived as an Ottoman princedom, and, with both of them under the Italian wing, there is no reason for them to seek a separate accord.
Even if we ignore the reprehensible act of bringing war to a country to appease a small clique of oligarchs, Italy has no reason to support these movements and anger the Ottoman Empire. They are some of our oldest allies and they are currently engaged in a fight with the French in Tunisia on our behalf, to betray this hard-fought relationship for Albania of all places is nothing short of lunacy. Especially now that Greece has joined our sphere of influence and the Southern Balkans can be considered relatively at peace or, at least, separated enough from the other Great Powers as to not cause a larger conflict.
As such, I had to send a reply forbidding in the strongest terms any action against the Ottoman garrisons under the threat of retaliation against the rebels. Now, with the French war going on, I don't believe that we could spare precious resources for the East, but I expect that a simple rebuke will be a workable enough deterrent, at least until the foreign situation calms down and we can take our decisions on less volatile foundations.
I have read up on the course of the war and it seems to follow the usual pattern with a few concerning differences. Though it's dressed up and hidden, the fact that both Austria-Hungary and France are using gas weapons has increased our casualties far beyond what should be acceptable for a war of this scale. The sacrifice of a few brave men can be accepted when it serves a purpose, but it just seems wasteful at this point. Italy has never been dedicated to military research beyond the bare minimum, and I accept the ideological reasons, but we need to be able to defend ourselves on equal footing against modern warfare; if we do not, we just consign more of our men to the grave than is ever necessary. I have my disagreements with Nicholas, but I agree that France and Austria-Hungary need to be broken once and for all to ensure security at home. I don't know if that is the war where that will happen, but I pray to God that He may send us a solution.
Sunday 9th of April 1911
I am still mulling over Nicholas' declaration of the Greater Italian dream and the consequences that it will have for our future. I think that a fully Italian Adriatic and the return of Corsica are enviable goals that would allow us to be globally recognized as the hegemon of the Mediterranean and stabilize our position. However, such a goal would be a titanic one for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it would require that we avenge our recent tragic collapse with a clear defeat of Austria-Hungary to break off the entirety of their coastline, and only then could we attempt a direct assault on France which would probably also require a German reconquest of Alsace-Lorraine.
Fortunately for our Eastern capabilities, our recent alliance with Serbia has consolidated our control over the region after many decades of pressure and we now have enough allies to give the Austrians a proper kicking when they will next try their hand at an invasion. My one concern here is that the constellation of Balkan states that we protect might cause a greater international catastrophe through their own bickering. While the Southwest is reasonably stable, or at least within our sphere of influence, Romania was a frequent cause of headaches in recent years. This is mainly due to its overlapping claims with Bulgaria which has remained in the Russian sphere ever since its independence. The few wars that we have fought in Romania's defense were always whenever the Russians were concerned with matters in Asia but there is a distinct possibility that this may escalate in the future. For now, the best policy is to maintain our positive relations with the Russians and sacrifice Romania if it comes to that; after all, our presence there is an indulgence, the real prize is the Mediterranean.
Speaking of which, it would be wise to plan for a way to incorporate the Adriatic lands of our allies. For certain nations like Serbia, I expect that an exchange could be arranged where we provide them with Austrian territories as a reparation, but that is not always applicable. Albania for example, when the whole country is in our area of interest, there is not much of an exchange that can be made. Incorporation as a federal equal might have worked under Innocent's Italy but these days federalism is rather passé. Whatever it will be is going to require a good amount of internal as well as external pressure but there is no hurry for such grandiose plans, we must first rebuild, and only then will we be able to aim for our goals.
Saturday 12th of August 1911
I have received concerning reports from around the country about violence erupting in our main northern cities. These are no mere riots; they seem too coordinated to be springing up by chance alone. A dozen people have already died and there is no sign that this will stop. We cannot have this escalate under any circumstance, we have already suffered too much with the war and the recession and we cannot add civil violence to that unhappy list. The people of Italy have entrusted us with their government, and we cannot beat them down in their time of need.
I have explained this necessity to Nicholas in my letters, but my warnings have not been heeded in the slightest; I am on my way to Rome this very moment to demand an audience with the pope to make the gravity of this situation clear beyond any shadow of a doubt. He has already ordered the army north as a deterrent, but we are much beyond that stage, anyone who could have been scared off is now furious and no longer susceptible to threats.
This achieves nothing more than the inflammation of this crisis and the creation of new martyrs. We of all people should know that the creation of martyrs does nothing to weaken a cause but rather makes its adherents more committed to their goal.
An economic crisis or a lost war might be handled on their own but with both of them combined there is little that we can do to hold everything as normal, our only choice is to capitulate and give our subjects what they want. Nicholas wants to kill those he is entrusted with but what kind of father beats his children and claims that the violence is for their own good? He believes himself Christ with his "forgive them, they know not what they do" but he is both Pilate and Peter condemning the innocent while denying God.
We are so close to a point of no return, and he wants to cross it with a declaration of emergency and abolition of civil rights. This cannot be allowed; he must be stopped or he will forever stain the Church with his sin.
- 5
Imagine that...
Ah...not good.
The pope seems dedicated to restoring Italian control directly rather than through sphereing (and where have we seen that before?). The plus side of getting Corsica back is afterwards, there is pretty much nothing France has that we want...thus we should be able to be friendly to them.
Austria on the other hand...taking their coastline and getting core Italian provinces back aside, feeding allies their 'rightful' lands is going to weaken the empire such that Russia becomes the Real power in the balkans, alongside us. Is Italy ready for that? Might even encourage an ottoman resurgence, with Italy defending their princedoms and all that.
...
Just in general, fairly bad vibes coming from Italy, in terms of ethics, planning and stability.
Things are going to get worse before they get better.
- 1
Wait, they thought it was a good idea to abolish federalism without any other carrots than, "maybe we'll lower your taxes later"? Nicholas just keeps knocking out all of the pillars that were keeping Papal Italy together.
Ah, yes, let us show conciliation towards our friends, and force towards our enemies, and everything will work out!
Nicholas' Greater Italian dream seems particular dream-like given that it comes on the back of a catastrophic defeat in a Great War.
... are we sure they are going to get better?
- 1
A Catholic one? In dealing with this revolt Nicholas is perhaps channelling the spirit of Innocent III - Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius.
I can see Nicholas' point though, there are so many indelible stains on the Church at this point would anyone even notice another one?
- 1