Chapter II: ...To a Unified Nation
1500-1535: The Italian Republic and Reformation
Upon entering the 14th century of the Christian era, the once city-state of Milan had gone through some drastic changes. In barely a century of history, the Kingdom of Milan, with it's traditional more or less oppression style of rule observed in nearly every society at the time, and morphed itself into the first modern European Democracy's the world had ever seen. And in 1502, after uniting most of the Italian peninsula under Lombard domination, Parliement unanimously declare the state to no longer be Milan, but to henceforth become the Republic of Italy. In 1522, reforms were enacted effectively eliminating the nobility, and giving the people a semblance of what we now call free rule. They also adopted a new flag, a tricolor:
The Italian Tricolor, circa 1522
During the 1520's, Italy reformed more than just it's internal policy, but it's foreign policy as well. Indeed, as early as in 1523 Italy showed signs of wanting to cease it's policy of favorable neutrality and became a member of the Trazadores Alliance. This was a major shift in Italian policy, as it would further strain it's ties with the Germans and their allies. This policy would also drive a wedge between their traditional allies: The Ottomans. Later, in 1526, Italy decided it was time to press it's claims on the Italian lands under French control. The ruler of France, then in the midst of a civil war, was hard pressed to accept Italy's claims, and so Italy declared war in January 1527. The war would only last a few months and would claim no lives, as armies did not even bother to face each other. France was forced to cede Nice, Piedmont and Liguria. In 1529, in response to a growing movement known as the reformation, Italy enacted policies in order top counter the reformation as best it could. This would be known (creatively enough) as the Counter-Reformation. But the Italian people were loyal to the pope, who presided a greatly reduced Papal State within the city of Rome, and very few were swayed by Protestantism. The few who were where quickly converted back to the true faith. Italy was ready to expand and impose itself as a major world player.
