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No green line here, and the pictures are of a good size and no scrolling is required.
Regarding the meat of the post, I think the only way to have emphasised how hard fought the war was would have been to have split it into two updates and obviously bringing in a lot more military detail into the second update. The first part of it has quite a lot of diplomatic detail that sets up the war very well, so perhaps you might have been able to have separated the posts there, though it would have made the first post relatively short.
However, I would also say that the post as is does work. While to me the emphasis does land on the diplomacy on the first part, I think this works given the AAR as a whole.
However, obviously there is now going to be a post regarding the war against Austria, and I look forward to it immensely.
Regarding the meat of the post, I think the only way to have emphasised how hard fought the war was would have been to have split it into two updates and obviously bringing in a lot more military detail into the second update. The first part of it has quite a lot of diplomatic detail that sets up the war very well, so perhaps you might have been able to have separated the posts there, though it would have made the first post relatively short.
However, I would also say that the post as is does work. While to me the emphasis does land on the diplomacy on the first part, I think this works given the AAR as a whole.
However, obviously there is now going to be a post regarding the war against Austria, and I look forward to it immensely.
Pictures are perfectly fine and even on a normal monitor, I doubt you'd have any trouble. Hell, even if I had to scroll, your pictures are always worth it. 
And though you may not have been happy letting us know how tough the fight was, I can surely picture it. A three front war, more or less ending with Italy formed and a fight still with Austria. Yes, I did expect French support, but perhaps it is just as well so you don't have to share in the spoils.
Nice.
And though you may not have been happy letting us know how tough the fight was, I can surely picture it. A three front war, more or less ending with Italy formed and a fight still with Austria. Yes, I did expect French support, but perhaps it is just as well so you don't have to share in the spoils.
Nice.
Pictures are all okay.
Well done, all in all. The Pope looks set to rule Italy (shudder).
Well done, all in all. The Pope looks set to rule Italy (shudder).
Excellent maneuvering.
You say you think attention would be lost if you talked too much about the governance of the Papal States? I would be interested, for one.
You say you think attention would be lost if you talked too much about the governance of the Papal States? I would be interested, for one.
The Beast of the Apocalypse.......ummmmm....I mean the Great Catholic Church has emerged victorious. For now, or for ever?
Lecture Eight: A Nation Once Again (1863-'64)
"Mon centre cède, ma droite recule, situation excellente, j'attaque" Ferdinand Foch
The collapse of the houses of Savoy and Bourbon signalled the end of Italian opposition to Papal rule but one significant obstacle to unification remained. The armies of the Austrian Empire were only beginning to take to the field with the intention of reversing Papal successes and restoring the status quo. This determination to oppose change, in lieu of offering alternative solutions, was classic Austrian policy from the days of Metternich. The dogged intransigence of Vienna was simultaneously the greatest threat to the Papacy and its greatest source of support. The Austrian armies which continued to occupy both Milan and Venice served as the only real unifying factor amongst the various Italian regions and war with Vienna was genuinely popular. The ink was hardly dry on the Treaty of Rome before agents of the Vatican had contacted the remaining Piedmontese and Neapolitan regiments and begun to lobby for their support against the Austrians. For the most part these soldiers had little loyalty to the old regimes and Rome offered them an alternative to a future of banditry. That is not to say that these shattered formations did not demand a price for their service - in order to secure the loyalty of the Neapolitan aristocracy, or at least the officers of the Royal Guard, Pius IX personally promised that the large estates of the south would not be abolished. This drew protests from some of his more reform minded advisers but was a decision borne of necessity. Elsewhere the divisions originally commissioned by Cavour of Piedmont were hurriedly handed new banners and directed towards the Austrian border as their brief periods of training came to a close.
In 1863 the border was nothing less than the Quadrilateral - the four great fortresses of Mantua, Verona, Peschiera and Legnago*. It was this intimidating defensive line that ensured Austrian control over the provinces of Lombardy and Venezia and guarded the Western approaches to Austria itself. It is little wonder that the Papal generals, commanding troops of dubious training and loyalty, looked to the coming battles with trepidation. However a fortress is of little use if it is not left garrisoned and General Sabbatini, now commanding all Italian forces in Piedmont, was quick to identify a weak point in the line. The rapid collapse of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont had left the western flank of the Quadrilateral exposed as the Austrians overcommitted themselves to the assault on Parma. It was Sabbatini who took the gamble of abandoning his garrison duties in Turin and racing towards Milan with his Esercito Italiano. There he found a fortress occupied by a mere hundred Austrian soldiers, who promptly surrendered on April 19 1863. The Italian army was rapturously received by the local population and the liberation of Milan, alongside victory in Parma, was a huge boon to the Papal cause that was widely trumpeted by its propagandists. It was little wonder that the reconstructed armies of the peninsula, now marching under the tricolour of Papal Italy, were in high spirits as they assembled on the border.
Italian soldiers outside a recently captured Austrian redoubt
Sabbatini's aggressive advances recommenced on May 6 with the beginning of the general May Offensive along the Quadrilateral. This was the first major operation for the new Italian army and its objective was the dislocation of the Austrian armies from their fortified positions. To this end it was agreed that Esercito Italiano, and associated divisions, would stage a strong offensive through Bergamo and Brescia in an attempt to "turn" the Austrian defensive line. The danger was clearly perceived by Vienna, and the mountainous passes of Bergamo were hurriedly reinforced. These arrived just in time to stymie the Italian offensive in the province and the fighting in Bergamo would continue for some months. As Imperial regiments were committed to this bitter battle, the Esercito Pontificio spearheaded a general offensive along the rest of the border. Through June and July significant victories were earned in both Brescia and Verona. This opened a gaping hole in the Quadrilateral and the Austrians proved quite unable to seal the rupture. The situation was masterfully exploited by the Papal military leadership and its divisions raced forwards into the unprotected Austrian rear. Their purpose had become nothing less than the encirclement of Bergamo and the recovery of Venice.
Both objectives had been met by September 1863. Over fifteen Austrian divisions had been encircled and destroyed in Bergamo, albeit with horrendous Italian losses, while the Esercito Pontificio had advanced along the coast without incident and liberated Venice on September 7. The summer of campaigning had effectively destroyed the Austrian army in the field and it wasn't until the next year that the advancing Italian columns would face renewed opposition. Bozen, Udine, Idrsko, Treviso and Trieste all fell before January while the first months of 1864 saw the occupation of Innsbruck, Lienz and Pola. The May Offensive had exceeded the expectations of even its most optimistic of planners and delivered the Papacy a potent propaganda weapon - under its guidance the Italian people had achieved in less than a year that which had eluded previous rulers for centuries.
The Italian May Offensive: Arrows show an initial thrust. The red and blue lines indicate the furtherest Italian advance and the final borders respectively.
It was news that the Vatican needed, for its most dangerous battles were being fought some distance from the battlefields of Lombardy. The war with Austria had been accompanied by a less public or bloody, but just as vicious, internal struggle within the new Italian state. Specifically the question revolved around the form that this new state should take. The Treaty of Rome had established Papal rule throughout Sardinia-Piedmont and Two Sicilies but was, perhaps inevitably, vague on details. It was not clear as to whether the Vatican commanded the rights of a victorious nation or was merely the first state amongst equals. Belying previous talk of an Italian Confederation, the Papal aides were determined to ensure that Italy was to be a unitary state ruled exclusively from Rome. Inevitably this caused conflict with local interests who had no desired to fall under such an autocratic regime. The liberals and workers of Piedmont in particular were deeply unhappy when the Papacy acted to abolish their hard won victories, in the form of the Statuto Albertino**, and the region was tense despite the raging war with Austria. The October rising by four thousand mill workers in Savona did not spark a general revolt but it was enough to convince Rome of the threat to its authority. Victory at Bergamo allowed several divisions to be withdrawn from the war in Lombardy and committed to police duties throughout the realm. Of particular concern was Piedmont and Sicily; the latter of whom gave rise to a sizeable revolt in Palermo in December.
These domestic troubles were obviously of concern when it came to concluding the war. Despite this, and the stiffening of Austrian resistance, there were plenty of victory-drunk cardinals who greatly desired a final settlement of the Italian Question with the annexation of a huge swathe of land, including much of Austria's Adriatic holdings. The realists amongst the hierarchy recognised that this would require nothing less than a march on Vienna itself and argued that the social troubles at home precluded any further offensives. As the debate raged on it fell to Napoleon III to once again involve himself in the situation. His mediation resulted in the Peace of Villafranca-Zürich whereby Austria renounced its possessions of Lombardy and Venezia in exchange for peace. After some continued debate amongst the Church Pius IX finally accepted the treaty and it was ratified by both parties on February 21 1864. Villafranca-Zürich continued to leave some Italians living under Austrian rule, an increasingly unacceptable scenario, but it was by and large a satisfactory conclusion to the war that greatly enhanced the prestige of both Napoleon III and the new Italian state.
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* This imposing defensive line dated back to the early 18th C and was an obstacle to Napoleon himself. It remained the strongest fortification line in the world until its fall to the Italians in 1863. The role that these redoubts played in securing Austrian control of the regions is vividly illustrated in "Butt, I., (1860), The History of Italy, from the Abdication of Napoleon I, London"** "Smith, D.M., (1997), Modern Italy: A Political History, Yale" devotes a chapter to the evolution and influence of the Piedmontese constitution. While Sardinia-Piedmont could only be called a democracy in the loosest possible sense of the term, the constitution, reluctantly granted by Charles Albert in 1845, was cherished proof of the political clout of the liberal classes.
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Here's the Villafranca-Zürich event that I made to fire when Italy occupies certain Austrian provinces. If I didn't have this it would mean a march on Vienna which, while not difficult gameplay-wise, would have been pretty ahistorical.
CCA: Cheers! I'm glad that you are enjoying this AAR
stnylan: Thanks for the feedback. I was never entirely happy about that update and I think you've put your finger on why. If I had to do it again then I doubt I'd split it in two (Les Journals gave me a phobia about updates in which nothing happens) but certainly I'd edit it more. I might still do a "slash and burn" job on it. I was also toying around with the idea of "supplementary" mini-updates... I might employ them in the future.
coz1: Thanks, although I wasn't so much reluctant to reveal the test that the war posed as I was unable to convey it properly ( ). This was another result of trying to cram too much into a single update. Oh well, this one above is dedicated, almost, solely to the war with Austria.
RGB: Who better to lead Italy than the Vicar of Christ? *cough*
J. Passepartout: The real problem is that this history is too broad. I've got half a dozen various aspects/strands (politics, economics, military, etc) to deal with and something is bound to get left out. Occasionally, as with the war above, I devote a update to a single facet of history and I will certainly be devoting at least one to the form of the new Italian state. That probably won't go into a great deal of detail as to the actual government/political structures but these will be examined to some degree.
Hastu Neon: The masses have spoken. I'll go into detail on the Papal government in the next update. Such demanding readers...
In passing, I'm afraid that I've not been able to keep up with your Two Sicilies AAR. I don't think I ever commented but I was definitely impressed with the first few updates. Unfortunately RL has limited my reading time these days.
Nikolai: You'll have to read to find out. Will the Pope seek to rebuild Christendom? What became of Victor Emanuel? Will there be a new Crusade?
CCA: Cheers! I'm glad that you are enjoying this AAR
stnylan: Thanks for the feedback. I was never entirely happy about that update and I think you've put your finger on why. If I had to do it again then I doubt I'd split it in two (Les Journals gave me a phobia about updates in which nothing happens) but certainly I'd edit it more. I might still do a "slash and burn" job on it. I was also toying around with the idea of "supplementary" mini-updates... I might employ them in the future.
coz1: Thanks, although I wasn't so much reluctant to reveal the test that the war posed as I was unable to convey it properly (
). This was another result of trying to cram too much into a single update. Oh well, this one above is dedicated, almost, solely to the war with Austria.RGB: Who better to lead Italy than the Vicar of Christ? *cough*
J. Passepartout: The real problem is that this history is too broad. I've got half a dozen various aspects/strands (politics, economics, military, etc) to deal with and something is bound to get left out. Occasionally, as with the war above, I devote a update to a single facet of history and I will certainly be devoting at least one to the form of the new Italian state. That probably won't go into a great deal of detail as to the actual government/political structures but these will be examined to some degree.
Hastu Neon: The masses have spoken. I'll go into detail on the Papal government in the next update. Such demanding readers...
In passing, I'm afraid that I've not been able to keep up with your Two Sicilies AAR. I don't think I ever commented but I was definitely impressed with the first few updates. Unfortunately RL has limited my reading time these days.
Nikolai: You'll have to read to find out. Will the Pope seek to rebuild Christendom? What became of Victor Emanuel? Will there be a new Crusade?
Victory, but, as always, the domestic situation is highly precarious. I am beginning to wonder if that is the reason we are coming to an end in 1878?
Triple Hurray for His Holiness ! What is the next step ? Industralization or grabbing a bit of Africa ?
So now the borders are more or less sorted. Of course, Italy is not yet the master of its own destiny - witness French involvement again. The next step in terms of international relations is surely to shake free of such things.
Of course, domestic issues might come to the fore too
Of course, domestic issues might come to the fore too
On the foreign scene, Italy's and the Papacy's star must shine brighter than ever. And it'd be amusing to read Marxist pamphlets from such a timeline, showing the world just how religion is nothing but another dangerous Imperialism that has to be fought much like the Capitalists
However not all is rosy in Italy. There's much that has not been done to give the fledgling country a stable government, and this kind of situation must never be left to fester for too long. But I can't see how the Curia and the Popes could decide to let go all their power now that they've unified Italy by force. Either they manage to get their regime accepted by their own people, or they will eventually fall
Nothing to add to stnylan's analysis of Lecture Seven, not with the current style of this AAR. And it's a little late to run two parallel books, one focusing on history in general and one on the battles and wars of the Popes.
And I'm looking forward to reading about the Papacy's next moves - or reactions. The lectures you're delivering are most enjoyable to study
However not all is rosy in Italy. There's much that has not been done to give the fledgling country a stable government, and this kind of situation must never be left to fester for too long. But I can't see how the Curia and the Popes could decide to let go all their power now that they've unified Italy by force. Either they manage to get their regime accepted by their own people, or they will eventually fall
Nothing to add to stnylan's analysis of Lecture Seven, not with the current style of this AAR. And it's a little late to run two parallel books, one focusing on history in general and one on the battles and wars of the Popes.
And I'm looking forward to reading about the Papacy's next moves - or reactions. The lectures you're delivering are most enjoyable to study
Wonderful update. I am really anxious to see how the Pope deals with the Italians (and Italians are hard to deal with!) and whether the next step is more expansion or consolidation.
Nicely done. Lombardy and Venice round things out nicely. No doubt you'll have more chances with Austria. And you touched on some internal problems that I imagine will only get worse. The Papal attempt must be even harder that it was in RL once you involve the religious side of it. Plus, you'll always have the northern/southern rivalry to contend with. But if you can accomplish it, what a victory!
Great updates as usual! What's next for Italy? The deadline of 1878 you set yourself in the title suggests there surely can't be all that much more to go- but I hope I'm wrong in that !
!
Well, Italy is done, now it's time to do Italians!
It will be nice to see how Mother Church will cope with the administration of a modern XIX-century State!
BTW, have you got the status of Great Power? I would suppose yes.
It will be nice to see how Mother Church will cope with the administration of a modern XIX-century State!
BTW, have you got the status of Great Power? I would suppose yes.
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