The United Provinces of Central Italy (Italian: Province Unite del Centro Italia), also known as the Confederation of Central Italy or General Government of Central Italy, was a short-lived military government established in 1859 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. It was formed by a union of the former Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy of Parma, the Duchy of Modena, and the Papal Legations, after the Second Italian War of Independence.
United Provinces of Central Italy Province Unite del Centro Italia (Italian) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1859–1860 | |||||||||||||||
 Coat of arms
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 The United Provinces of Central Italy (green) | |||||||||||||||
| Status | Client state of the Kingdom of Sardinia | ||||||||||||||
| Capital | Modena | ||||||||||||||
| Common languages | |||||||||||||||
| Government | Military government | ||||||||||||||
• King | Victor Emmanuel II | ||||||||||||||
• Governor General | Carlo Bon Compagni di Mombello | ||||||||||||||
• Appointed Regent | Eugenio Emanuele di Savoia-Carignano | ||||||||||||||
| Historical era | Late modern | ||||||||||||||
• Revolution | 8 December 1859 | ||||||||||||||
• Annexation | 22 March 1860 | ||||||||||||||
| Currency | Sardinian lira, Tuscan florin | ||||||||||||||
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| Today part of | Italy | ||||||||||||||
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After August 1859, the pro-Piedmontese regimes of Tuscany, Parma, Modena and the Papal Legations agreed to several military treaties. On 7 November 1859, they elected Eugenio Emanuele di Savoia-Carignano as their regent.
The peace of the Treaty of Zürich had left the question of the United Provinces unsettled.[1] This led to a period of negotiations and eventually to the Treaty of Turin in 1860. During this time, Napoleon III faced pressure from Austria through their ambassador Richard von Metternich to halt Sardinian expansion[2] and restore Ferdinand IV (who had been deposed) as Grand Duke of Tuscany. Ferdinand was a cousin of Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I.[2] The Austrians viewed Savoia-Carignano, a member of the same dynasty as Victor Emmanuel II, as presenting an unacceptable risk of promoting annexation by Sardinia.[3] [3] At the urging of Napoleon III, Victor Emmanuel II refused to allow Savoia-Cariagnano to accept a position of leadership in Tuscany,[3] instead sending Carlo Bon Compagni[4] as the Governor General of Central Italy, and making him responsible for the diplomatic and military affairs of the states.
On 8 December 1859, Parma, Modena and the Papal Legations were incorporated into the Royal Provinces of Emilia. After plebiscites were held during March 1860, and France was granted Nice and Savoy, the territory of the United Provinces of Central Italy was annexed formally to Piedmont-Sardinia, on 22 March 1860 following the resignation of Bon Compagni on 3 March.
See also
editReferences
edit- Barker, Nancy Nichols (1967). Distaff Diplomacy. University of Texas Press. LCCN 67-30910.
- States and Regents of the World
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- ^ Barker 1967, p. 49.
- ^ a b Barker 1967, p. 49–59.
- ^ a b c Barker 1967, p. 58.
- ^ Barker 1967, p. 58–5 9.