Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic).html |
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The Kingdom of Italy (Italian: Regno d'Italia, but also Regno Italico; 17 March 1805–11 April 1814) was founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, and ended with his defeat and fall.
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Regno d'Italia (1812)
The Kingdom of Italy was born on 17 March 1805 when the Italian Republic, whose president was Napoleon, became Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King of Italy and Eugène de Beauharnais viceroy. Napoleon was crowned in Milan’s cathedral, on 26 May 1805, with the Iron Crown of Lombardy.
The Kingdom consisted of Lombardy, Venetia, the Duchy of Modena, part of the Papal States (Ancona, the remaining part with Rome having been annexed to the French Empire), part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.
From 1805 to 1809 the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy included even Istria and Dalmatia down to Kotor (the Venetian Cattaro). These Adriatic territories were incorporated into the Illyrian Provinces after 1809.
In practice, the Kingdom was a dependency of the French Empire, which exploited its resources to enrich France.1 The Kingdom served as a theater in Napoleon's operations against Austria during the wars of the various coalitions.
When Napoleon abdicated on 11 April 1814, Eugène de Beauharnais (Napoleon’s stepson) attempted to be crowned king, but the opposition of the Senate of the Kingdom and the Milan insurrection (20 April 1814) foiled his plan. Eugène was exiled by the Austrians, who occupied Milan.
Army of the Kingdom of Italy
Infantry:
- Line infantry: five regiments from the Italian Republic, with two more later raised, in 1805 and 1808
- Light infantry: three regiments from the Italian Republic, plus another one raised in 1811
- Royal Guard: two battalions from the Italian Republic (Granatieri and Cacciatori), plus other two (Velites) raised in 1806, plus two battalions of young guard raised in 1810, and another two raised in 1811
Cavalry:
- Dragoons: two regiments from the Italian Republic
- Cacciatori a Cavallo (light horse): one regiment from the Italian Republic, plus three others, raised in 1808, 1810, and 1811.
- Royal Guard: two squadrons of dragoons, five companies of Guards of Honour
The army of the kingdom, inserted into the Grande Armée, took part in all Napoleon's campaigns.
For 17 years, the Italian Republic and the successor Kingdom of Italy army enlisted over 200,000 men and lost about 125,000.
References
- ^ Napoleon Bonaparte, "The Economy of the Empire in Italy: Instructions from Napoleon to Eugène, Viceroy of Italy," Exploring the European Past: Texts & Images, Second Edition, ed. Timothy E. Gregory (Mason: Thomson, 2007), 65-66.
External links
- Napitalia. The Eagle in Italy about the army of the Kingdom of Italy under Napoleon
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