Italian National Society

On August 1, 1857, a group of proponents of moderate politics as the best way to Italy's unity published a program manifesto and announced the creation of the Italian National Society, led by Daniele Manin , Giorgio Pallavicino-Trivulzio and Giuseppe La Farina ^[3] .

On February 22, 1856, Daniele Manin called for the formation of the Italian National Party in order to achieve independence and unity of Italy, and in his letter of May 29, 1856, he stated that these goals could be achieved if Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed king of a united Italy. Manin's proposals were supported by Giorgio Pallavicino-Trivulzio and Giuseppe La Farina . However, these ideas met with condemnation from Giuseppe Mazzini and the . The Italian National Society was formally established in August 1857, and soon regional committees began to be formed. Manin was recognized as the leader of the society, but in the same 1857 he died in Paris, and was replaced by Pallavichino-Trivulzio; La Farina became the secretary of the organization, and was also responsible for its print organ Piccolo corriere. With the start of the Second War of Independence of Italy in 1859, society self-dissolved, however, after the conclusion of the Villafranca Peace , La Farina announced its reconstruction on October 20, 1859 and became its chairman. The National Society was raising funds for the organization of the Garibaldi campaign of the Thousand in 1860 ^[4] .

In the Duchy of Modena, the National Society worked closely with the official envoy of the Sardinian kingdom, Carlo Boncompany - it was engaged in campaigning for the unification of Italy among the petty urban bourgeoisie, and the Boncompany conducted preparatory work among members of the government and representatives of the aristocracy (in addition, several dozen disguised people were introduced in advance to the duchy in civilian carabinieri of the Sardinian kingdom). The conditions for the activity of society in the territory of the great duchies of central Italy, in Bologna and some other provinces of the Papal Region (all the territories mentioned began the process of reunification as a result of the war of 1859 , although they did not participate in it), were different. The regime of Francesco V d'Este in the Duchy of Modena and the papal legates in Bologna were reactionary, while the Duke of Tuscany Leopold II and the regent of Parma and Piacenza, the former Duchess of Parma Louise Maria Theresa of France pursued a liberal policy. On April 27, 1859, a peaceful demonstration was held demanding the abdication of Leopold II, which he executed, since the officers of the Tuscan army were out of print in favor of Italian unity. On April 27 and 28, representatives of the duke in the cities of Mass and Carrara transferred power to representatives of the National Society. Regent of Parma and Piacenza, Louise Maria on May 2, 1859 transferred power to the emissary of the National Society Leonzio Armelonghi, but the next day the army returned her to the throne. On June 9, 1859, Maria Louise finally left Parma, transferring power to the interim government. On June 11 and 12, Austrian troops left Bologna. Everywhere, power passed into the hands of representatives of the National Society, who subsequently transferred it to official representatives of the Sardinian kingdom. Tuscany and Bologna received the status of Sardinian protectorates, the grand duchies became “territories in the process of annexation” ( province in corso di annessione ) based on the decisions of the referendums of 1848. Bettino Ricasoli , Luigi Carlo Farini and (dictators of Tuscany, the Grand Duchies and Bologna respectively) convened the Legislative Assembly from August 7 to September 15, 1859, which took up the adaptation of Sardinian legislation in new territories and the development of conditions for their absorption by the Sardinian the kingdom. On August 10, 1859, the Military Union (Lega militare) was created, and on October 11, 1859, the Customs Union (Lega doganale) ^[5] .

On January 1, 1860, a new program of the National Society was approved, in which its commitment to the Savoy dynasty was formulated more clearly and unambiguously. The organizational structure of the company included the Central Committee, as well as a network of provincial, district and municipal committees ^[6] .

Inspired by Cavour , society fell into decay after his death in 1861 and gradually ceased to exist ^[7] .

• La Farina, G. Società nazionale italiana . - Torino: Tip. dell'Espero, 1860. - 23 p.
• Martucci, R. L'invezione dell'Italia unita. 1855-1864. - Milano: RCS Libri SpA, 2011 .-- 507 p. - ISBN 978-88-383-1828-3 .
• Leoni, F. Storia dei partiti politici italiani . - Guida Editori, 2001 .-- 529 p. - ISBN 978-88-7188-495-0 .

• Società nazionale (Italian) . Enciclopedie on line . Treccani Date of treatment June 28, 2015.