Subalpine Republic
Encyclopedia
The Subalpine Republic was a short-lived republic
established in 1800 on the territory of Piedmont
during its militar rule by Napoleonic France
.
Piedmont
was the main part of the Kingdom of Sardinia
which, despite its name, had its core on the continent. The kingdom suffered a first French invasion in 1796, which led to the Treaty of Paris
and the loss of Savoy
and Nice
. After a second invasion in 1798, King Charles Emmanuel IV
escaped to Rome, but he never accepted to sign a new peace treaty, preving a final arrangement of its continental territories according to international law. Theatre of the great Battle of Marengo in 1800, Piedmont was still under militar occupation when on June 4, 1802, Charles Emmanuel abdicated for his brother Victor Emmanuel I
, who was in Cagliari
under British
naval protection. Napoleon took this pretext to declare the forfeiture of the old sovereignety over Piedmont, which was annexed to France
in September 1802 as the départements of Doire
, Marengo
, Pô
(briefly named "Éridan", after Eridanos
), Sesia, Stura
, and Tanaro, whereas Novara
went to Italy
.
The Subalpine Republic leaned heavily on France: Paris introduced French style reforms and a coinage based on the French Franc
. The structure of government was a Provisional Executive
.
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
established in 1800 on the territory of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
during its militar rule by Napoleonic France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
was the main part of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
which, despite its name, had its core on the continent. The kingdom suffered a first French invasion in 1796, which led to the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1796)
The Treaty of Paris of May 15, 1796 was a treaty between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia during the War of the First Coalition....
and the loss of Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
and Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
. After a second invasion in 1798, King Charles Emmanuel IV
Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel IV was King of Sardinia from 1796 to 1802. He abdicated in favour of his brother Victor Emmanuel I...
escaped to Rome, but he never accepted to sign a new peace treaty, preving a final arrangement of its continental territories according to international law. Theatre of the great Battle of Marengo in 1800, Piedmont was still under militar occupation when on June 4, 1802, Charles Emmanuel abdicated for his brother Victor Emmanuel I
Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Victor Emmanuel I was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1802 to 1821, and Jacobite Pretender from 1819 until his death.-Biography:...
, who was in Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
under British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
naval protection. Napoleon took this pretext to declare the forfeiture of the old sovereignety over Piedmont, which was annexed to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in September 1802 as the départements of Doire
Doire (département)
Doire is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy. It was named after the river Dora Baltea. It was formed in 1802, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Kingdom of Sardinia. Its capital was Ivrea. It was divided into the arrondissements of Ivrea, Aosta and Chivasso. It...
, Marengo
Marengo (département)
Marengo is the name of a département of the consulate and of the First French Empire in present Italy. It was named after the Marengo plain near Alessandria to commemorate the Battle of Marengo . The capital was Alessandria and the other principal cities were Asti, Bobbio, Casale Monferrato,...
, Pô
Pô (département)
Pô is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy. It was named after the river Po. It was formed in 1802, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Kingdom of Sardinia. Its capital was Turin. It was divided into the arrondissements of Turin, Susa and Pinerolo. It was disbanded...
(briefly named "Éridan", after Eridanos
Eridanos (mythology)
The river Eridanos or Eridanus is a river mentioned in Greek mythology. Virgil considered it one of the rivers of Hades in his Aeneid VI, 659.-Ancient references:...
), Sesia, Stura
Stura
Stura was a département of the First French Empire in present Italy. It was named after the river Stura di Demonte. It was formed in 1802, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Kingdom of Sardinia. Its capital was Cuneo. It was divided into the arrondissements of Cuneo, Alba, Mondovì, Saluzzo, and...
, and Tanaro, whereas Novara
Novara
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...
went to Italy
Italian Republic (Napoleonic)
The Italian Republic was a short-lived republic located in Northern Italy. It was a vassal state of the First French Republic of Napoleon.-The republic:...
.
The Subalpine Republic leaned heavily on France: Paris introduced French style reforms and a coinage based on the French Franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
. The structure of government was a Provisional Executive
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
.
See also
- Republic of AlbaRepublic of Alba200px|thumb|The flagThe so-called Republic of Alba was a revolutionary municipality proclaimed on April 26, 1796, in Alba, northern Italy, when the town was taken by the French army....