Victor Emmanuel II played a decisive role in the unification of Italy, guiding the expansion of Piedmont into a dominant state and symbol of the Risorgimento.

Victor Emmanuel II and His Position

When Victor Emmanuel II became king of Piedmont-Sardinia in 1849 after the abdication of Charles Albert, he inherited a fragile monarchy. Defeat at the Battle of Novara had discredited Piedmontese ambitions, yet Victor Emmanuel, unlike his father, chose not to renounce the liberal Statuto constitution of 1848, which gave his reign a distinctly constitutional character.

His decision to maintain the Statuto was significant, as it positioned Piedmont as a liberal alternative within a largely conservative Italian landscape dominated by Austrian influence.

Partnership with Cavour

Victor Emmanuel II’s reign is inseparable from his partnership with Count Camillo di Cavour, who became prime minister in 1852. Their relationship was complex: Victor Emmanuel was less innovative than Cavour, but he provided essential legitimacy and authority to Piedmont’s initiatives.

• Cavour steered foreign policy and diplomacy, particularly relations with Napoleon III of France.

• Victor Emmanuel lent credibility to Cavour’s manoeuvres by embodying the monarchy, which appealed to moderates and conservatives wary of radical republicanism.

• The king’s reputation as a soldier and patriot added prestige to Piedmont’s nationalist cause.

The War of 1859 and the Enlargement of Piedmont

The Second War of Italian Independence in 1859 marked a turning point. Cavour engineered an alliance with France, but Victor Emmanuel II personally took the field as commander of Piedmontese forces.

Victor Emmanuel II’s role:

• He inspired soldiers and gained recognition as the monarch at the forefront of the struggle against Austrian control.

• His presence helped reassure Italian moderates that the campaign was not purely revolutionary but rather a legitimate national endeavour.

• After victories at Magenta and Solferino, Piedmont expanded significantly, annexing Lombardy.

A high-resolution political map of Italy in 1861, the year Victor Emmanuel II became King of Italy. It depicts Piedmont’s enlarged territories and the early national kingdom. Source

The war also initiated a wave of plebiscites in central Italian duchies (Modena, Parma, Tuscany) where populations voted to join Piedmont. Though Cavour orchestrated much of this, Victor Emmanuel’s status as monarch gave the annexations wider acceptance.

Garibaldi and the Thousand

Victor Emmanuel II’s role became even more critical during Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand in 1860. Garibaldi, a republican, conquered Sicily and Naples, threatening to establish a rival nationalist authority. Victor Emmanuel carefully balanced between support and control.

• He allowed Garibaldi’s campaign to proceed but moved south with the Piedmontese army.

• Meeting Garibaldi at Teano, he symbolically accepted control of the southern territories.

• This avoided civil conflict and enabled the creation of a united Italy under a monarchy rather than a republic.

The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy

In March 1861, Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed King of Italy, though he notably retained his title as “Victor Emmanuel II” rather than becoming “Victor Emmanuel I of Italy”. This demonstrated his intent to present the Kingdom of Italy as an extension of Piedmont rather than a wholly new creation. The process of unification was thus heavily tied to the expansion of Piedmontese institutions and traditions.

This policy helped consolidate control but also alienated some regions, particularly the south, where resentment of northern dominance persisted.

Victor Emmanuel II’s Symbolism and Leadership

Victor Emmanuel II’s significance extended beyond political manoeuvres:

• Symbol of continuity: He linked the liberal Piedmontese state with the new Kingdom of Italy, giving stability to a turbulent process.

• Moderate monarch: His presence reassured conservatives while allowing cooperation with radicals like Garibaldi.

• National figurehead: He embodied Italian unity, often referred to as the “Father of the Fatherland.”

His leadership style was pragmatic rather than visionary, but it complemented the activism of Cavour and the idealism of Garibaldi and Mazzini. While Cavour negotiated diplomacy and Garibaldi mobilised popular enthusiasm, Victor Emmanuel II provided a unifying crown under which these diverse elements could coalesce.

The Enlargement of Piedmont into Italy

The enlargement of Piedmont under Victor Emmanuel II can be understood as a staged process:

• Post-1849: Piedmont survives defeat but retains liberal institutions.

• 1859–1860: Military victory and diplomacy bring Lombardy, Parma, Modena, and Tuscany into the fold.

• 1860–1861: Garibaldi’s conquest and subsequent handover allow the south to be incorporated.

• 1861: Formal proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy under Victor Emmanuel II.

Each stage highlighted Victor Emmanuel’s dual role as both monarch of Piedmont and emerging national king.

Assessment of Victor Emmanuel II’s Role

Historians often debate whether Victor Emmanuel II was a passive figurehead or an active agent. Evidence suggests he was neither entirely passive nor dominant:

• He did not design strategy or policy as Cavour did, yet his military presence, political authority, and willingness to accept unification under a monarchy were crucial.

• Without his legitimacy, Piedmontese expansion might have been seen as aggression rather than unification.

• His balancing act between radicals and moderates prevented fragmentation of the nationalist movement.

Ultimately, Victor Emmanuel II’s reign from 1849 to 1861 represents the fusion of Piedmontese monarchy with Italian nationalism, a process central to the success of the Risorgimento.