VICTOR EMMANUEL II., King of Italy, son of Charles Albert, King of Sardinia ; born in Turin, Italy, March 14, 1820. While heir apparent, he fought in the campaign against the Austrians, which, terminating in the disastrous battle of Novara, caused his father to abdicate. He became king in 1849, under the most unfavorable cir cumstances, for he had to avert the con sequences of a most disastrous war, to allay faction, and to preserve the consti tution; to annul which, it is said, Aus tria endeavored to bribe him with the offer of Parma. On securing the serv ices of eminent statesmen, and chiefly of the illustrious Cavour, he obtained a treaty of peace with Austria on com paratively easy terms, and undertook the complete reorganization of finances, the army, and the system of public edu cation. After forming a close alliance with France, Victor Emmanuel, in 1859, again engaged in a war with Austria, which power, after being totally de feated in a short campaign, abandoned Lombardy to the Italians. In 1861,
Victor Emmanuel was proclaimed King of Italy. In 1866, as the ally of Prussia, his army was defeated at Custozza, and his fleet at Lissa; but the success of the Prussians at Sadowa restored Venetia to Italy, the unification of which king dom Victor Emmanuel completed in 1870, by making Rome his capital. The personal character of the first King of Italy bore a close resemblance to that of Henry IV., King of France, and, like that monarch he possessed a bonhomie which rendered him popular among all classes of his subjects. Like Henry Quatre, too, Victor Emmanuel II. on sev eral fields of battle displayed an almost reckless bravery; while his penchant for the fair sex was as notorious as that of his illustrious prototype. Victor Em manuel died in Rome, Jan. 9, 1878, and was succeeded by his son Humbert.