1730-73. Charles Emmanuel III., King of Sardinia, Duke of Savoy, Prince of Piedmont, &c., assumed the crown in times of peace. But the ambition of the court of Spain, excited by Elizabeth Farness, wife of Philip V., aimed at recovering its lost preponderance in Italy, and Spain was supported by France in consequence of the family alliance. The contested election for the crown of Poland became the pretext for a new war in 1733. The French cabinet, in order to obtain the alliance of the king of Sardinia, promised him the duchy of Milan, which was to be taken from Austria. Charles Emmanuel united his forces to the French army under Villars, and the Milanese was conquered in a few weeks. Don Carlos, Infante of Spain, on his part conquered Naples. In September 1734 the battle of Guaatalla took place b>tween the Auotruns on one side, and the French and Sardinian troops, commanded by King Charles Emmanuel, on the other. The Austrians lost 8000 men, and were obliged to retreat. In 1735 the preliminaries of peace were signed, and Charles Emmanuel, instead of the duchy of Milan, obtained only the Novarese and Tortoua.
In the war of the Austrian succession King Charles Emmaunel took the part of Maria Theresa. In 1743 ho signed a treaty with Maria Theresa and England, engaging himself to defend Lombardy with 45,000 men. The French and Spanish combined forces invaded Pied moot and laid siege to Cuueo, which they could not take. Iu 1745 another French and Spanish army, passing the Riviera of Genoa, entered Lombardy and took Milan. In the following fear the king of Sardinia, united with the Austrians, drove them away. In 1747 a French force of 50 batallioue attacked the entrenched camp of the Piedmontese near the pass of the Col de l'Assiette ou the 19th of July; but after the moot strenuous efforts they were completely repulsed, having lost their general (the Chevalier de Belleisle), between 400 and 500 officers, and 6000 men. This defeat put an end to all attempts at invading Piedmont for half a century. By the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle the king of Sardinia obtained the Upper Novarcse, or Valli di Novara, and the districts of Voghera and Vigerauo near the Po.
The remaining 25 years of the reign of Charles Emmanuel ware spent in peace. and iu the cares of admiuistration. He published a code of laws ; effected a general survey of the laud ; he opened new roads, excavated canals, encouraged commerce ; and in 1771 ho published an edict, empowering all individuals and communes to commute feudal services for a money equivalent, to be fixed by a court ereated for the purpose. lie took of all the extraoninaary imposts which had been put on during the long preceding wars. Charles Emmanuel died at Turin, in February, 1773, at 72 years of age.
177346. Victor Amadeu' Ill., eon of Charles Emmanuel, euc ceede I. The storms of the French revolution rendered his reign calamitous; he lost Savoy and Nice in 1792, Oneglia in 1794, and after two years more of. a desultory but sanguinary warfare, the lino of defence formed by the Alps was turned by the French passing through the Ligurian Apennines, and the revolutionary torrent poured down into the plains of the Po. King Victor was induced to conclude a hasty peace, which left his dominions at the mercy of the French. He died soon after, in October, 1796.
1796-1802. Charles Emmanuel 1V., son of king Victor, succeeded his father on a slippery throne. Savoy and Nice were united to France.
and Piedmont was overrun by French troops, who held the principal fortresses in their hands. At last the king was obliged to retire to Sardinia in 1799. In June, 1802, Charles Emmanuel, who was then at Rome, abdicated in favour of his brother, Victor Emmanuel.
1302-21. Victor Emmanuel, seeing no chance of being restored to his continental states, repaired to the island of Sardinia. In the year 1S14 ho returned to Turin, and took possession of the dominions of his ancestors, to which the Congress of Vienna added the Genoese territory. A conspiracy which broke out in Piedmont (in March 1821), headed by some of the military and the nobles (who wished for either a representative constitution with two chambers, or the Spanish con stitution of 1812 with only one chamber), induced the king to abdicate in favour of his brother Charles Felix (he himself having had no male offspring), who was then at Modena. In the meanwhile Charles Albert of Savoy Carignano, who had joined the insurrection, was appointed n-gent, and proclaimed the adoption of the Spanish constitution of 1812, toleration of all religions, and some other important changes, all however on condition of the royal assent.
1821.31. Charles Felix, the new king, as soon as be was made aware of the proceedings of the regent, issued a proclamation from Modena (March 16, 1821), declaring all that bad been done since his brother's abdication null and void. The regent fled to Novara, and thence to the Austrian head-quarters. Charles Felix, supported by Austria, put down the insurrection in Piedmont, and restored the former system of monarchy. Ho occupied himself with the business of administration, and also in nuking new roads and other improve monte both in his continental dominions and in the island of Sardinia, where he appears to have beau very popular. He died at the begin ning of 1831, leaving no male issue, and was succeeded on the throne by his collateral relative, Charles Albert of Carignano, a descendant of Prince Thomas, brother of Victor Amadeus I.