VICTOR EMMANUEL II. (1820-78). King of Sardinia from 1s49 to 1861 and of Italy from 1861 to 1878. lie was the son of Charles Albert (q.v.), King of Sardinia, and was born March 14. 1820. He was well educated under his father's guidance, commanded the brigade of Savoy in the campaign of 1845-49, and displayed great gallantry at Goito and Novara. Believing that his son could make better terms with Aus tria, Charles Albert. on the evening following the fatal day of Novara (March 23, 1849), abdicated in favor of his son. The new King chose for Min isters such men as D'Azeglio and Cavour (qq.v.), who sought to increase the strength and impor tance of the country by improved administration, rigid ceonemy in the finances. care of the army, and encouragement of trade through the conclu sion of commercial treaties with foreign nations. The property of the Church was sold, and various reforms intended to diminish greatly the privi leges and restrict the influence of the clergy were adopted—changes which brought upon the King the displeasure of the Vatican: hut Victor Emmanuel asserted and maintained his indepen dence of the Papacy. Under the guidance of Cavour Sardinia joined England and France on the outbreak of the Crimean War, sending an army of 17,000 men under La Marmora. After the Peace of Paris ( he entered into a closer alliance with France. gave his elder daughter, Clotilde, in marriage (January 30, 1859) to Prince Napoleon. and, backed by the French arms, provoked a war with Austria. The campaign of 1s.59 was brief but decisive, the Austrians were completely defeated at Magenta and Solferino, and the Italians were hailing with exultation the near fulfillment of their long-cherished dreams of unity, when the preliminary treaty between France and Austria at Villafranea. while secur ing the liberation of Lombardy. left. Venetia in Austrian hands. Victor Emmanuel was com pelled by the agreement with Napoleon III. to
yield Nice and Savoy to France.
In the meanwhile Tuscany, Parma. and 'Modena bad emancipated themselves from their despots, and the Romagna had thrown off the Papal au thority. and at the beginning of 1860 these re gions were annexed to the dominions of Victor Emmanuel. Another step in the building up of his Italian kingdom was taken it, the liberation of the Two Sicilies by Garibaldi 19.v.), who turned them over to the King. At the same time the Sardinian forces advanced into the Marches of l'inibria. %Odell were seeking to free themselves from the ride of Pins IX.. and these regions. were also annexed by Victor Emmanuel. 1111 February 26. 1861, Vieth'. Emmanuel II. was declared King of Italy by the National Italian Parliament as .-entbled at Turin. and on March 17II1 Ne formal ly assumed the title. \Viten. in 1862. Garibaldi attacked the Papal States. the King was min pelted to interfere, and the IKrIrittt leader was taken prisoner by the royal troops at Aspromonie.
Italy joined Prussia against Austria in 1866, and. although defeated on land (Cnstozza) and on the sea (Lissa), she achieved her aim in the acquisition of Venetia. In 1870, after the out break of the war between France and Germany, the French garrison was withdrawn from Rome, and the Italian troops entered the imperial city, which, finally united to the kingdom, became the capital of Italy. The last years of Victor Emmanuel's life were uneventful, Ile died after a short illness. January 9, 1878. and was suc ceeded by his son Humbert. Consult: Godkin, Life of Victor Emanuel IL (London, 1879) ; Ituf ter, Konig Victor Eautauct (Vienna, 1878) ; Massari. La vita ed it regno di Vittorio Emanuele II. (Milan, 1880) Cappelletti. Ntoria di Vittorio Emanuele II. e del suo regno (Rome, 1S94). See ITALY.