The Subalpine Republic was a short-lived

republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

that existed between 1800 and 1802 on the territory of Piedmont during its military rule by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

ic France.

History

Piedmont was the main part of the Kingdom of Sardinia which, despite its name, had its core on the mainland. The kingdom suffered a first French invasion in 1796, which led to the Treaty of Paris and the loss of

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...

and Nice. After a second invasion in 1798, King

Charles Emmanuel IV Charles Emmanuel IV (Carlo Emanuele Ferdinando Maria; 24 May 1751 – 6 October 1819) was King of Sardinia from 1796 to 1802. He abdicated in favour of his brother Victor Emmanuel I. Biography Carlo Emanuele Ferdinando Maria di Savoia was b ...

escaped to Rome, but he never agreed to sign a new peace treaty, approving a final arrangement of its continental territories according to international law. The Piedmontese Republic was declared on 10 September 1798 and it existed until 20 June 1799, when it was conquered by Austro-Russian troops. Although the Kingdom of Sardinia's authority was briefly restored in Piedmont, in 1800 Napoleon returned to Italy, taking back much of the new republics. The Piedmontese Republic was re-established as the Subalpine Republic on 20 June 1800. The republic had its capital at Turin. On 9 July 1800, it adopted a new flag, which consisted of a red-blue-gold triband (based on the flag of the earlier Republic of Alba). Its motto was ''Liberté, Égalité'', which was taken from the French motto '' Liberté, égalité, fraternité''. The Subalpine Republic was heavily dependent on France and was never really independent as it was under French military occupation. The state was not recognized by the international community. Its government changed a number of times during its brief existence, and was made up of the following people: 5 Lire rep Subalpina

Paris introduced French-style reforms within the Subalpine Republic. It used the French franc, and also minted its own coins. In March 1801, the Piedmontese Army was incorporated into the French Army, and a few months later the administrative management of the region ended up completely in French hands. On 4 June 1802, Charles Emmanuel abdicated in favour of his brother Victor Emmanuel I, who was in

Cagliari Cagliari (, also , , ; sc, Casteddu ; lat, Caralis) is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu'' means ''castle''. It has about 155,000 inhabitant ...

under British naval protection. Napoleon took this opportunity to declare the forfeiture of the old sovereignty over Piedmont, and plans were made to annex it to France. The Subalpine Republic ceased to exist on 11 September 1802, when it was divided between the

French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and the Italian Republic. The French Republic annexed the départements of

Doire Doire () was a department of the French Consulate and of the First French Empire in present-day Italy. It was named after the river Dora Baltea (''Doire Baltée''). It was formed in 1802, when the Subalpine Republic (formerly the mainland po ...

, Marengo,

Pô Pô is a city in southern Burkina Faso. It is the capital of the province of Nahouri. The main ethnic group (making about 60% of the inhabitants) is the Kasséna, a group close to the Gurunsi. It is said to have been founded in around 1500 and ...

(briefly named "Éridan", after Eridanos), Sesia, Stura, and Tanaro, while the Italian Republic annexed Novara (as the department of Agogna). In 1805, the Italian Republic became the Kingdom of Italy.

References

History of Piedmont Client states of the Napoleonic Wars Early Modern Italy 1800 in Italy 1801 in Italy 1802 in Italy Former unrecognized countries French military occupations 1802 disestablishments in Italy 1800 establishments in Italy {{NapoleonicWars-stub

History

See also

References