In our little gaming group that plays the infrequent Saturday, we found interest in the Italian Wars of Independence and The Unification of Southern Italy. The Neapolitan player, namely your editor, asked me, being the resident Italian (pronounced Eye-talian - Ed.), how did the Bourbons, ex-rulers of France and of Spanish origins, become Kings of Southern Italy and Sicily? The following is taken from 'A History of Sicily' by Denis Mack Smith, 1988 by Dorset Press.

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Charles II of Spain died in 1700 ending the direct Hapsburg line in Spain. The late King bequeathed Spain and Sicily out of the Hapsburg family to Phillip, a grandson of King Louis XIV of France. This started the War of the Spanish Succession, where the Grand Alliance of England, Holland and Austria fought to keep the balance of power in Europe and to keep the French Empire from having an advanced base in the Mediterranean. After the Treaty of Utrecht, Sicily was taken away from Phillip V and given to his father-in-law, Victor Amadeus, Duke of Savoy.

By 1719 Victor Amadeus, realizing that Sicily was no asset to him, wanted to exchange it for Milan or Florence and with this in mind prepared for war with Austria, his recent ally. He secretly informed Spain and removed troops from Sicily in what he hoped would be a joint attack on Austria. Spain was not amused and sent troops to Sicily to recapture it.

When the Spanish troops landed, Victor Amadeus desperately called upon the rest of Europe to uphold the Treaty of Utrecht and now offered to cede Sicily to Austria for Tuscany or Sardinia but still wanted to retain yhe title of King. The Austrians had already decided to fight. The first move was the British Fleet destroying the Spanish Fleet off the Sicilian Coast and effectively blockading Spain from sending reinforcements. This gave the Austrian soldiers free passage across the Straits of Messina from Calabria.

The two armies chased each other around the island for a year, until Charles won at the battle of Francavilla. The Archduke Charles, now Charles VI of Austria, was also King of Sicily by right of conquest. The Treaty of London upheld this.

In 1734, international tensions momentarily isolated Austria; Spain mounted an expedition to recapture its empire. The Austrian troops put up little resistance from the invading Spanish and Don Carlos, the Infante of Spain, became King with the title of Charles III. He ruled from Naples. When in 1759, Charles ascended to the throne of Spain, the rest of Europe would not let him keep Sicily and Naples, and he presented these two kingdoms to his eight-year-old third son, who became Ferdinand IV of Naples and Ferdinand III of Sicily.

Ferdinand ruled for 66 years and was married to Maria Carolina of Austria. When Napoleon's army invaded Naples in 1798, Ferdinand fled to Sicily on Nelson's flagship. In 1802, Ferdinand made a treaty with Napoleon and was able to return to Naples. But in 1806 the war resumed and Ferdinand was forced to again retreat to Sicily. Since there was no Sicilian army or navy, he had to ask for British help.

It was Napoleon's plan to capture Sicily and dominate the central Mediterranean. Across the Straits of Messina, Joseph Bonaparte, calling himself King of Two Sicilies, assembled an army larger than that which was defending Sicily. He wrote to his brother that Sicily was as good as captured. Several thousand French troops landed near Messina but were repelled by British troops and a few peasants armed with axes and sticks. The victory was due to the fact that British gunboats controlled the Straits and the French lacked transports. By 1815, Austria had conquered Naples, so Ferdinand returned. In 1816, with Austrian approval, he became Ferdinand I of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies and abolished the Sicilian flag.

Joint Parliament

The Two Siciles were granted a joint parliament in 1820; this started riots and armed rebellion in Sicily. The Neapolitan liberals were annoyed that the riots upset their constitutional plans and refused to recognize Sicily's right to secede. In 1821, Austria invaded Naples to restore the absolute government of Ferdinand. Ferdinand died in 1825, he son Frances I ruled until 1830, he was weak and narrow-minded and totally inept in the arts of government.

Ferdinand II ruled from 1830 to 1859., Sicily rebelled in 1837and again in 1848. Bourbon troops landed and attacked Messina, setting the city on fire. The British and French Admirals stationed there were shocked at the actions of the Bourbon troops and pressured Ferdinand into a six-month armistice. In 1848, Ferdinand offered Sicily a separate parliament but the Sicilians refused. The Army agitated for a renewed war and as soon as the armistice was over, they took and burned Catania. Syracuse surrended without a fight and the Bourbons marched into Palermo almost unopposed. Francis II became King in 1859. By the middle of 1860, Garabaldi had taken Sicily and was fighting the Bourbons on the mainland.

In October, the Garabldini defeated the Bourbons at the river Volturno. After 2 days of fighting in which they almost won; the Bourbon troops finally had to fall back to the Fortress of Gaeta. Meanwhile the Piedmontese Army was marching south to link up with Garabaldi. The Piedmontese had to fight a major battle with the Papal Army at Castelfidardo and then storm the Fortress of Ancona. In October, they entered the Kingdom of Naples and fought a small battle with elements of the Neapolitan Army. On October 26, King Victor Emmanuel met with Garabaldi, who turned over all the conquered areas to the King. The Piedmontese Army drove all the remaining Neapolitan troops into the Fortress of Gaeta. Francis II took refugee there and attempted to hold out but by February of 1861 they were forced to surrender and so ended the rule of the Bourbons over the Kingdom of Naples.

- FINIS -