February 8th: Roman Republic

Today in 1849 the Roman Republic was stabilished, supressing tmporarily the Papal Theocracy in Rome and its domains.


The revolution had started in November, when, in the context of the pan-European revolutionary wave of 1948, citizens went out to the streets demanding a democratic governmen, social reforms and the declaration fo war against Austria.

Pope Pius IX fled the city in disguise and, after his chancellor Muzzareli had issued some "excessive" reforms, he destituted him and formed a new goverment in exile in Gaeta, a Papal fortress near Naples.


Without grovernment, Roman revolutionaries, lead by nationalist and social reformer (carbonero) Giusseppe Mazzini, called for elections that, boycotted by catholics, produced an republican mono-colored Constitutional Assembly. This assembly proclaimed the Roman Republic today in 157 years ago. Another famous Italian nationalist, Giuseppe Garibaldi gathered the Italian Legion that took defensive positions at the border with Two Sicilies.


The Pope called for help to Catholic countries, Mazzini startede many reforms, confiscating lands to the Church and giving them to the peasants. Nevertheless, the goverment low-tax policies meant that they had trouble keeping the economy afloat much less pay the army without inflation...

Anyhow, the one that defeated the Republic wasn't Austria, the Pope or inflation... it was a former ally: French President Louis Napoleon, who had participated in person in another Roman revolt in 1831. At this point of his career, he needed the support of French Catholics and intervened in favor of the Pope.


The French expected little resistence but actually Garbaldi's Legion and the Lombard Bersaglieri, who had driven the Austrians out of Milan in one of the eariest modern urban battles known, were able to keep the Franch at bay. French General Oudinot marched against a gate that was walled and he was recieved with unexpected gunshots that they initially believed to be the noon-day gun... and the French army was beaten by the republican militias of Trastevere.

Garibaldi wanted to exploit the advantage of such victory but Mazzini, who still expected French support and not hostility, decided not to counter-atatck, allowing Oudinot to reagroup. The diplomatic attempts of Mazzini were totally useless (rather counter-productive) and in June a 29 day-length siege ended with the capitulation of the Republic and the formal restoration of the Pope.

The French army would stay in Rome until 1871, when their defeat against Prussians would allow Rome to be liberated by the national Italian forces.

Some other events that happened today:

• 1587 - Mary Stuart is executed by Elizabeth I of England
  
• 1692 - Salem Witch Trials: three teenagers are accused by a Doctor of being under the domination of Satan

• 1900 - Boers defeat British Army at Ladysmith
• 1904 - A surprise attack by Japanese forces at Port Arthur causes the Russo-Japanese war. Russia and Japan both wanted control of Korea and Manchuria
  

• 1943 - Battle of Guadalcanal: US troops defeat the Japanese, marking surely the counter point of the above ephemerides, after 39 years of decided agressive and rather succesful Japanese expansion
• 1955 - Abolition of feudalism in Sindh: 400 thousand hectareas are distributed among peasants
  
• 1968 - Orangeburg Massacre: 3 Afroamerican students are killed in a peaceful protest against segregation at a white-only bowling place in South Carolina, USA

Full list: Wikipedia



Edited by Maju