Italian Federation

From Kaiserreich

Revision as of 21:02, 1 October 2007

A divided Italy. The Italian Federation in green to the north, with the Republic of the Sicilies in red to the south.

Italian Federation is a country is Nort Italy or South Europe.

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History

The unified Italy created in 1861 lasted little more than half a century. Her decision to side with the Entente powers rather than her traditional Central European allies during the Great War proved to be a mistake to the highest order. In 1919 Italy collapsed under a Central Powers' offensive, and the combination of anger at Italy's betrayal and the Austrian desire for a divided Italian peninsula led to the break-up of Italy as a nation. After several years of Austrian occupation a number of separate duchies were established in the north, grouped into a federation nominally headed by the Papacy, but with great regional autonomy. However in the early 1930's this began to change when a group of radical cardinals gained political control of the Vatican. Aided by Pope Pius XI this group pushed for the centralisation and expansion of Papal power and control over the federation. During this period Austria was distracted by internal affairs, and was reluctant to intervene in favour of the status quo. Playing on the massive popular support the Pope had and setting this in the context of needing a great leader to guard Italian Federation from the dangers of Syndicalism the Pope emerged as the formal leader of northern Italy in 1935. However, the Holy See must now face up to several challenges to its new power- ranging from the now demonised Syndicalist regimes to the south and west of the Federation, and also, having upset the balance of power, the Austrians. But opportunities beckon too - Carlists in Spain, Integralists in Brazil, even the mighty Zentrumspartei of Germany, are on the rise, and have always acknowledged the Spiritual Authority of the Heir of St. Peter…