Chapter 806: The Turin Agreement
A gleam suddenly flashed in King Amadeo III's eyes, and he instinctively licked his lips.
The Papal States had barely existed before the rise of the Carolingian dynasty. The papacy relied on the lands seized from Italian principalities by Pepin the Short and Charlemagne to establish the Papal States.
Thus, Italians always coveted the lands held by the Papal States.
This was also why the Roman Curia had little control over the nearby Italian principalities but wielded influence far away in countries like Spain and Austria.
It was no wonder King Amadeo III was so excited—to bear in mind, the Papal States were even larger than both Sardinia's territories combined.
If Sardinia could grab a piece from the Papal States, it would thrive.
More importantly, Sardinia and the Papal States did not share a border.
This meant that to reach the Papal States, Sardinia would first have to seize parts of Parma or Venice.
France's foreign minister's words indicated that France would turn a blind eye to such moves.
Sardinia's military was insignificant before France and Austria, but looking across the Italian Peninsula, only the Two Sicilies could match it.
Even Venice could not compete with Sardinia, much less small states like Parma.
King Amadeo III was an ambitious monarch. His family had been ambitious since the days of their ancestor the Duke of Savoy. Historically, it was King Carlo Alberto of Sardinia who, over half a century later, through various political maneuvers, ultimately unified the Italian Peninsula.
Now, with a prime opportunity to reach into Italy's heartland, how could Amadeo III not be tempted?
In comparison, Savoy's sparse territory was trivial.
Separated by the Alps, Savoy was difficult to govern and had an increasing Francophone population due to its proximity to France, making administration harder in the future.
Better to cede it to France in exchange for other gains.
Moreover, French troops were already stationed in Savoy, so reclaiming it would be impossible.
King Amadeo III turned to Talleyrand. "And what is your opinion on this?"
Talleyrand sat upright, nodding. "His Majesty has indeed authorized me to sign an agreement with you covering Chambéry's status and Sardinia's understanding of certain military actions."
Amadeo III nodded but hesitated. "Perhaps we can wait until General D'Erlon occupies Mantua before talking?"
Talleyrand smiled. "Pardon me, but waiting until you're starving to plant wheat is unwise.
"Now is your only chance to show friendship. Otherwise, after D'Erlon defeats the Austrians, you can imagine how he will redeploy troops."
Amadeo III was silent for a few seconds, then finally looked up, took a deep breath, and said to Talleyrand:
"Perhaps we can discuss the details…"
The next morning, Talleyrand and the Count of Provence quietly left the Turin Palace.
The latter carried the freshly signed Franco-Sardinian Turin Agreement.
By its terms, Sardinia recognized French sovereignty over Savoy and the territory east of Monaco, including the Cadibona Pass.
At the same time, Sardinia would cease all hostile actions against France, end all support for Austrian forces, and supply necessary provisions to the French D'Erlon Corps.
France would compensate Sardinia with the Chambéry province in northwestern Lombardy and support Sardinia's claims on Papal territories.
The Count of Provence looked much more relaxed than when he arrived and whispered to Talleyrand, "I didn't expect things to be resolved so quickly."
Talleyrand was calm. "This is the inevitable outcome of political diplomacy, my lord."
Though he said this, he was quite surprised himself.
Savoy was the Sardinian royal family's ancestral home. When the Crown Prince said Amadeo III would hand it over, he was skeptical.
Yet the Sardinian king agreed without conditions.
He admired how Joseph's grasp of international politics far surpassed his own. How could he accurately predict Sardinia's diplomatic trajectory?
Of course, Joseph's insight was not mere analysis. He knew Sardinia had already ceded Savoy and the lands east of Nice to France during Napoleon III's reign, in exchange for French support in Lombardy and Venice.
Sardinia had considerable ambition to unify Italy, so under similar conditions to history, they would likely accept.
However, Joseph did not plan to let Sardinia unify Italy like in history.
Unified Italy would be the fourth or fifth-largest power in Europe, exerting considerable influence.
From France's geopolitical view, weak, fragmented small states at the doorstep were preferable.
Small states lacked the power to challenge France politically, economically, industrially, or commercially.
As long as France defeated Austria, the Italian Peninsula would become France's backyard.
To achieve this, Parma, Modena, Genoa, and Venice—at least two of these—had to be preserved.
Notably, Parma's king was a Bourbon and lacked ambition, making him Joseph's preferred choice.
Modena was also pro-France, and if its ruler was strong, could be supported.
Meanwhile, Habsburg-controlled Tuscany and the Papal States would be "pieces of cake" for partition.
The Two Sicilies in the south were the strongest Italian state. As long as it stayed cautious, it should be difficult to annex.
This would leave at least four states in Italy, plus the Papacy—a suitably fragmented landscape.
Talleyrand closed the carriage door for the Count of Provence and bowed. "Safe travels."
The Count looked surprised. "Why don't you come with me?"
"I was going back to Paris," Talleyrand replied. "But the Crown Prince gave me new diplomatic tasks yesterday.
"I believe the fight for Alexandria will soon end, so I'll wait here a while."
He would then go to Parma and other states to start planning Italy's political future.
...
Italy.
North bank of the Po River.
Pavia.
Napoleon, dressed in pristine cavalry uniform, smiled broadly as he led Brigadier General Carnot, sent by the General Staff, past two ranks of impeccably formed soldiers and into a tent amid military music.
Carnot doffed his hat and handed it to an attendant before producing a stack of documents he waved at Napoleon.
"Colonel Bonaparte, I have some orders from the General Staff to read to you."
(END CHAPTER)
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