Cisalpine Republic

The Cisalpine Republic (Italian: Repubblica Cisalpina) was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802.

After the Battle of Lodi, in May 1796, the French general Napoleon Bonaparte proceeded to organize two states—one on the south of the Po River, the Cispadane Republic, and one on the north, the Transpadane Republic. These two along with the province of Novara were merged into the Cisalpine Republic on June 29, 1797, with capital Milan. Austria acknowledged the new entity in the Treaty of Campoformio of October 17 of the same year, gaining in exchange what remained of the ephimeral Venetian Republic.

Extension

The Cisalpine Republic consisted of roughly the former Duchy of Milan, those portions of the Republic of Venice west of the Adige River, the Duchy of Modena, the Papal Legations, and the Piedmontese province of Novara. The republic had a territory of more than 42,500 square kilometers (16,000 square miles), and a population of 3,240,000 in 20 departments. Milan was the capital city, the main center having 124,000 inhabitants in 1764. The country was prosperous despite the spoilings made by occupants in the past centuries. Its economy was based on a cereal agriculture and cattling, plus a flourishing small industry, notably the production of silk.

Relationships with Switzerland

The new government aimed to unite all Italian lands into a single state. Unfortunately, this would create some friction with Switzerland, which includes Italian territories south of the Alps. The Cisalpine Republic ended up occupying Campione d'Italia and, on October 10 1797, the Valtellina revolted against Graubünden ("Grey League" in English, "Grisons" in French) and joined the republic. A Cisalpine attempt to conquer Lugano by surprise in 1797 failed.

Institutional form

The institutions of the new republic were much similar to those of France. The territory was divided in departments, which elected the judges of peace, the magistrates and the electors, one in every 200 people having right of vote. The latter elected two councils: the Seniori ("Elders") and the Giuniori ("Youngers"). The first was composed by forty to sixty members, and approved the laws and variations to the Constitutional Chart. The second had from eighty to one hundred twenty members, and proposed the laws. Both councils discussed treaties, the choice of a Directory and the determination of tributes. The legislative corps included men like Pietro Verri, Giuseppe Parini and the scientist Alessandro Volta.

The Directory included five ministers and represented the executive power: leaders were local politicians like Gian Galeazzo Serbelloni (first president) and Francesco Melzi d'Erzil. The supreme authority, however, was the commander of the French troops.

The republic also adopted the new French calendary era.

On July 7, 1797, the new constitution was promulgated, inspired by the French republican one.

The treaty of Alliance

Formally, the Cisalpine Republic was an independent state allied with France, but the treaty of alliance stated the effective subalternity of the new republic to its ally. The French in fact had the control of the local police, and left an army consisting of 25,000 Frenchmen, paid by the republic. The Cisalpines had also to form another army of 35,000 men to take part in the French campaigns.

On March 4, 1798, the Directory presented the treaty to the Giuniori for ratification. The council did not agree with terms, and took its time before take a decision. In the end the French general Berthier compelled the members to accept it. The Seniori instead refused it since the very beginning, as the new state had not the money to face the conditions requested. Berthier menaced to impose a military government, but later was replaced by general Brune. The latter, after having changed some Seniors and Juniors, obtained the signing of the treaty on June 8, 1798.

On May 11 1798, the Cisalpine Republic had adopted as its flag a squared Tricolore.

The second Republic

The Republic dissolved after the defeats of France against the Second Coalition in the August of 1799. The republic was occupied by Austrian forces, who went away only after June 2 1800, as Napoleon won the Battle of Marengo. It was reformed after the Treaty of Lunéville of February 9, 1801. The territory was extended to the former Austrian-lands of the Veneto and the Legazioni Pontifice of the today's Marche. In January 1802, the Cisalpine Republic changed its name to Italian Republic, becoming later the Kingdom of Italy (1805 – 1814).

The state was divided, following the French system, into the following departments:

Adda (capital Sondrio)
Agogna (capital Novara)
Upper Po (capital Cremona)
Lower Po (capital Ferrara)
Crostolo (capital Reggio Emilia)
Cario (capital Como)
Mella (capital Brescia)
Mincia (capital Mantova)
Olona (capital Milan)
Panaro (capital Modena)
Reno (capital Bologna)
Rubicon (capital Cesena)
Serio (capital Bergamo)

Dates of Directories

First Directory 1797-1798
Second Directory 1798
Third Directory 1798-1799