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The Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy (Italian: Regno d'Italia, but also Regno Italico) was a kingdom founded in Italy by Napoleon, in 1805. The kingdom ended in 1814, with the defeat of Napoleon.

The Kingdom of Italy was born on 17 March 1805. On that day, the Italian Republic, whose president was Napoleon, became Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King of Italy and Eugène de Beauharnais viceroy. Napoleon was crowned in Milan's cathedral, on 26 May 1805, with the Iron Crown of Lombardy.

The Kingdom consisted of Lombardy, Venetia, the Duchy of Modena, part of the Papal States (Ancona, the remaining part with Rome having been annexed to the French Empire), part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and South Tyrol.

In practice, the Kingdom was basically a colony for the French, as they had used the various natural resources to enrich France during its primitive days of industrialization under Napoleon. It also provided a superb battlefield for Napoleon's battles against Austria in the various wars of the coalitions.

Napoleon abdicated on 11 April 1814. Eugène tried to become king of Italy, but the opposition of the Senate of the Kingdom and Milan insurrection (20 April 1814) foiled his plan: Eugène was exiled by the Austrians, who occupied Milan.

Army of the Kingdom of Italy


Infantry:

  • line infantry: five regiments from the Italian Republic, plus other two raised in 1805 and 1808
  • light infantry: three regiments from the Italian Republic, plus another one raised in 1811
  • Royal Guard: two battalions from the Italian Republic (Granatieri and Cacciatori), plus other two (Velites) raised in 1806, plus two battalions of young guard raised in 1810, and other two raised in 1811

Cavalry:

  • dragoons: two regiments from the Italian Republic
  • Cacciatori a Cavallo (light horse): one regiment from the Italian Republic, plus other three raised in 1808, 1810 and 1811
  • Royal Guard: two squadrons of dragoons, five companies of Guards of Honour

The army of the kingdom, inserted into the Grande Armée, took part to all Napoleon's campaigns. Living for 17 years, the Italian Republic/Kingdom of Italy army had enlisted over 200,000 men and lost about 125,000.

See also Historical states of Italy.

Client states of the Great French War | Risorgimento

Reino de Italia | 이탈리아 왕국 | Kerajaan Italia | Regno d'Italia | Koninkrijk Italië (1805-1814) | イタリア王国 | Kongedømmet Italia | Królestwo Włoch | Reino de Itália | Italijansko kraljestvo | Краљевина Италија

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)".

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