Italian Republic/Paths

Angry at the Kingdom of Italy’s peace treaty with the Austrians in the Weltkrieg, nationalists and republicans alike rose up against the Kingdom. After routing monarchist forces, the rebels soon turned on each other. The republican faction was saved thanks to the intervention of neighboring Austria, offering it’s help in exchange for the new Republic joining the Italian Federation. The Federation, under Austria Protection was an association of the non-socialist areas of the old Kingdom, including now monarchist forces in the south and on Sardinia. The Prime Minister of the Republic was allowed to become the Federation’s interim head, and the Republic has been under Austria’s thumb since. The Federation lasted until 1930 when its term was not renewed. The Federation had existed only on paper at the time; Sardinia and the Two Sicilies, having had Austrian defense guarantees pulled in 1926, had terminated their memberships at that time.

Current Prime Minister Ivanoe Bonomi (of the social liberal Partito Liberale Democratico (PLD, Democratic Liberal Party)), has been in power since 1927. Though not in office when the Federation de facto collapsed, he did oversee it’s de jure termination in 1930.

Having won the election the following year, he is preparing to hold another one in May of 1937. The advent of Black Monday throws the election cycle for a loop and Bonomi will bring the election forward to November 1936.

1936 Elections[]

Bonomi currently leads a center-left coalition with the social democrat Lega Democratica Riformista (LDR, Democratic Reformist League) led by Giacomo Matteotti. As the junior partner, the LDR will run with, not against, the PLD. In all four parties will compete in the election:

The social liberal Partito Liberale Democratico (PLD, Democratic Liberal Party) led by current PM Ivanoe Bonomi.
The market liberal Partito Liberale Italiano (PLI, Italian Liberal Party) led by Luigi Einaudi.
The social conservative Partito Popolare Italiano (PPI, Italian People’s Party) led by Giovanni Gronchi.
The national populist Associazione Nazionalista Italiana (ANI, Italian Nationalist Association) led by Costanzo Ciano.
- If elected, Ciano will transform the Italian Republic into the Italian State.

Austria will get an option to support either the PLD or the PPI during the election campaign if it chooses. Party popularity will rise for the chosen party, and also the ANI, but does not have any further effect on a player. It will factor into which party is elected by the AI, barring any game rules.

The ANI in Opposition[]

If any of the democratic parties win in the election, the ANI will cry foul, accusing the new government of rigging the elections with Austrian help. The government can shut the ANI down by banning it, or keeping a close eye on it.

Banning it will only embolden the ANI, leading to more provocation, with a fed-up electorate taking to the streets to protest what it sees as government in-action. Ciano will use this opportunity to March on Milan, hoping to coup the government. Security services will beat the March back, and it will fail. Though the March failed, opposition parties in Parliament will use it as an excuse to call a motion of no confidence in the government.

Simply keeping a watch on the ANI will see its popularity grow, especially in military circles. The government, fearful that too much ANI support in the military could lead to a coup, will either ban them (see above) or promote democratic ideals to servicemen instead. Simply promoting democratic ideals will see, embolden by the ANI’s new popularity increasingly violent riots across the country. A fed-up electorate will take to the streets demanding the government do something about it. Ciano will use this opportunity to March on Milan, hoping to coup the government. With military support on his side, the coup can be a success, ushering him into power, or will fail. If the March failed, opposition parties in Parliament will use it as an excuse to call a motion of no confidence in the government.

If a motion of no confidence in the government was called, the government can either narrowly survive it and the Republic endure, or lose it and fall.

If the government falls, there will be calls to recreate the old Italian Federation, being led by either the Grand Duke of Tuscany Pietro Ferdinando, or Count Adriano Visconti of Lombardy. Or, the Italian Republic can be disbanded completely, with Lombardy and Venice becoming independent states.

The leader of Lombardy will be whoever was PM of the Republic at the time: Ivanoe Bonomi or Luigi Einaudi, but not Gronchi; he will be replaced by Giovanni Battista Migliori. All three men will lead their respective parties or the local affiliation. (More on an independent Lombardy below)

Venice will be led by a Doge, and the interim leader of the resurrected office will be Giuseppe Volpi of the market liberal Partito Repubblicano Veneto (PRV, Republican Party of Venice). (More on an independent Vencie below).

The ANI in Power[]

Venetian Revolt[]

If the ANI are in power, either through winning the snap elections, or after a successful March on Milan, Ciano will eventually push for the reorganization of the Italian government. No longer giving special rights and autonomy to states like Venice and Lombardy, Italy will be turned into a unitary government. Angry Venetians led by Volpi will take to the streets to protest the move, and the Venetian state legislature will vote to ceded from Italy until such time its autonomous rights are restored. By event Venice can be tag switched to, or stay as the Italian State.

The war, which starts shortly after the revolt begins, can go a few different ways. The Austrians have the ability to help Venice if Italy cannot defeat the revolt in 150 days, and at that time even the Socialist Republic of Italy can join the fray too. If Ciano can not defeat Venice within a year, the ANI government will fall.

There is a growing call to restore the old Federation, giving its member states broad autonomous powers. It can be restored with Grand Duke of Tuscany Pietro Ferdinando, Count Adriano Visconti of Lombardy, or leader of Venice, Giuseppe Volpi. Like with the fall of the Italian government, there is also the option to just stay as Venice and release Lombardy, or play as an independent Lombardy.

But, if Austria volunteered its help and Venice accepted, they will only be allowed the re-creation of the Federation under the Grand Duke, not Visconti or Volpi, and Lombardy and Venice will not be allowed to become independent.

ANI Leaders[]

Having won the vote or successfully marched on Milan, and defeated Venice, Ciano will pass away in office in the first half of 1939. While initial not in the running to succeed his father, son Gian Galeazzao Ciano will be selected as a compromise candidate to become the new Il Duce.

Both Cianos are known monarchists, and the monarchy can be restored in a few ways, under two branches of the House of Savoy:

First, by completing the focus tree, specifically, Italy is Reborn: if Sardinia no longer exists and Italy is at peace with the Entente, the son of the King during the Weltkrieg can be invited to take the throne. Crown Prince Umberto, who with his father had abdicated in 1919, can be installed as Umberto II.
The second involves joining the Entente, but the new King will depend on if Sardinia exists:
- If it does, and Sardinia/the Entente accepts, Italy will get the King in Sardinia, Amadeo, as King of Italy. He will be known as Amadeo I and Italy will join the Entente.
- If it does not, and the Entente accepts, Umberto will be installed as Umberto II and Italy will join the Entente.

A third way involves requesting Sardinia to submit and be annexed (rather than specifically asking for Entente membership). If Sardinia is a dictatorship (Pat Aut), the ANI can request it and if Sardinia accepts, Amadeo I will become King of (but it will join the Entente if Sardinia is in it).

Post 1936 Elections[]

If the Republic managed to survive, it will hold elections every five years starting from the latest in 1936, the next being 1941.

In total, four parties will compete. The LDR will field candidates, and the ANI, broken after it’s failed March on Milan, will not:

The social liberal Partito Liberale Democratico (PLD, Democratic Liberal Party)) led by Ivanoe Bonomi.
The market liberal Partito Liberale Italiano (PLI, Italian Liberal Party) led by Luigi Einaudi.
The social conservative Partito Popolare Italiano (PPI, Italian People’s Party) led by Giovanni Gronchi.
The social dem Lega Democratica Riformista (LDR, Democratic Reformist League) led by Giacomo Matteotti.

In 1942 the PLD and the PLI will hold party conferences to choose new leaders, or see the current ones stay in office. If the party is in power, changing the party leader will also change the PM.

The PLD will decide between Ivanoe Bonomi or Ferruccio Parri.
The PLI will decide between Luigi Einaudi or Marcello Soleri.

Splinter States[]

Lombardy[]

Politically Lombardy has two paths, being a Monarchy or a Republic. When the first focus in the political tree, Re-Establishing the Rule of Law, is completed the new country will choose which path it takes.

If it is a monarchy (with Visconti as the Duke), he can be kept in power, or a Republic proclaimed under Giovanni Battista Migliori.
If it is a Republic, the current republican leader (Ivanoe Bonomi, Luigi Einaudi, or Giovanni Battista Migliori) can be kept in office, or the dukedom restored under now Duke Adriano Visconti.

Visconti can keep democracy and later hold elections (see below) or go autocratic.

ITA Lombardy Future — Lombardia's Future

In either case, if Milan is able to secure the Iron Crown of Lombardy, used to crown Holy Roman Emperors, from Austria, Viscounti can crown himself King of Italy (as King of the Lombards) by focus. The crown is asked for by focus, with diplomats heading to Vienna, Austria for it. If Vienna had fallen and Austria was defeated, it will be moved to Naples under the protection of the Two Sicilies. If Naples had fallen too (not to Lombardy) it will go back to Vienna, and whoever owns Vienna will be asked for its return.

Elections[]

Under a monarchy, three parties will be electable:

the social liberal PLD.
the market liberal PLL ((the Partito Liberale Italiano (PLI, Italian Liberal Party) becoming the Partito Liberale Lombardo (PLL, Lombard Liberal Party)).
the social conservative PPL (the Partito Popolare Italiano (PPI, Italian People’s Party) becoming the Partito Popolare Lombardo (PPL, Lombard People’s Party)).

ITA Lombardy Elections — Lombardy Elections

Under a republic, before elections are held the new country must decide if radicals (the national populists) will be allowed to run or not. If allowed they will be electable, and if not the social democrats will run instead.

the social liberal PLD, under Ivanoe Bonomi
the market liberal PLL under Luigi Einaudi
the social conservative PPI under Giovanni Battista Migliori
either the national populist Lega Longobarda (LL, Lombard League) under Giacomo Acerba OR the social democrat Lega Democratica Riformista (LDR, Democratic Reformist League) led by Ludovico d’Aragona.

Venice[]

Much like Lombardy, Venice will get to decide almost immediately what its political path will be. Once the revolt has ended, the Great Council will once again convene, the first time since the city lost its independence. With the old institutions of the Serene Republic re-established, the election of the Doge (the leader, or duke, from the Latin Dux), specifically how it will happen, will take center stage.

ITA Venice Grand Council — Open the Great Council

If the office is to be elected by popular vote every four years, Venice will declare a ‘new republic’, and in three months hold elections to select the Doge:

Giuseppe Volpi of the Partito Repubblicano Veneto (PRV, Republican Party of Venice).
Umberto Merlin of the Partito Cristiano Liberale (PCL, Christian Liberal Party)
Giovanni Ponti of the social conservative Lega Cattolica (Catholic League, LC)
Giovanni Battista Gianquinto of the social democrat Partito Popolare Veneto (PPV, Popular Party of Venice)

If the office is to be elected the way it used to be, and for life, Venice will cement the ‘old republic’. The Doge will be selected in two weeks:

Giuseppe Volpi of the authoritarian democrat Consiglio Ducale (or Ducal Council)
Giovanni Ponti of the paternal autocrat Maggior Consiglio (Greater Council)

Venetian Elections

Foreign Policy Paths[]

For any country to join a faction, the 2WK must have started, or the balance of power in Italy breaks (like when Italy is unified).

The Italian Republic:[]

To join Austria (the Donau-Adriabund or if Austria had joined it, the Reichspakt) it only needs to have a democratic government (so not the ANI).
To join the Reichspakt, it also needs to be democratic, but Austria either can’t exist, must be a puppet, or have signed the Treaty of Budapest.
To join the Entente, as shown in the ANI Leaders image above, both the Entente and an ANI Italian State have to be at war with the Internationale. If Sardinia exists, it must be a dictatorship (Pat Aut or Nat Pop).
To join the Moscow Accord, Italy must have an ANI government (Nat Pop).
An ANI Italian State can form the Pact of Blood faction with Romania. Romania must have completed the focus ‘Renew Pride’, but not Second Legionary Victory (so they must not have fallen from power previously and won the later elections) and the Italian State the focus ‘Eliminate Anti-Italian Institutions’, and Serbia must own states claimed by both Italy and Romania. Romania will get a decision to offer the alliance.

Lombardy:[]

Lombardy can join a faction only after completing either the foci ‘The Duchy's Constitution’ or ‘Our Place in the World’ (from the Monarchy, and Republic branches, respectively).

To join either the Austrians or Germans, the focus ‘The Golden Ambrosia Idea’ must NOT have been completed.
To join Serbia and the Belgrade Pact, the focus ‘The Republican Cause’ must be completed, Trentino owned by German or Austria (or an ally of theirs), and Russia must be socialist.
To join Russia and the Moscow Accord, the focus ‘The Republican Cause’ must be completed.

Venice:[]

Venice can join a faction only after completing either the foci ‘Foreign Policy’ or ‘Stato da Mar’ (from the New Republic, and Old Republic branches, respectively).

It can join the Reichspakt or the Entente, and can join Austria (Donau-Adriabund or Reichspakt) only if it completed ‘Foreign Policy’ (so the New Republic branch).