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Italian states map

Italian states (1920 -)

Sardinia, officially named the Kingdom of Sardinia, is an insular kingdom in the Mediterranean Sea, west of the Italian Peninsula and formerly part of the Italian Federation. They are also a member of the Entente.

History[]

After the armistice at Venice ended the fighting against the Central Powers, King Victor Emanuel was blamed for totally mismanaging the war, and republican and socialist revolts broke out across Italy. In the north, the new Republic of Italy had most success, and drove the royalist forces out of Piedmont, Emilia and most of Tuscany. The king and his son abdicated, but this was hardly enough to end the rebellions, and now the royalists had no head of state to rally around. Returning from the front, Duke Emanuel Philibert of Aosta took up the defense of Sardinia from any republican rebels, and declared himself the successor to his cousin as King of Italy. He was mostly ignored by the remaining royalist forces on the mainland, however, who eventually were obliged to join an Austrian project, the Italian Federation, in return for aid in the civil war. After the civil war ended in a temporary ceasefire, the Entente forced King Emanuel Philibert to join the Italian Federation as king of the member state of Sardinia-Piedmont. King Emanuele Filiberto’s government, though indeed part of the Federation and thus not formally able to conduct diplomacy with foreign powers, nonetheless privately reassured the Entente that the alliance between the Houses of Savoy and Windsor would remain in place, and offered asylum to fleeing French whites.

Sardinian troops returning from the war, especially the famed Sassari Brigade, soon adopted growing Sardinian regionalism, founding the Sardinian Action Party (Partito Sardo d'Azione in Italian, Partidu Sardu in Sardinian) in 1921. The party was promptly forced underground, as Emilio Lussu, the party leader, conducted a mostly peaceful resistance against the Italian monarchist occupation. While some in Emanuele Filiberto’s government, primarily the royalist refugees from various parts of Italy, still fostered some hopes for a restoration of Savoyard rule over Italy, the recency of the loss to Austria and the Syndicalists inclined the government to keep the status quo of remaining part of the Federation as Sardinia-Piedmont.

When the British Empire collapsed in 1926, the Socialist Republic, encouraged by a new member of the Internationale, mobilized its military to attack the southern mainland states of the Federation. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was experiencing severe internal turmoil at the time, and the Dual War Ministry made the decision to withdraw protection from the Two Sicilies, prompting an outraged Two Sicilies to withdraw from the Federation. Sardinia also declared independence, but did not yet declare itself the Kingdom of Italy restored, as some royalists wanted. While the regionalist parties were happy to be free of the remnants of Austrian influence, they were dismayed at the renewed French alliance and the influx of foreign advisors, which might lead to foolish reunification wars. 

After the civil war, Sardinia was ruled by a dual French/Sardinian military government, and dissent, much of it led by the SAP, soared. In 1926, after Sardinia left the Italian Federation and the king subjecting Sardinia as a base to restore a unitary Italy seemed likely, a peaceful protest started by the SAP led to a revolt nearly breaking out against Emanuele Filiberto’s government, and only French intervention prevented the royalists from being kicked out of power by the SAP. In the “Compromise of Alghero”, the French forced the king to bring back the suspended Sardinian constitution, first ratified in 1848 after the Albertine Decree. The SAP, in exchange, was allowed to participate in the elections if it shifted rightwards, embracing a more moderate platform of independence through the king. Emilio Lussu, disgusted with the sellout, fled to his friends in the SRI. In the first elections in 1927, the SAP won most of the vote, uniting many native Sardinians. The Democratic Sardinian Union, however, stood on a platform of retaking Piedmont and restoring the king’s rightful and constitutional place in government, and won 23% of the vote, and the support of the monarchy.

Since then, the power of the SAP has only grown, much to Emanuele Filiberto’s and, after 1931, the new King Amadeo’s chagrin. Though the economy has indeed improved since the catastrophe of the Great Depression, and the quality of life has soared on the island, there is much corruption and foreign interests at work in the overbearing SAP. Indeed, Sardinia almost might be called a one party state, though Amadeo will seize any opportunity to dethrone them. The military of Sardinia is very influential in the political scene, and the most important diplomatic relationship goes through the French attaché in Cagliari.

Politics[]

The Sardinian Action Party continues to rule Sardinia, as it has since the Compromise of Alghero. It has a noticeable split between a moderate and radical wing, led by Bellioni and the exiled Lussu respectively.

Head of Government: Camillo Bellioni

Foreign Minister:

Economy Minister:

Intelligence Minister:

Military[]

Sardinia's military is large for the land it controls, yet not enough to defend itself. It will need to rely on their allies in case of war.

Army []

The Sassari Division, true to its history, defends the island against foreign threats. While being just one division, its veteran officers are of immense value to the kingdom.

Navy[]

Sardinia's navy is composed of various ships loyalist captains managed to save from Syndicalist control. Most of these ships are quite old, and may not perform optimally on the open sea. It is stationed at La Maddalena, and regularly patrols the Strait of Bonifacio. It consists of 2 armored cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 13 destroyers, and 8 submarines

Air Force[]

The Sardinian Airforce does not exist at January 1st, 1936.

Foreign Relations[]

Sardinia is a member of the Entente with Canada, the French Republic, the West Indies Federation, the Australasian Confederation, British India and Ceylon.

Sardinia has friendly relations with the United States.

Sardinia has unfriendly relations with Germany, Austria, the Commune of France, the Union of Britain, and especially the Socialist Republic of Italy.

Economy[]

The economy is heavily biased towards coal exports, chiefly to France and Spain. New mines are opened every year, and tensions rise between exiles and local miners. Much of the heavy industry on the island is owned by French companies, and reliant on French government sponsorship.

See Also[]

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