Soldiers of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy: A socio-political study of the army of Italy and its impact on the Italian national consciousness
Abstract
The Napoleonic kingdom of Italy was the first of Napoleon's satellite kingdoms. Established in 1802 as the Italian Republic, Napoleon utilized the monetary and population resources of the state to his advantage. Strategically located in northern Italy, the Italian Republic and later Kingdom of Italy (1805), was a knife in the belly of the Habsburg monarchy. The kingdom was a buffer between France and Austria, and provided a significant number of soldiers to the Napoleonic armies. Roughly 200,000 Italians served in the kingdom's army, three percent of the entire population. In order to create an Italian army it was necessary for Napoleon to foster Italian nationalism, making north Italians see themselves as part of a greater Italy and not as members of their individual city-states and duchies, such as Milan, Mantua and Venice. Napoleon therefore consciously attempted to create an Italian national identity. While this was done in all areas of Italian society and government, it was emphasized specifically in the Italian army. In essence, over a fourteen year period, 1800-1814, the Italian army was a significant part of the Italian state. This dissertation focuses on the Italian army as a physical manifestation of Italian nationalism. It explores the social composition of the army, its officers and men, their motivation and performance, to determine whether Napoleon was successful in his attempt to foster Italian nationalism. In the final analysis, Napoleon was successful in the short term, providing considerable manpower for his Italian armies. In the long term, the effect of the Napoleonic regime was limited.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Rothenberg, Purdue University.
Subject Area
European history
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