Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a country in the past that started in 1861 after the Italian unification until the dissolution of the country in 1946. In 1946, the people decided to change how the country was governed, and the Kingdom became the modern day Italian Republic.

Kingdom of Italy
Regno d'Italia
1861–1946
Flag of Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
Motto: 
Anthem: 
The Kingdom of Italy in 1936
The Kingdom of Italy in 1936
CapitalRome
Demonym(s)Italian
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy and Fascist dictatorship
LegislatureItalian Parliament
History 
• 
1861
• 
1946
Area
• Total
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Population
• Estimate
42,993,602 (1936)
CurrencyItalian lira
Today part of Italian Republic (mainly), Slovenia, Croatia

History

Unification

Kingdom Of Italy (1861–1946) Media

Before 1861, Italy was not one country. Instead, there were many kingdoms and duchies (places ruled by dukes) in the Italian Peninsula. In 1861, the King Victor Emmanuel II, who was the king of the Kingdom of Sardinia wanted to unite Italy, and he invaded the countries. Later, They all became one country and King Victor Emmanuel II became the King of Italy.

Colonies

Italy began their colonial empire in the 1880s, when they conquered Eritrea and Somalia. In 1912, they took Libya from the Ottoman Empire. In 1936, Italy also conquered Ethiopia, creating the colony of Italian East Africa. When they lost WW2, their colonies were lost to the British Empire and the French Empire.

Fascism

Before WW1, Italy was friends with the German Empire and Austria-Hungary. But Italy wanted parts of Austria-Hungary. In 1915, the United Kingdom promised the lands of South Tyrol, Istria and Dalmatia. But after Italy won WW1, they did not get all of the lands. In 1922, Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister. He was a fascist leader and didn't like Italy not getting all their promised land in WW1. He made Italy into a dictatorship without much liberty.

When WW2 began, Mussolini's Blackshirts led Italy to be allied with Hitler, and the Axis powers. The Axis powers lost WW2. Mussolini's leadership ended in 1943, and he was killed in 1945. Nazi Germany controlled Italy at the end of WW2 , but they eventually were invaded by the Allies and when Hitler killed himself, The Nazis lost WW2. After Nazi Germany ceased to exist, Italy was independent again.

Aftermath of World War II

After WW, Italy was left in huge debt, causing Italy to be poor. Many people from Italy emigrated to the United States to escape being poor. In 1946, People voted to get rid of the monarchy (kings) and establish the new Italian Republic. Slowly, the new government helped Italy get back up again into its current state. Also, dramatically, people stopped emigrating because life in Italy was becoming better.

List of monarchs

  • Umberto II (1946)
     
    This is the flag of Italian fascism, a symbol of Benito Mussolini's ideology.