Italy, notorious for its bad moves and let downs, economic condition and drastic North South divide. What if one could go back and rewrite them into triumphs?
Ok people, my second real TL. Thanks very much for your help on various threads I've set up in order to write this. Special thanks to everyone who commented on the threads and helped to write this (too many people to thank, so if you know you did, shout out on the wall).
So, back to business. This TL is going to be as realistic an Italy wank as I can make it. The PoD is the birth of Francesco di Castagna. Thats it. The rest is filled with the above info, Italy faring better in events that arent butterflied away (mostly the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian war. The rest will be quite different I think). Anyways, I need lots of comments, ideas, props, critiques, and suggestions on how to continue. So, enjoy the read!
Francesco di Castagna: Born 1822 in Rende, Calabria. Di Castagna attended the Turin Military academy at the age of 12. He made his fortune from his company: Prima acciaio e ferro (Prima Steel and Iron).A huge philanthropist in the South of Italy, he became a good friend of Garibaldi as a lead supporter of Unification in the South and, a friend of Camillo Benso, first Prime minister of Italy. di Castagna was appointed minister of the interior by Cavour in 1860
1862: di Castagna meets with Prime Minister Bettino Ricasoli to insist on himself going to meet with Albrecht von Roon and Otto von Bismarck to ask them for their support in restructuring Italy’s military. Ricasoli, a supporter of military reform and a closer relation with Prussia, agrees.
di Castagna meets with Bismarck, Roon and Helmuth von Moltke. The 3 Prussians are intrigued with the Italian. The meeting goes extraordinary even though the understanding of each others language is minimal. The Prussians are impressed with di Castagna’s political hook ups and aggressive political beliefs, especially of which he and Bismarck agree in many respects. The subject of Austria also comes up and di Castagna’s beliefs also seem to match the three Prussian leaders’ beliefs on the issue. The 3 agree to di Castagna’s appeal to a Prussian restructuring of the new Italian army. They mutually feel that Italy can play a part in any future Prussian war as a close ally. They also realise, however, that Italy has much work to do before their military can be truly fit for a war.
di Castagna returns to Italy with news and plans of a military restructuring, drawn up by the “big three”, the term he uses to describe the Prussians. The Italian military will immediately put forth plans that will have it imitate the newly reformed Prussian army (ex. every Italian man is now liable for conscription, term of active service to 3 years, during which troops are to continually be trained and drilled, etc…).
Bettino Ricasoli dies March 3rd
March 12th, di Castagna becomes Prime Minister of Italy. His first item of business, pass his "Legge di riforma delle forze armate" (the soldier’s reform bill).
March 31st, the soldier’s reform bill is passed and reform is to begin immediately.
April 9th, di Castagna invites Otto von Bismarck, Albrecht von Roon, and Helmuth von Moltke over to Italy. di Castagna sees Prussia as a major player and believes that the future Prussia will only be stronger. He believes that closer Italo-Prussian relations are the key to a powerful alliance between the two countries and mostly, the closer he can have Italy resemble Prussia.
April 20th, di Castagna holds a meeting with many small-large business owners in Torino. He is making them a proposal: move your business to/ open up new business in the South. He guarantees slashed rates, and better business conditions to those who do. He also guarantees that with the army being retrained, many southerners have already joined the army (as pay in the army was mostly more then they were making as farmers anyway) and mostly, that businesses opened in the south will have protection from organized crime, due to such a new army. The latter promise is not taken into belief by most business owners in the meeting though they do believe this will deter the mafia. Di Castagna tells the men that this meeting will reconvene on the 20th of May (one month’s time). Those who attend the next meeting are only to be those businesses interested in the proposal and ready to be involved in this southern business push.
May 20th, promises of reduced taxes, better business conditions, and a military presence to deter the mafia have brought most of the initially invited business owners back to Torino. di Castagna congratulates them and gives them the whole criteria on what they are to do. Businesses are allowed to move to whatever cities they want in the Mezzogiorno (Italy’s south), as long as they submit the city name to di Castagna so he can fulfill his benefits to the establishment. To stop sporadic business, however, di Castagna authorises Reggio Calabria, Taranto, and Salerno, as the main business hubs of the south. The idea is greatly appreciated by the owners who liked having a specified destination to choose. At the end of the week’s meetings, the economic future of the south seemed very different then it did the week before. Reggio Calabria drew businesses mainly in shipping, and production. Taranto drew business mainly in shipping as well, while Salerno drew business in textile, and agriculture.
June 6th, di Castagna, in an attempt to reinvigorate the south proposes a south-wide irrigation system. This however, is deemed much too expensive to finance. The program is scaled down. di Castagna focuses the program to the Province of Basilicata, knowing that the promise of wheat and other agricultural benefits from the province can benefit both his new industrial cities of Taranto and Reggio.
June 12th, the Italian Parliament gives di Castagna the third degree about spending. He counters this with a plan for mass Italian foreign investment. His plan appeals to the assembly and he gets the green light.
[Notes] Luigi Carlo Farini dies in 1860 from bad health.
Ok people, my second real TL. Thanks very much for your help on various threads I've set up in order to write this. Special thanks to everyone who commented on the threads and helped to write this (too many people to thank, so if you know you did, shout out on the wall).
So, back to business. This TL is going to be as realistic an Italy wank as I can make it. The PoD is the birth of Francesco di Castagna. Thats it. The rest is filled with the above info, Italy faring better in events that arent butterflied away (mostly the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian war. The rest will be quite different I think). Anyways, I need lots of comments, ideas, props, critiques, and suggestions on how to continue. So, enjoy the read!
Italy, a Destiny Fulfilled
Francesco di Castagna: Born 1822 in Rende, Calabria. Di Castagna attended the Turin Military academy at the age of 12. He made his fortune from his company: Prima acciaio e ferro (Prima Steel and Iron).A huge philanthropist in the South of Italy, he became a good friend of Garibaldi as a lead supporter of Unification in the South and, a friend of Camillo Benso, first Prime minister of Italy. di Castagna was appointed minister of the interior by Cavour in 1860
1862: di Castagna meets with Prime Minister Bettino Ricasoli to insist on himself going to meet with Albrecht von Roon and Otto von Bismarck to ask them for their support in restructuring Italy’s military. Ricasoli, a supporter of military reform and a closer relation with Prussia, agrees.
di Castagna meets with Bismarck, Roon and Helmuth von Moltke. The 3 Prussians are intrigued with the Italian. The meeting goes extraordinary even though the understanding of each others language is minimal. The Prussians are impressed with di Castagna’s political hook ups and aggressive political beliefs, especially of which he and Bismarck agree in many respects. The subject of Austria also comes up and di Castagna’s beliefs also seem to match the three Prussian leaders’ beliefs on the issue. The 3 agree to di Castagna’s appeal to a Prussian restructuring of the new Italian army. They mutually feel that Italy can play a part in any future Prussian war as a close ally. They also realise, however, that Italy has much work to do before their military can be truly fit for a war.
di Castagna returns to Italy with news and plans of a military restructuring, drawn up by the “big three”, the term he uses to describe the Prussians. The Italian military will immediately put forth plans that will have it imitate the newly reformed Prussian army (ex. every Italian man is now liable for conscription, term of active service to 3 years, during which troops are to continually be trained and drilled, etc…).
Bettino Ricasoli dies March 3rd
March 12th, di Castagna becomes Prime Minister of Italy. His first item of business, pass his "Legge di riforma delle forze armate" (the soldier’s reform bill).
March 31st, the soldier’s reform bill is passed and reform is to begin immediately.
April 9th, di Castagna invites Otto von Bismarck, Albrecht von Roon, and Helmuth von Moltke over to Italy. di Castagna sees Prussia as a major player and believes that the future Prussia will only be stronger. He believes that closer Italo-Prussian relations are the key to a powerful alliance between the two countries and mostly, the closer he can have Italy resemble Prussia.
April 20th, di Castagna holds a meeting with many small-large business owners in Torino. He is making them a proposal: move your business to/ open up new business in the South. He guarantees slashed rates, and better business conditions to those who do. He also guarantees that with the army being retrained, many southerners have already joined the army (as pay in the army was mostly more then they were making as farmers anyway) and mostly, that businesses opened in the south will have protection from organized crime, due to such a new army. The latter promise is not taken into belief by most business owners in the meeting though they do believe this will deter the mafia. Di Castagna tells the men that this meeting will reconvene on the 20th of May (one month’s time). Those who attend the next meeting are only to be those businesses interested in the proposal and ready to be involved in this southern business push.
May 20th, promises of reduced taxes, better business conditions, and a military presence to deter the mafia have brought most of the initially invited business owners back to Torino. di Castagna congratulates them and gives them the whole criteria on what they are to do. Businesses are allowed to move to whatever cities they want in the Mezzogiorno (Italy’s south), as long as they submit the city name to di Castagna so he can fulfill his benefits to the establishment. To stop sporadic business, however, di Castagna authorises Reggio Calabria, Taranto, and Salerno, as the main business hubs of the south. The idea is greatly appreciated by the owners who liked having a specified destination to choose. At the end of the week’s meetings, the economic future of the south seemed very different then it did the week before. Reggio Calabria drew businesses mainly in shipping, and production. Taranto drew business mainly in shipping as well, while Salerno drew business in textile, and agriculture.
June 6th, di Castagna, in an attempt to reinvigorate the south proposes a south-wide irrigation system. This however, is deemed much too expensive to finance. The program is scaled down. di Castagna focuses the program to the Province of Basilicata, knowing that the promise of wheat and other agricultural benefits from the province can benefit both his new industrial cities of Taranto and Reggio.
June 12th, the Italian Parliament gives di Castagna the third degree about spending. He counters this with a plan for mass Italian foreign investment. His plan appeals to the assembly and he gets the green light.
[Notes] Luigi Carlo Farini dies in 1860 from bad health.
Last edited: