Who was Italian King Victor Emmanuel?

Answer 1

Vittorio Emmanuelle III (or Victor Emmanuel III) was the reigning king of Italy from 1900 to 1946. While serving as king, he presided over Italy during two world wars before finally abdicating the throne (in 1946) as a result of popular pressure to abolish the royal crown of Italy.

Answer 2

Answer

King Victor Emmanuel III was King of Italy just prior to and during WW2. Benito Mussolini was the prime minister of Italy while King Emmanuel II was on the throne.

The House of Savoy was a dynasty of nobles who held their reign in the Kingdom of Sardinia. The lineage dates back to Thomas Francis(1656), with Victor Amedeus II reigning as the first King of Sardinia in 1720. The first King of Italy was VictorEmmanuel II who was crowned when the states were merged into one kingdom. Victor Emmanuel III was born in Naples, Italy, in 1869, the son of King Umberto I, Italy's second reigning monarch. Victor Emmanuel III came to the throne when his father was assassinated at Monza in 1900. He was so small that he was nicknamed the 'dwarf' by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

On the outbreak of the First World War, Victor Emmanuel III agreed with his government that Italy should remain neutral. However, at a secret meeting held in England on 26th April 1915, representatives of the Italian government agreed to enter the war in return for financial help and the granting of land currently under the control of Austria-Hungary.

After a series of riots in 1922, the king appointed Benito Mussolini as prime minister in an attempt to prevent a communist revolution in Italy. Mussolini headed a coalition of fascists and nationalists and parliamentary government continued until the murder of the socialist leader, Giacomo Matteotti in 1924. Critics view King Emmanuel as a puppet ruler of the Fascists. His early actions indicated he was pro-democracy but he allowed Mussolini and the Fascists to take over the country. In 1920s, the monarchy, the church, the political elite and the voters felt Mussolini and his regime would provide a political and financial stability that was needed for their country.

King Victor Emmanuel III had a son, Umberto de Salvoia,named the Prince of Piedmont. He married Crown Princess Maria José, the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium. Following the overthrow of Benito Mussolini in July 1943, King Victor Emmanuel handed over his constitutional functions to Umberto II, who was made Lieutenant General of the Realm. King Emmanuel left Italy for safety in Egypt. During the next 3 years, he earned widespread praise.

Had Victor Emmanuel III handed over the throne at this time, then it is likely that the monarchy would have won the 1946 referendum on its survival. Victor Emmanuel's failure proved to be one of his many major misjudgments. The crown could have survived with a popular Crown Prince and Princess much less tainted by fascism than the monarch. Victor Emmanuel III withdrew from private life and died in exile in Egypt in 1947.

A referendum was held in 1946 only weeks after Umberto had become king. The ballot was somewhat questionable but the final outcome was in favor of a Republic. The monarchy formally ended on June 12, 1946--- Umberto II was king for only 33 days. King Umberto lived for 35 years in exile and eventually separated from his wife. He died in March 18, 1983, and was buried in Savoy. The 999-year reign of the Savoyards in the various duchies and kingdoms had come to an end.

Source: www.custermen.com