Chapter 261

Chapter 261: Threat

As the Kingdom of Italy made preparations for action, they analyzed their situation and recognized that the primary threat they faced was from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Italian government understood that the Austro-Hungarian Empire's intervention was a sign of Pius IX's desperation and lack of options.

They realized that if the Pope were to survive, he needed a replacement protectorate, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire seemed like the most suitable candidate. This assessment was partly correct, but it missed the true nature of Austria-Hungary's involvement in Italy.

However, Italy had an advantage when it came to intelligence gathering in the Papal State. Since the Pope's domain was a religious state, it couldn't prevent the movement of believers or trade. Italian spies and informants easily infiltrated the Pope's territory, gathering valuable information.

Back in Rome, Pope Pius IX thought he had a good grasp of Austria-Hungary's plan, which led him to laugh heartily in front of Freud. Pius IX believed that Austria-Hungary intended to incite opposition to Italian unification, which would eventually lead to the disintegration of the Kingdom of Italy.

Freud, the Austro-Hungarian envoy, wasn't too concerned about Pius IX's insights. He advised the Pope not to share this information and to focus on building up the Papal State's army.

After two days of discussion, the Kingdom of Italy reached a consensus: they could no longer delay taking action against the Pope. The Austro-Hungarian Empire's intervention was seen as a sign of Pius IX's desperation and inability to resist Italy's unification efforts.

The Italian government understood the potential threat posed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, whether through a land invasion of Venice and Lombardy or a naval assault along the eastern coast. They decided to transfer their western navy to the east to counter any naval threat from Austria-Hungary.

General Raffaele Cadorna emphasized the need for a strong defensive presence in Venice and Lombardy, suggesting a force of 150,000 troops. He also mentioned the importance of preventing local resistance and the need for vigilance.

For the assault on the Papal State, the Italian government planned to contribute 25,000 troops, with the remaining 5,000 coming from Garibaldi's volunteer army. However, they expressed concerns about Garibaldi's leadership and instability.

The Kingdom of Italy commenced its preparations, with the army quietly moving towards Venice and Lombardy. The Austro-Hungarian Empire pretended not to notice, allowing Italy to complete its mobilization while closely monitoring the situation.

On August 16, Italy issued an ultimatum to the Pope, demanding that he peacefully merge into Italy. The Pope, with the support of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, refused to comply and expanded his army to approximately 15,000 troops, preparing to resist.

In response, the Austro-Hungarian Empire's ambassador issued a direct threat, asserting that the Pope had never belonged to Italy and had a much longer history than the Kingdom of Italy. Austria-Hungary made it clear that it would not allow Italy to attack the Pope without consequences.