The Piedmontese Civil War, also known as the Savoyard Civil War, was a conflict for control of the Savoyard state from 1639 to 1642. Although not formally part of the 1635 to 1659 Franco-Spanish War, Savoy's strategic importance drew in both Habsburg Spain, which controlled the nearby Duchy of Milan, and France.
After four years of fighting, Christine was confirmed as Regent, a position she retained until her death in 1663. As part of the settlement that ended the war, Prince Maurice married his niece Princess Luisa Cristina of Savoy, and became governor of the Savoyard territory of Nice; Prince Thomas was given control of the fortresses of Biella and Ivrea, and thereafter fought for the French.
Although Spain was then the most powerful state in Europe, its reliance on long exterior lines of communication was a potential weakness. Cardinal Richelieu sought to weaken Spain by attacking them wherever possible, which led to French involvement in the 1628 to 1631 War of the Mantuan Succession. That ended with their candidate, Charles I Gonzaga, confirmed as ruler of the Duchy of Mantua, and French garrisons were installed in the Savoyard fortresses of Pinerolo and Casale. Their possession protected the Alpine passes into southern France and allowed France to threaten Milan at will.[2]
After the outbreak of the Franco-Spanish War in 1635, Richelieu supported Savoyard-led operations against Milan in order to tie down Spanish resources. These included an unsuccessful attack on Valenza in 1635, plus minor victories at Tornavento and Mombaldone (see Map).[4] In June 1637, Leganés, Spanish governor of Milan, captured the Savoyard town of Vercelli; the anti-Habsburg alliance in Northern Italy fell apart when Charles of Mantua died in September, followed by Victor Amadeus in October.[5]
As his heir, Francis Hyacinth, was only five years old, Charles's will appointed Christine as regent. Despite her French connections, she attempted to preserve Savoyard independence although her options were restricted by the presence of French troops and a chronic lack of money. Her two brothers-in-law suspected that France intended to annex Savoy, a concern that had some basis in reality since control of the duchy was part of Richelieu's anti-Habsburg policy.[6]
In October 1638, Francis died, and was succeeded by his four-year-old brother, Charles Emmanuel. although Christine continued as regent, that was not covered by Victor Amadeus's will. Maurice and Thomas argued her position had to be approved by the Savoy Estates or by the Holy Roman Emperor, who was technically the overlord of the duchy.[7]
The Princes, or 'Principisti', had considerable support among ordinary Piedmontese, who resented the French presence; those who backed Christine, known as 'Madamisti', included a number of powerful families, notably the d'Aglié clan. However, that simplifies an extremely complex reality; the 'Principisti' were equally concerned by Spanish intentions towards Savoy, and some of them supported Maurice, rather than Thomas, and there were many individual links between the factions.[8]
At the end of 1638, Thomas went to Madrid to negotiate for Spanish support; he was not entirely trusted since his wife, Marie de Bourbon, was a member of the French royal family. As a result, she and their children lived in Madrid as hostages for his good behaviour.[9] In March 1639, Richelieu ordered his commanders to arrest Thomas if he entered Savoy, and Louis wrote to Christine to demand her to bar both Thomas and Maurice from Piedmontese territory.[10]
Under the terms of their alliance, the Princes kept any towns that opened their gates without resistance, the Spanish those taken by force. The deal was not nearly as attractive as it seemed, since the most important were held by the French, who could be expected to resist, and potentially meant exchanging French domination for Spanish. In March 1639, Thomas entered Piedmont, quickly occupying Chieri, Moncalieri, Ivrea, Verrua and Chivasso, but the main prize was Turin, held by a French garrison. Whoever held it controlled Piedmont, making it imperative to negotiate a deal; he secretly opened negotiations with Christine, while Richelieu allegedly offered him offices and a pension if he switched sides.[11]
In June, Christine ceded Cherasco and Carmagnola to France, in return for an annual subsidy of one million Écus; she also agreed to 'discuss' the future of Savoyard possessions including the County of Nice.[12] The Princes issued a joint declaration denouncing this as a betrayal, but blaming it on 'ambitious courtiers' such as the d'Aglié family.[13] Maurice occupied Nice, while Thomas entered Turin in July with an army of 12,000, helped by supporters inside the city.[6]
Along with Charles Emmanuel, Christine escaped to the Citadel, which was held by a well-supplied French garrison; built by Francesco Paciotto between 1564 and 1577, it was generally reputed to be impregnable.[14] After a failed attempt to recover the city, Christine concluded a truce with Thomas until 24 October, while they continued negotiations. During this delay, Richelieu despatched one of his best commanders, the Comte d'Harcourt, to take command of French troops in Pinerolo.[6]
When the truce expired, Harcourt attacked Chieri, successfully distracting attention from a resupply convoy sent to his garrison at Casale. However, Leganés advanced on Chieri from the south, and Thomas marched out of Turin; threatened with from two sides, Harcourt withdrew towards Pinerolo on 20 November, only to find his road blocked by the Spanish. Despite being outnumbered, Thomas and Leganés failed to co-ordinate their attacks, allowing Harcourt to defeat them separately, in an action known as La Rotta. Covered by a rearguard led by Turenne, the French reassembled at Carignano, before returning to Pinerolo (see Map).[15]
While Thomas resumed his blockade of Turin's citadel, Leganés besieged Casale; in April 1640, Harcourt marched to relieve the town with 10,000 men. Dividing his army into three parts under himself, Turenne and La Mothe-Houdancourt, he attacked the Spanish lines on 29 April. After several hours of hard fighting, Leganés withdrew, allegedly suffering more than 3,000 casualties, many drowned when a bridge collapsed.[16]
Harcourt now entered Turin, beginning one of the most complex and famous military events of the 17th century. A small French garrison in the citadel were blockaded by 12,000 troops under Thomas; he was now besieged by Harcourt; at the end of May, he was in turn surrounded by a relief force of 18,000 under Leganés. After their defeat at Casale, the Spanish would not risk attacking the French, and were unable to keep Thomas supplied. Convinced Leganés was deliberately seeking to undermine him, he agreed terms with Harcourt and on 24 September withdrew from Turin to his base at Ivrea.[6]
Over the winter, Thomas held talks with Richelieu, hoping to secure Savoy's independence and end the damage being caused to Piedmont. Leganés had been replaced as Habsburg commander by Cardinal Trivulzio, who tried to support Thomas as best he could, but in 1640, protests against tax increases erupted into open revolts in Portugal and Catalonia. Desperately short of troops and money, the Spanish effectively ceased operations in Northern Italy.[17]
This reality led to an acceleration of negotiations between the Princes, Richelieu and Christine; despite the weakness of her position, Christine insisted on her position as head of state, as well as compensating Thomas and Maurice. Richelieu's fury at her refusal to concede these points was reflected in his private correspondence, in which he described her as 'obstinate', dominated by her ministers, and 'weak.' These judgements influenced later perceptions of Christine, especially by French historians.[18]
When Thomas' brother-in-law, the Comte de Soissons, was killed at La Marfée in July 1641, it left his sister Marie as heir and gave Richelieu a powerful bargaining tool. Two treaties were finally signed at Turin in June 1642, the first between France and the Princes, who agreed to enter French service and restore the lands they had occupied to Christine. In return, Thomas received a pension, his wife's inheritance, and help in securing the release of his family from Spain; Maurice was granted the governorship of Nice, and renounced his position as cardinal to marry his niece, Princess Luisa Cristina of Savoy.[19]
The second treaty, between Christine and her brothers-in-law, restated the stipulations of the first, while Thomas was also given control of Biella and Ivrea for the duration of the regency. Both sides agreed to release their prisoners without ransom, confirmed officeholders already in place, while Christine agreed to ensure Thomas and Maurice were included in state decision making.[20]
Aftermath
Although the civil war was ended, the final settlement has been seen as benefitting France, which retained garrisons in Turin, Pinerolo and Casale, while neutralising any opposition to French control. Richelieu, who died in December 1642, tried to incentivise Thomas to continue the war against Spain by agreeing Savoy could keep any territory conquered from Milan. With Spain on the defensive in Northern Italy, this seemed an opportunity, but Thomas was also handicapped by lack of resources.[6]
An alternative view sees it as a triumph for Christine, who had prevented the annexation of Savoy by France, Richelieu's original intention. She also managed to reconcile with her brothers-in-law, while retaining control of government, even after Charles Emmanuel reached adulthood in 1648. The same year, Thomas went into exile in Paris where he died in 1656, Maurice lived in relative obscurity until his death in 1657; Christine was still the main power in Savoy when she too died in 1663.[21]
Related Research Articles
Charles Emmanuel I, known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 30 August 1580 until his death almost 50 years later in 1630, he was the longest-reigning Savoyard monarch at the time, only for his record to be surpassed by his great-grandson Victor Amadeus II. He was nicknamed Testa d'feu for his rashness and military aggression.
Victor Amadeus I was the Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 26 July 1630 until his death in 1637. He was also known as the Lion of Susa.
Victor Amadeus II was the head of the House of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 12 June 1675 until his abdication in 1730. He was the first of his house to acquire a royal crown, ruling first as King of Sicily (1713–1720) and then as King of Sardinia (1720–1730). Among his other titles were Duke of Savoy, Duke of Montferrat, Prince of Piedmont, Marquis of Saluzzo and Count of Aosta, Maurienne and Nice.
The House of Savoy-Carignano originated as a cadet branch of the House of Savoy. It was founded by Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano (1596–1656), an Italian military commander who was the fifth son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy. His descendants were accepted as princes étrangers at the court of France, where some held prominent positions. Upon the extinction of the main Savoy line they eventually came to reign as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the dynasty's deposition in 1946. The Savoy-Carignano family also, briefly, supplied a king each to Spain and Croatia, as well as queens consort to Bulgaria and Portugal.
Thomas Francis of Savoy, 1st Prince of Carignano was an Italian military commander and the founder of the Carignano branch of the House of Savoy, which reigned as kings of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the dynasty's deposition in 1946.
The House of Savoy is an Italian royal house that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansions the family grew in power, first ruling a small Alpine county northwest of Italy and later gaining absolute rule of the Kingdom of Sicily. During the years 1713 to 1720, they were handed the island of Sardinia and would exercise direct rule from then onward.
The Duchy of Savoy was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy.
The siege of Turin took place from June to September 1706, during the War of the Spanish Succession. A French army led by Louis de la Feuillade besieged the Savoyard capital of Turin, whose relief by Prince Eugene of Savoy has been called the most brilliant campaign of the war in Italy. The siege is also famous for the death of Piedmontese hero Pietro Micca.
The War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631) was a conflict related to the Thirty Years' War and was caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, the last male heir in the direct line of the House of Gonzaga and the ruler of the duchies of Mantua and Montferrat. Those territories were key to control of the Spanish Road, an overland route that allowed Habsburg Spain to move recruits and supplies from Italy to their army in Flanders. The result was a proxy war between France, which supported the French-born Duke of Nevers, and Spain, which backed a distant cousin, the Duke of Guastalla.
The Battle of Staffarda took place on 18 August 1690 during the Nine Years' War in Piedmont, Northern Italy. The engagement was the first major battle of the Nine Years' War in Italy since Victor Amadeus II of Savoy joined the Grand Alliance against Louis XIV of France earlier that year.
The siege of Cuneo was fought on 28 June 1691 during Nine Years' War in Piedmont-Savoy, modern-day northern Italy. The siege was part of French King Louis XIV’s campaign against Victor Amadeus, the Duke of Savoy, who had sided with the Grand Alliance the previous year. The siege was an attempt to gain a foothold on the Piedmont Plain, thus ensuring Marshal Catinat's army could winter east of the Alps. Yet due to the incompetence of the two French commanders – and a timely arrival of Imperial reinforcements – the siege proved a disaster, resulting in the loss of between 700 and 800 men. Although French forces had taken Nice in the west, and Montmélian in the north, Catinat's small, ill-equipped army was forced onto the defensive. Louis XIV subsequently offered Amadeus generous peace terms but the Duke, who had by now received substantial Imperial reinforcements from the Empire, considered himself strong enough to continue hostilities.
Christine Marie of France was Duchess of Savoy from 26 July 1630 to 7 October 1637 as the consort of Duke Victor Amadeus I. She was the daughter of Henry IV of France and sister of Louis XIII. Following her husband's death in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648.
The 1640 siege of Turin was a major action in two distinct wars: the Franco-Spanish War (1635–59) and the Piedmontese Civil War. When Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano and his Piedmontese faction captured Turin, the French garrison supporting the Regent Christine Marie of France retired within the citadel and continued to resist. A Franco-Piedmontese army led by Henri de Lorraine, count of Harcourt and Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne invested the forces under Prince Thomas within the city. Finally, a Spanish army under Diego Felipez de Guzmán, Marquis of Leganés appeared and encircled the French besiegers. In this triple siege, the Spanish army surrounded the French army which surrounded Prince Thomas' Piedmontese who surrounded the French controlled citadel. In the end the French prevailed; Prince Thomas surrendered on terms and was allowed to march his troops elsewhere, leaving Turin in French control. Turin is a major city in the northwest part of modern-day Italy.
Maurice of Savoy was an Italian nobleman, politician and cardinal. He was the fourth son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Infanta Catalina Micaela of Spain.
The Villa della Regina is a palace in the city of Turin, Piedmont, Italy. It was originally built by the House of Savoy in the 17th century.
Prince Benedetto, Duke of Chablais was an Italian nobleman and military leader. He was the youngest child of King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia. He married his half-niece Maria Anna of Savoy; they had no children. Benedetto was the owner of the Palazzo Chiablese in Turin.
Margaret Yolande of Savoy was Princess of Savoy from birth and later Duchess consort of Parma. A proposed bride for her first cousin Louis XIV of France, she later married Ranuccio Farnese, son of the late Odoardo Farnese and Margherita de' Medici. She died in childbirth in 1663.
Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, 2nd Prince of Carignano, was the son and heir of Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano. He constructed the Palazzo Carignano in Turin.
Princess Luisa Cristina of Savoy was a Princess of Savoy by birth and the eldest daughter of Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy. She married her uncle Prince Maurice of Savoy but had no children. She was the owner of the future Villa della Regina. She was a first cousin of Louis XIV of France and Charles II of England.
The Treaty of Turin, signed on 29 August 1696 by the French King and the Duchy of Savoy, ended the latter's involvement in the Nine Years' War.
Ferretti, Giuliano (2014). "La politique italienne de la France et le duché de Savoie au temps de Richelieu". Dix-septième siècle (in French). 1 (262): 7. doi:10.3917/dss.141.0007.
Wilson, Peter (2009). Europe's Tragedy: A History of the Thirty Years War. Allen Lane. ISBN978-0713995923.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Madamisti faction 
France 
Spain 
