Piedmontese Republic


The Piedmontese Republic was a short-lived Sister Republic that existed between 1798 and 1799 on the territory of Piedmont during its military rule by the French First Republic.

History

Piedmont was the main part of the Kingdom of Sardinia which, despite its name, had its core on the mainland. The kingdom suffered a first French invasion in 1796, which led to the Treaty of Paris and the loss of Savoy and Nice. After a second invasion in 1798, King Charles Emmanuel IV escaped to Rome, but he never agreed to sign a new peace treaty, approving a final arrangement of its continental territories according to international law.
The Piedmontese Republic was declared on 10 September 1798; General Joubert occupied the Sardinian capital of Turin on 6 December 1798. It was heavily dependent on France and was never really independent as it was under French military occupation. The state was not recognized by the international community. The structure of government was a directorial system.
The republic used the motto Libertà, Virtù, Eguaglianza, echoing the French motto Liberté, égalité, fraternité, on its coins.
On 20 June 1799, the 1798-1799 Piedmontese Republic ceased to exist when it was conquered by Austro-Russian troops immediately after the Battle of Trebbia. It was subsequently reincorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia, but exactly a year later, it was reestablished as the Subalpine Republic, after Napoleon took back much of northern Italy after the victorious Battle of Marengo. The Subalpine Republic lasted until 11 September 1802, when it was divided between the French and Italian Republics.