Second Sicilian-Italian War (Principia Moderni IV Map Game)

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Second Sicilian-Italian War Principia Moderni IV
Part of the Sicilian-Italian Wars
Carlo Bonaparte, First Consul of the Italian League following the Italian victory at the Battle of Lanciano in early 1739.
Date January 1739 - December 1741 Location Italian Peninsula Result Decisive Italian Victory Treaty of Naples Sicily becomes a vassal of the League Italian annexation of border region
Belligerents
Italian League	Sicily
Commanders and leaders
Carlo Bonaparte Giovanni Facta Pietro Paoli Francesco Adalberto Augusto Millo Alfonso Giangi Clément Paoli	Charles V Orsini Matteo I Orsini Francesco Orsini † Alessandro Colli-Marchi † Maurizio Miossi Lorenzo Ciano Giovanni de Marsala
Strength
Unknown	Unknown

The Second Sicilian-Italian War was a major European war fought from January 1739 to blank, primarily within the Italian Peninsula, and between the two regional powers of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Italian league. The war was the latest in a series of multiple other wars between the two nations, as a continuation of years of conflict and rising tensions, which had come to represent a larger conflict between many of Europe's great powers, primarily the nations of Belka and Iberia.

The previous Sicilian-Italian War is often grouped within the larger Belko-Iberian War (1667 - 1675), which saw the two great powers battling over hegemony within the Italian Peninsula, with Belka supporting the newly established Italian League, and Iberia supporting the Sicilians. Over the course of the next century the new nations would continue to coexist in an uneasy peace, with conflict nearly flaring up into war on multiple occasions, most notably in 1730, which was only prevented by the intervention of the Papal States via the Arbitration of Rome.

Both nations on the peninsula continued to grow and branch out from the status quo enforced in 1675. Specifically the Italian League under went numerous regime changes and minor internal, political conflicts, which saw its government shifted into a triumvirate style republic, under the command of Carlo Bonaparte. Sicily attempted to distance itself from Iberia, following the removal of the House of Bragança from the kingdom in favor of an Italian Prince-General; Charles V of the House of Orsini.

Background

Italy in the Seventeenth Century

In the 1630's the Kingdom of Sicily would spearhead crusades in the east, acting alongside their later adversary, the Empire of Belka, as well as the Papal States. During this time the Kingdom of Sicily was largely under the influence of the Kingdom of France, having been ruled by the House of Valois since the ascension of Philip I to the Sicilian throne in 1571. In 1634 relations between Sicily and France would be severed, after the French king made a secret agreement with the Papal States regarding Sicily territory, without the consent of the Sicilian government. In exchange for the returning of the border to pre-Hitlerite levels, the southern border between the Papal States and Sicily was expanded southward. As a result the Sicilian council had Charles di Valois-Calabria deposed and replaced by Sebastian Bonaparte.

In 1647 war broke out across Europe between most of the great powers, beginning a conflict that would stretch across the globe. Iberia would declare war on France and England, alongside Burgundy, and would call upon the Kingdom of Sicily, essentially establishing the Iberian-Sicilian alliance that would persist into the next century. In 1654 the death of Sebastien Bonaparte led to an Iberian-led election selecting Afonso de Bragança, solidifying the alliance with a dynastic union, which persist until 1738. The Bonapartes would remain an influential family within the Kingdom of Sicily, however, with Pietro Bonaparte leading the Iberian-Sicilian expedition to the Sicilian colonies of San Gennaro in 1661. The branch of the Bonapartes would later establish itself in the Italian league, rising to the forefront of the north's politics as well.

First War (1667-1675)

The mid seventeenth century saw the rise of the Neo-Hitlerite Movement, based on the movement that had previously rooted itself in southern Germany and northern Italy, particularly neighboring Lombardy, which had begun to emerge across the Italian League. A Belkan force under the direct command of the Tsar was dispatched to Italy to assist the Italian army. The Neo-Hitlerite Movement would ultimately culminate in the the Night of the Burning Cities, in which on 6 June multiple cities across the league would be targeted by religious fanatics.

Following their failure to predict the rapture in 1666, the Neo-Hitlerite Movement had died down, however, this also led to an increase in banditry and raiding across the country from the former members of the movement, most of whom had been shunned from their original communities. In 1667 Sicily would officially invade allegedly to finally put an end to the Hitlerite Movement, however, their failure to vacate the territory they captured eventually made it clear that this was a war of conquest and not just a war of liberation, beginning a conflict that would eventually result in the Belko-Iberian War.

The lead Italian general in the south, Gian Miossi, would ascend to the consulship in late 1669, overseeing much of the later half of the war. With the military under his control, and in the highest position of government, Miossi issued a decree in 1671 that would attempt to disband the republic and establish a hereditary kingdom under Miossi and his successors. Although Miossi was popular for his efforts in repulsing the Sicilians, this move made him a traitor in the capital city of Venice. In 1672, while the war was still technically on going, Miossi would be assassinated. The "New Republic" that followed saw the introduction of several political reforms to limit the power of the consul, including term limits. By 1675 the new government oversaw the end of the war with the signing of an official treaty, establishing the status quo between the Italian League and the Kingdom of Sicily.

Arbitration of Rome

Beginning in 1727 tensions once again began to flair up between the two Italian rivals. Afonso II de Bragança, a relative of the Iberian king, began making secret plans and alliances against the Italian League, most notably with the Archduchy of Austria, as well as an attempted alliance with the Papal States. In 1729 the Sicilian Prince-General traveled to the city of Venice within the Italian League, claiming to be observing the city's university in order to improve his own University of Naples. Instead it was discovered that the Prince-General was planning a false flag attack while in the city, which was unsuccessful in tricking the Italian government. Nonetheless, the attempted espionage caused a deterioration of any lasting relations still existing between the two nations, as would the discovery of other agents attempting to infiltrate the Italian government.

These events would spark what would become known as the Italian Crisis, and would leave all the pertinent nations on the peninsula mobilized and ready for war for the next few years. In 1730 the Pope proposed the Arbitration of Rome, as an attempt to quell the rising tensions between the two nations. Overall the conflict would be prolonged over the course of the next few years.

Belkan diplomats were quick to point out that Sicily's attempted invasion would greatly upset the balance of power in the Italian Peninsula, and moreover within the greater Belko-Iberian rivalry. As such Belka demanded that Sicily display its secret alliances, immediately demobilize its army to a peace time strength, withdrawing its forces from the garrisons along the border, and withdrawing its claims to the Italian League.

Sicily, however, accused Belka of tipping the balance of power in the first place, by first involving itself in Italian politics almost a century prior, beginning the series of wars that would dominate the peninsula in the years to come. The Kingdom of Sicily also claimed it merely sought to restore the original balance of power present within the peninsula prior to introduction of Belka, and rid the Italian states of any Slavic, or otherwise foreign, influence. As such, Sicily demanded that Belka disband its alliance with Great Britain, in an effort to establish a European wide status quo, remove its blockade of the Sicilian coast and return its ships to port, and cease all attempts to interfere with the Kingdom of Sicily.

Although the Sicilian delegation claimed it acted in the name of restoring order, Belka was quick to interpret the demands as disingenuous, interpreting the demand for the end of the British alliance as a means to give the Sicilian-Iberian alliance greater strength in Europe, at Belka's expense. As such the initial Sicilian proposal was immediately rejected by all parties. Furthermore the Belkan delegation pointed out that Sicily was still attempting to operate covert agents within the Italian League, harm trade and infrastructure, and otherwise harm the League, and that any continuation of such actions would be seen as a declaration of war.

Ultimately, with even Iberian support waning, Sicily stood down and accepted a neutral proposal by the Papal States. The final agreement would be that both Italy and Sicily would withdraw all troops from the border and demobilize, as would Belka and Iberia, that all alliances would be made public, that a twenty year non-aggression pact would be signed, and that a 'Papal and Patriarchal Peace' would be guaranteed by both Pope and the Ecumanical Patriarch. Additionally the Pope added that any alleged Belkan Influence with in the Italian government would removed, however, the extent of this clause was left fairly open ended.

Overview

Initial Sicilian Invasion

Alessandro Colli-Marchi would be placed at the head of the Sicilian army at the outbreak of war.

The Sicilian government issued a formal declaration of war in January of 1739, immediately concentrating what was essentially the entirety of their military in a quick push into the Italian League, in an effort to quickly seize major fortifications and strategic objectives, and hopefully force the Italian League into a quick surrender. Command was placed in the hands of Marshall Alessandro Colli-Marchi, who managed to quickly seize Campobasso and push into Abruzzo within the first few months of the war.

The Sicilian king's eldest son, Francesco, Duke of Calabria, arrived in Campobasso in February and was placed in command of a second army, which would advance along the border through the mountains, defending Campobasso from the west while also moving toward L'Aquila, a major objective for the Sicilian advance. The Duke soon discovered, however, that their advance was slowed heavily by the terrain, with the Italians constantly harassing his forces, but not committing to a major battle.

Because of this distraction the Duke of Calabria was unable to reinforce Colli-Marchi, who was unknowingly being targetted by the primary Italian army. By late February, aside from the staging area near the border, the Sicilians had failed to capture any major territory, due in part to the series of heavy fortifications in the region. Colli-Marchi had begun laying siege to several of these fortresses, all the while preparing his forces for the eventual Italian counterattack that was bound to fall upon him. At the beginning of the year the Italian First Consul, Carlo Bonaparte, had already anticipated a possible war, and was at the head of an army in near Urbino when war broke out in the south. He quickly marched to the defense of the southern cities, drawing out the Sicilian army near Lanciano on 25 February.

The Battle of Lanciano would be a victory for the Italians, with Colli-Marchi eventually abandoning his sieges in favor of returning to the more defensible border. Less than two weeks later, however, Bonaparte would manage to engage the Duke of Calabria's forces near Campobasso, drawing Colli-Marchi out of his defenses to the aid of his ally. The Battle of Campobasso would again end in Sicilian defeat, although the majority of the Sicilian army would manage to retreat over the border by late March. Bonaparte pursued cautiously, ensuring that the majority of Sicilian forces would be engaged in defending the border.

Bari Campaign

While Sicily's main force weas engaged in the north anticipating Bonaparte's invasion, the Italians instead prepared for an amphibious assault in the south to capture Puglia and hopefully surround the Sicilian army. 20,000 soldiers, primarily marines, were transferred from Bonaparte's army to the port city of Termoli, where the Italian navy had been assembled for the campaign. Admiral Augusto Millo was placed at the head of the Italian navy, which had been heavily bulstered following the rapid modernization and expansion of the navy in the wake of the Italian-Cypriot War a few years earlier, while Francesco Adalberto, the hero of the Defense of Venice and a former consul, was placed at the head of the land forces.

Throughout the summer of 1739 Bonaparte continued to press the offensive into Sicilian territory, while for the most part not engaging in any major battles. By July the Sicilian government ordered additional reinforcements to concentrate on this front, leaving distant cities such as Bari with only a minor garrison. During this time the Sicilian navy had been largely defensive, being slightly outnumbered and outgunned by their Italian adversaries. Although Sicilian admirals had initially called for a blockade or possible raids on Italian ports in an effort to cripple their shipbuilding facilities, after the retreat south this notion was abandoned. By July the majority of the Sicilian navy was either guarding the Strait of Otranto or stationed further south in major cities, such as Naples.

On 17 July 1739 the Italian assault under the joint command of Millo and Adalberto landed outside the city of Bari, which housed the largest garrison of any city in Puglia, at 5,000 soldiers. In the ensuing battle the Italian forces managed to force the surrender of the city, but not before the remaining Sicilian force retreated south to Taranto, and were joined by numerous divisions from across the south. Over the next few months Adalberto would manage to secure much of eastern Puglia by land, while Millo managed to achieve a narrow victory at the Battle of Otranto, taking heavy casualties, but ensuring the Sicilian counterattack would not come by sea around the tip of the peninsula.

The Sicilian commander Lorenzo Ciano was placed in command of the Bari Campaign, and managed to win a victory at the Battle of Noci north of Taranto, striking while Adalberto's forces were divided throughout Puglia. As a result of the defeat the Italians would instead halt their advance in the south and defend their occupied territory, awaiting additional reinforcements to continue north.

Battle of Foggia

Maurizio Miossi surrenders the Sicilian army to Carlo Bonaparte following the Battle of Foggia on 30 August 1739.

Following the capture of Bari by Italian forces in July, the Sicilian army was forced to increasingly divide its forces to hold back the second front forming in the south. By mid August essentially all of Puglia east of Manfredonia had been occupied by the Italians, aside from a few key strongholds, such as Taranto, which Adalberto laid siege on 15 August. Several miles west of Lucera, Bonaparte would finally manage to break through the stalemate and achieve a decisive victory, completely breaking the initial defensive line established along the Italian border. Following the Battle of Lucera on 17 August, Colli-Marchi retreated directly east, first to Lucera proper, and then to Foggia. His forces had been split however, with the Duke of Calabria leading about half of the Sicilian army south to the fortress of Benevento.

In an attempt to finally encircle the Sicilian main army, Adalberto led a detachment of about 15,000 soldiers, the majority of his army in Puglia, on a quick march to the west, hoping to surround Foggia from the east. On 30 August the Battle of Foggia commenced, and would prove to be a major Italian victory. Completely surrounded, Colli-Marchi would be killed in battle, while his second-in-command, Maurizio Miossi, surrendered to the Italian forces. The defeat would be devastating for the Sicilian army, which from here forth was primarily on the defense for the rest of the war. Only about 2,000 Sicilian soldiers would manage to escape the battle, the majority of which fleeing north into the Gargano, the isolated, mountainous forest to the north. This force would continue to harass the Italian army for the rest of the war, eventually taking a major excursion into the peninsula to uproot them.

Capture of Basilicata

Following the capture of the Sicilian army at Foggia in late August 1739 the Italian army was now in a position to strike against the Sicilian capital at Naples. Bonaparte first struck against the fortress at Benevento on 9 September, putting the city to siege. The Duke of Calabria had already returned to Naples to organize the defense of the capital. Chaos within the Sicilian government and military hierarchy resulted in the young Duke leaving the city for Scalea to defend his own territory, while the Duke's brother-in-law, Giovanni de Marsala, was appointed head of the Sicilian forces.

In the east the Puglian front remained in a stalemate, with the Siege of Taranto lasting until 1 October, and the Italians suffering a few minor defeats, such as at the Battle of Matera. Lorenzo Ciano would prove to be successful in holding back the Italians here, however, following the fall of Benevento on 1 December, the Italians managed to push further south, with Clément Paoli, Consul Pietro Paoli's younger brother, being placed in command of a sizable army in order to take Potenza to the south.

A new plan was devised by the Italian high command which would divide Italian forces largely into three main armies; Bonaparte, Paoli, and Adalberto, in the west, center, and east, respectively. Bonaparte sought to quickly march on Naples and put it to siege, hopefully defeating the main Sicilian force, and if possible forcing a surrender of the Sicilian government there. In the meantime Paoli would advance south on Potenza, with Adalberto covering his flank the east. The overall objective of these two armies would be to cut off the rest of the Sicilian army from Naples by reaching the sea near Agropoli, and cutting off the southern part of the kingdom.

Hoping to drive back Bonaparte before he could reach the city, Giovanni de Marsala launched an attack on his advancing forces east of Maddaloni, on 8 December. Although the armies were roughly equal in overall size, Bonaparte would achieve on his largest victories thus far, inflicting some 15,000 casualties, capturing 150 guns, 45 standards, and an additional 4,000 men, while only suffering some 1,500 losses and 6,000 wounded himself. Marsala immediately fled to Naples to fortify the city.

Further east the Italian advance would be stalled, first by the defeat of Paoli's army at the Battle of Buccino, in which reinforcements from Salerno forced him to call a retreat back north. In the meantime Adalberto marched from Taranto and pushed Ciano out of Puglia at the Battle of Altamura, allowing him to regroup with Paoli and move once more on Potenza in early January of 1740. Ciano moved south to regroup with the Duke of Calabria, who had been raising reinforcements from Calabria and Sicily proper, who was now advancing along the Gulf of Taranto. With his supply lines threatened, Adalberto fell back from his position east of Potenza and met the Duke at the Battle of Massafra on 13 January. The battle would result in a pyrrhic victory for the Sicilians, with Adalberto ultimately retreating north.

In his second attempt to move south Paoli would be successful at the Battle of Potenza on 16 January, taking the city and forcing Ciano to flee west toward Salerno. With the Sicilian army advancing on Taranto once more, Augusto Millo would launch another amphibious assault, with about 5,000 marines, capturing Trebisacce and cutting off the Duke's supply lines. Rather than attempting to assault the heavily fortified Taranto and Adalberto's main force, the Duke turned south again, however, he was surrounded by Paoli and Adalberto at the Battle of Policoro on 9 February, and would suffer a crushing defeat, later dying of his wounds after the battle.

Ciano, fearing that the Italian army pursuing the Duke of Calabria across the south of Italy could easily turn on his position at Salerno, instead marched north in an attempt to relieve the Siege of Naples. Ultimately this attempt would fail to force Bonaparte into a retreat. However, it did inflict heavy casualties for the Italians, while Ciano returned to Salerno in mid February. Under his command the city would hold out longer than the capital to the north.

Calabria-Sicilia Campaign

After spending time to regroup and secure the rest of Basilicata throughout February, Paoli launched an invasion of Calabria, despite initially only intending to hold off the Sicilians while the Siege of Naples was underway. Adalberto, at the head of a smaller army, would remain north, clashing occasionally with the Salerno garrison or other strongholds on the western coast, protected by the mountainous territory running across the south of the peninsula.

Remnants of the late Duke's army was placed under the command of his younger brother and successor, Matteo Orsini, who fortified Trbisacce in an attempt to halt the Italian advance on land. Northern Calabria was still exposed by sea, however, partially due to the King's hoarding of the main naval elements at Naples. As a result, after a minor skirmish with the Duke's own naval forces, an Italian army would successfully land north of Rossano and take the city.

On 2 March, fearing encirclement, the Duke of Calabria withdrew from Trebisacce and quickly marched to the southwest. At the Battle of Acri on 7 March, the Duke would secure a victory over the Rossano garrison, allowing him to continue south and meet up with reinforcements from Catanzaro. Despite taking heavy casualties and retreating back to Rossano, the main Italian army arrived and continued pursing the Duke, meeting him at the Battle of Cosenza on 19 March. Defeated, the Duke fell back to Catanzaro, while the Italians cut off any supply lines running along the western coast back north, allowing Adalberto to achieve some success in the northern front.

On 4 April the Prince-General in Naples, and the bulk of the city's garrison fled in the night by sea to establish a new capital in the city of Palermp, while de Marsala's forces would land at Lamezia, west of Catanzaro. The following day Naples fell to Bonaparte's army. now facing the bulk of the Italian army, Ciano would order a retreat from Salerno a few days later, driving a path along the coast and arriving at Cetrano in Calabria on 13 April.

Retreat to Sicily

The King of Sicily arrived in Palermo and attempted to establish a new capital, while the armed forces under the command of de Marsala arrived in Calabria to aid the king's son, the Duke of Calabria, in the defense of the peninsula. By May, however, the Italian army had essentially driven out the Sicilians from the mainland, leading to a general retreat to Sicily proper. Despite this dire position, the Sicilian king refused to consider any peace with the Italian government, instead focusing on creating defenses of the island, and preparing for a siege of all of Sicily proper.

Determined to continue fighting, Charles V switched his policies on foreign alliances, attempting to call for aid from several nearby nations. A series of letters were sent to the Papal States, in which the Sicilian government apologized for breaking the peace, but also requesting that the Papal States come to their aid in order to preserve the balance of power in the Italian peninsula. As the blockade around the island continued the king would later threaten to secede from the church if his demands were not met, and the Papal States continued to interfere in religious matters of the kingdom, referring specifically the interdict the pope had placed on the kingdom. These communications would later become known as the Venosta Letters, after Sicily's foreign minister, and after being intercepted by Italian forces, relations with the Papal States were strained.

Similar requests would also be sent to Austria, who Charles V believed would join them by invading the northern territories of the Italian League. By June, however, the situation was not tolerated by the Sicilian nobility any longer, and a coup was launched. Matteo Orsini, the king's son, and one of the Kingdom of Sicily's lead generals, participated in the coup in exchange for the throne, on the condition that he would be open to a peace treaty. Italian forces on the mainland would be alerted of this change of events when an envoy was sent by Matteo II calling for an immediate end to the war.

Aftermath

Artist's representation of the delegates at Naples.

The Second Sicilian-Italian War would mark the end of the Kingdom of Sicily's outright independence, while also weakening the state in an effort to prevent it from ever threatening the Italian League again. With a cease fire in effect throughout the summer of 1740, in August delegates from both nations would meet in Italian-occupied Naples for the creation of a peace treaty.

The Italian League would be represented by Carlo Bonaparte, First Consul of the Italians and Commander-in-Chief, as well as Pietro Paoli, Second Consul of the Italians, Pietro Pella, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Giovanni Facta, noted statesman and former Consul, while the Kingdom of Sicily would be represented by Matteo II Orsini directly, as Prince-General, Giovanni de Marsala, Marshall of the Sicilian Armed Forces, and Maurizio Miossi, Statesman and former general. In addition the Papal States would send a delegation to the conference, represented by Archbishop Gianfransisco Orsini, Special Legate of Pope Urban VII, in order to negotiate the end of the interdict on Sicily, as well as any religious terms pertinent to the Catholic Church. The nations of Belka and Iberia, the two great powers with vested interest in the Italian peninsula, would also be invited as observers, the latter represented by statemsan Tello de Briones.

The main effect of the Treaty of Naples would be that the Kingdom of Sicily, now centered around Palermo, would formally become a vassal state of the Italian League. The nation's government would be altered, with Matteo II being recognized as sovereign, although from henceforth taking the title of "King of Sicily". Besides this technicality, the elective nature of the kingdom was kept intact, with the nobles of Sicily continuing to elect the next monarch, although a clause would be added stating that the Italian League, namely the First Consul, would reserve the right to veto any selection. Besides that change the nobility of Sicily would be respected, with the treaty stating:

"The rights enjoyed by the nobility of the Kingdom of Sicily shall be preserved and maintained, and the Kingdom shall be granted a high level of autonomy in local matters, as long as the Kingdom continues to follow any order or law issued by the Italian league, and does not act against the interests of the Italian league."

The surviving Kingdom of Sicily would be heavily weakened. The treaty called for Molise, including Isernia and Campobasso, as well as any territory lying west of the Fortore River, Northern Campania, including Caserta, Benevento, and its fortress, Napoli, and the city of Naples, the city of Avellino, and Foggia, to be immediately ceded to the Italian League, with the League's system of government being imposed on this newly acquired territory. Additionally the Kingdom of Sicily was to transfer its wartime fleet to the direct control of Italian League, continue to provide ships and arms to the League, keep a smaller Sicilian army (initially in favor of an Italian occupation), and also relinquish command of its armed forces to the League in times of war to coordinate joint operations.

Although the treaty focused on the Kingdom of Sicily, certain terms would also be relevant to the other invited parties. The Papal States, for example, was to end the interdict of the Kingdom of Sicily, allowing religious ceremonies, sacraments, and customs to continue, and also grant positions to Italian and Sicilian priests within its hierarchy, in exchange for the Sicilian government abandoning any plan to create its own national church, or otherwise cause a schism in the Catholic church, as well as a preferable non aggression pact with the Italian League.

Iberia would agree to respect Italian administration of the colonies formally under Sicilian control; San Gennaro and Santa Croce, continuing the cooperation and assistance, specifically in supplying and safeguarding, as it had when they were under Sicilian control. In exchange for this new arrangement with the Italian League the nation of Iberia was offered numerous benefits, including a trade agreement, a non aggression pact, yearly payments, and fleet basing rights within the colonies. Belka would not be offered any agreement, although the treaty did stipulate that the defensive pact formally existing between Belka and the Italian League would be reinstated.

Lastly the Treaty of Naples would establish a form of mutual cooperation between all five nations in an effort to preserve the balance of power. Specifically:

All states of the Italian Peninsula shall agree to mutually and cooperatively combat any attempt to disrupt the terms of this treaty and the status quo of the Italian Peninsula, including cooperating with military force if necessary against any rebellion, hostile movement, or insurrection, as to prevent further shattering of the nations of the Italian Peninsula and prevent disruptive movements, in the same vein as the Hitlerite Movement, which previously destabilized the region.

In practice, however, this term would not come into use, although it did serve its intended purpose of placating the Iberian/Belkan rivalry, and ensuring that the Italian League's actions would be allowed.