Benedetto Cairoli

Benedetto Cairòli

Benedetto Cairoli ( Italian pronunciation ^{? / I} ) (born January 28, 1825 in Pavia , † August 8, 1889 in Naples ) was an Italian freedom fighter and statesman. He devoted himself to the Risorgimento from 1848 until the completion of the national unification in 1870 . At first he was a supporter of Garibaldi , later a political refugee and conspirator against the occupying power of Austria and finally a member of the Italian parliament. Cairoli was President of the Council of Ministers of Italy twice :

• March 24, 1878-19. December 1878 and
• July 14, 1879–29. May 1881

Participation in the Risorgimento

He led a command of volunteers that supported the Italian unification movement under Garibaldi from 1859 to 1860 . He was slightly injured in the battle of Calatafimi , later, in 1860, he suffered serious injuries in Palermo . In 1866 he took part as a colonel in Garibaldi's campaign in Tyrol , in 1867 he fought in Mentana and in 1870 was involved in the negotiations with Bismarck , in the course of which the German Chancellor promised approval for an annexation of Rome by Italy, as well as recognition of his natural limits. This promise should apply on condition that the Democratic Party form an alliance between King Victor Emmanuel II and Napoléon III. prevented.

Cairoli's first government

In the eyes of the Italians, Cairoli's personal charm was enhanced by the fact that his four brothers had died in the wars of the Risorgimentos and that his mother renounced support payments and honors. This promoted the already positive image of the Italian population towards him. When the left seized power in 1876, Cairoli, a member of parliament for 16 years, became his party's parliamentary leader. After the fall of the governments of Agostino Depretis and Francesco Crispi , he formed his first cabinet in March 1878, which was characterized by a pro-French and irredentist policy.

After marrying Countess Elena Sizzo von Trient , a town administered by Austria at the time, he was unable to prevent the irredentist currents from leading the country to the abyss of war against Austria. His indulgent policy at the Berlin Congress led to great disappointment in Italy, as the country was not awarded any concessions, while Austria-Hungary secured a European mandate for the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina . A few months later, a failed assassination attempt against King Umberto I in Naples brought the overthrow of his government, although Cairoli showed great courage by protecting the king with his body and being wounded in the process.

The second Cairoli government

On July 3, 1879, Cairoli came to power again and the following November formed a coalition government with Depretis, where he held both the office of President of the Council of Ministers and that of Foreign Minister. It was foreign policy that led to the fall of his second government. Relying on French assurances, Cairoli assumed that Britain would oppose the expansion of French influence in North Africa, and thus failed to foresee and prevent the French occupation of Tunis , which occurred on May 11, 1881. In the face of the expected public outrage over this mistake, he resigned and disappeared from the political stage.

After retiring from politics

In 1887 he was awarded the Collare dell'Annunziata , the highest decoration in Italy. He died on August 8, 1889, when he was the guest of King Umberto I in the royal palace of Capodimonte near Naples .

Cairoli was one of the most important representatives of that generation of patriots who, after having fought for national unification all their lives, failed to meet the demands of the responsible tasks of a parliamentarian or a statesman. A lack of sensitivity to foreign policy opportunities and the administration created obstacles to the country's further development.

literature

• Marziano Brignoli:  Cairoli, Benedetto. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 16:  Caccianiga-Caluso. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1973.

Web links

Commons : Benedetto Cairoli  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Entry on Benedetto Cairoli in the Portale storico of the Camera dei deputati.
• Biography of Cairoli as President of the Chamber in the Portale storico of the Camera dei deputati.
• List of his awards on quirinale.it
• Writings by Benedetto Cairoli in the Opac des Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale (SBN)
• Publications about Cairoli in the Opac des SBN
• Personal entry at SBN-Opac

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Parts of this article are a translation by: Cairoli, Benedetto . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 4 : Bishārīn - Calgary . London 1910, p. 957 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).