Il sistema militare pontificio del 1815-18301

Abstract

In 1792-98 the papal state had tried to defend its neutrality with an armed force of over 10 thousand men, triple of the garrison force maintained after 1708. During the second Restoration (1814-1830) the external threat took over from the internal one, forcing the state to maintain a constabulary force equal to that of 1792, but with a practically double cost (1.3 million scudi) and restoring the structure prior to 1792, i.e. the division of force between three administrations (arms, police and treasury ) subjected to prelates, with some military consultants whose only and not brilliant experiences dated back to 1797. The greatest care was reserved to the carabinieri (2,500), to the counter-brigandage corps (350) and to the financial police (1,600). At the expense of the line (infantry, dragons, artillery), in fact maintained at two thirds of the scheduled strength (9,000), underpaid, poorly administered and with poor officers, selected through clerical clienteles. A provincial reserve of 9,000 men was planned, but not organized: on the other hand, the 3,000 Roman civic guards could be relied upon. The system was the subject of various reforms (1822, 1828), however only administrative, and only with the aim of reducing waste, without addressing the question of technical efficiency. The system resisted the conspiracies of 1820-23 thanks to the Austrian presence, but the 1831 insurrection overwhelmed the papal security in Romagna, even if in 1832 the rest of the forces were able to retake the Legations.