Canadian Battalion of the pontifical zouaves

The Canadian Bataillon of the pontifical Zouaves is a unit of the pontifical army, which existed only at the end of the existence of the Papal States. Its formation obeys as much considerations related to the Canadian policy that with the Italian situation related to the wars of unification.

Origins

Indeed, the news of the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, leaving Papal States only one perimeter restricted around the town of Rome, occurred at one time when, with the Canada-Is (current Quebec), mainly French-speaking person and catholic, the Church, supported by the preserving elements, undertook an intense ideological fight aiming at eliminating the “Reds”. The “reds” were the most radical elements of the liberal current of thought, heir to the Patriotes of 1837-1838, whose ideas of Laïcité, Vote for all, free trade and annexation in the United States worried the preserving hierarchy and catholics.

It is in this context that it is necessary to include/understand the call to solidarity with the pope, launched in 1861, by the bishop of Montreal, Mgr Ignace Le Bourget, in the form of a series of pastoral letters, defending the integrity of the Papal States. Demonstrations antilibérales confusing Red Canadian and red Chemises Italian were held a little everywhere in the colony. In the tread of this movement, the Guigues bishop, of Ottawa, suggested with the pontiff that the dioceses of the whole world proceed to liftings of funds with an aim of financing an independent pontifical army.

An intense catholic propaganda campaign followed the acceptance of this plan by Rome.

Volunteers and formation

Certain newspapers encouraged the youth of the country to enlist in this army and, in 1861, Benjamin Testard de Montigny became the first Zouave pontifical Canadian. Others joined it in the years which followed. Finally in 1867, the news of the Bataille of Mentana, where a Canadian zouave had been wounded, arrived at the country and started a new wave of enthusiasm papist. A committee was formed with an aim of forming an entirely Canadian battalion pontifical zouaves.

135 men were recruited in 1868 and were dispatched in Rome. In a little more than 500 zouaves were recruited and 388 Canadians made the voyage for the Papal States.

Activity

On the spot, military operations were generally limited to long patrols in the Roman countryside, with hunting for gangsters . Roman forwarding was especially, for the zouaves, an occasion of conditioning ideological through long series of pilgrimages, ceremonies and processions. In parallel, an intense propaganda campaign was organized in the province of Quebec (created in 1867) to compare the defense of the pope to a Canadian-Frenchwoman national cause. Success is shown by it by the fast disappearance of criticisms in the liberal press.

Moreover, at that time, the liberal party was in clear lose speed in Quebec. The preserving victory with the first federal elections, guaranteeing the perenniality of the project of Canadian Confederation, had been largely facilitated by the support of the clergy to the conservative party. The Canadian government thus did not raise any objection with this forwarding of a doubtful legality.

Finally, in 1870, the Guerre free-Prussian brought the departure of the French troops stationed around Rome and which formed a force of interposition between the Papal States and Italy since 1864. September 12th, the Italian troops invaded the Papal States. The 20, the Pope ordered the rendering of his troops.

A few units of Canadian zouaves continued the combat a certain time after having received the order to deposit the weapons. They were stopped and forced to ravel through the streets before the British embassy can obtain their release and their reference in Canada.

In spite of this rather piteous end, a detachment of 212 zouaves accepted a triumphal reception in Montreal, on November 9th. Some did not return: one was made monk, two engaged in the French Army and 9 had died of disease. No Canadian zouave was killed with the combat in spite of some slightly injureds.

The military defeat was transformed nevertheless into a triumph for the catholic clergy in Canada and falls under the process of monopolization of nationalism Canadian-French by the clerical-preserving ideology which was to dominate the province of Quebec for nearly one century.

A new city, Piopolis (in the honor of Black and white IX), was founded in the Cantons of the East in order to establish the former Zouaves. In 1899, the former chaplain of the battalion governed the foundation of an Association of the zouaves of Quebec, groups paramilitary raising uniform and weapons of 1868. Each city of Quebec had soon its local association and, since 1914, the festival of the Saint-Jean-Baptist and all the catholic and nationalist celebrations, were accompanied by a battalion by Zouaves with uniforms and weapons of 1868, providing at the same time the brass band and the security service.

Association started to decline with preserving nationalism in the years 1960. It sufficient remained pontifical zouaves in Quebec, in 1984, to form a guard of honor for the pope Jean-Paul II at the time of his visit in Montreal. Since, the meetings of the organization ceased, for lack of members.

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