Treaty of Turin (1860)

The treaty

The July 21st 1858, the Sardinian minister Camillo Cavour meets the emperor of the French Napoleon III, in cure with Plombières-the-Baths (the Vosges). At the time of this secret interview, Napoleon III agrees to help the Piedmont-Sardinia to unify the Italy, provided that the Pape keeps under control Rome and that the Comté of Nice and the Duché of Savoy are yielded to France. In April 1859, the Empire of Austria declares the war with the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia which provides weapons to the Lombards. The Sardinians are victorious with Palestro and Montebello, but the French allies carry it with difficulty with Magenta (June 4th) and with Solferino (June 24th). Anxious, Napoleon III signs the armistice of Villafranca (July 8th). Cavour resigns and the transfer of Savoy and Nice does not appear any more to be with the day order.

July 25th 1859, about thirty notable chambériens write an address with Napoleon III, in favor of fastening in France. However, the opinion starts to be agitated vis-a-vis this French future. Several scenarios are considered: the maintenance of the province in the Sardinian kingdom, fastening with the Swiss of whole or part of the Savoyard territory (a petition circulating in Savoy has joins together surroundings 13.651 signatures, mainly in Savoy of North: 60 communes of the Faucigny, 23 of the Chablais French and 13 around Saint-Julien-in-Genevese, very seldom an autonomy. The project of fastening in Switzerland received a favorable support by the England.

Vis-a-vis these ideas of partition, in particular the entry in the Swiss Confederation, the diplomacy is organized. March 24th 1860, the treated of Turin is signed. Savoy is from now on " rattachée" (called locally " Annexation ") in France, but under certain conditions and subject to the adhesion of the populations (requirement of the chancelleries Swiss and British). The Sardinian troops leave Savoy during March.

April 1st, the king unties his Savoyard subjects of their oath of fidelity (royal renunciation). One decides on a date for the plebiscite, on April 22nd. In order to avoid the tensions in the septentrional territories of Savoy (partisans of one fastening in Switzerland), it is decided to publish a special bulletin " YES AND ZONE" who corresponds to the ratification of the treaty of Turin, accompanied by the creation of a Great Free zone in the North of a line Saint-Genix-on-Guiers, Châtelard, Faverges, Contaminate-Montjoie Them. This vote was organized by Napoleon III on the model of French voting (men having reached the majority), moreover no other option had not been proposed at the time of this plebiscite to the people of Savoy.

This zone was reduced by France at the conclusion of the Second world war by the Traité of Versailles. France is condemned in 1932 for nonthe respect of these zones and of the tensions were maintained in connection with customs controls on the official border between Savoy and Switzerland.

The plebiscite

The popular consultation - or Plebiscite - takes place in April:

The exit of the plebiscite was necessarily known in advance the agreements between S.M Victor-Emmanuel II and the S.M Napoleon III having been sealed before. Indeed, the plebiscite was set up only to accompany a princely decision, having to let think of a Savoyard popular will.

Dispute of the Treaty

Some Savoyard defended, and defends, the thesis of the nullity of the treaty of Turin. Among those which obtained a true audience, the Savoyard Ligue, independence movement which, since 1994, taking again the speech of former movements (in particular Savoy Libre , appeared in the Seventies), makes in particular rest the legitimacy of its movement on the denunciation of points of the treaty which were not respected:

suppression of the Free zone in 1919
the non-observance of the neutrality of the territory during the First World War

This strategic use, in their speech, made it possible to sensitize members primarily, then an electorate, in the provinces of the Faucigny (" valley of the Undercutting "), of the Chablais (finistère Savoyard) and of the border zone with Geneva.

In parallel, in Nice, a separatist movement inspired of the Savoyard League, the League for the restoration of freedoms niçoises, regards this treaty as a " annexation scélérate".

The text of the Treaty

Note: the text of the treaty is rather short and envisages to organize the general terms of this one, it will be established and confirmed later in particular by the sénatus of June 12th, 1860 with the provisions detailed by the commissions envisaged by the text consults.

In the name of the very holy one and indivisible Trinity, S. Mr. Emperor of the French having exposed the considerations which, in consequence of the changes which have occurred in the territorial relationship between France and Sardinia, made him wish the meeting of Savoy and the district of Nice in France, and S. Mr. the King of Sardinia being been willing to agree to it, Their known as Majestés decided to conclude a treaty for this purpose and named for plenipotentiary, knowledge:

S. Mr. Emperor of the French, Mr. the Baron de Talleyrand-Périgord, commander of his imperial kind of the Legion of honor, its extraordinary envoy and ambassador plenipotentiary near S. Mr. the King of Sardinia; and Mr. Vincent Benedetti, commander of the imperial Order of the Legion of honor, adviser in his Council of State, his ambassador plenipotentiary and directing for the Political matters at the department of the Foreign affairs

and

S. Mr. the King of Sardinia, His Exc. Mr. the count Camille Benso de Cavour, knight of his supreme kind of Very Holy Annonciade, president of the Council and Foreign Minister, notary of the Crown; and its Exc. Mr. the knight Charles-Louis Farini, knight of the supreme order of Very Holy Annonciade, its minister Secretary of State for the Foreign affairs.

Which after having exchanged their capacities in due form, are agreed following articles:

Article first - Its Majesty the King of Sardinia grants the meeting of Savoy and the district of Nice (circondario di Nizza) to France and gives up for him and all its descendants and successors in favor of S. Mr. Emperor of French, with his rights and titles on the aforementioned territories. It is heard between Their Majesties that this meeting will be carried out without null constraint of the will of the populations and that the governments of the Emperor of the French and King de Sardaigne will act in concert as soon as possible on the best means of appreciating and to note the demonstration of these wills.

Article 2. - It is also understood that S. Mr. the King of Sardinia can transfer the neutralized parts of Savoy only to the conditions to which it has them itself and that it will rest on S. Mr. Emperor of the French to mean on this subject, so much with the powers represented with the Congress of Vienna, that with the Swiss Confederation and to give them the guarantees which result from the stipulations recalled in this article.

Article 3. - A Joint Committee will determine, in a spirit of equity, the borders of the two States by taking account of the configuration of the mountains and the need for defense.

Article 4. - One or more Joint Committees will be charged to examine and solve, within a short time, the various incidental questions to which place the meeting will give, such as the fixing on contributive behalf of Savoy and the district of Nice (circondario di Nizza) in the national debt of Sardinia, and the execution of the obligations resulting from the contracts signed with the Sardinian government, which is reserved however to finish itself the work undertaken for the boring of the tunnel of the Alps (Frejus).

Article 5. - The French government will hold account with the civils servant of the civil order and the soldiers belonging by the birth to Savoy and the district of Nice (circondario di Nizza) and which will become prone French, of the rights which theirs are acquired by the services rendered to the Sardinian government; they will enjoy in particular the benefit resulting from irremovability for the magistrature and the assured guarantees to the army.

Article 6. - The Sardinian subjects originating in Savoy and the district of Nice, or currently domiciled in these provinces, which intend to preserve Sardinian nationality, will enjoy during the one year space starting from the exchange the ratifications and with the help of a statement preliminary made to the competent authority, faculty to transport their residence to Italy and to fix themselves at it, in which case the Sardinian quality of citizen will be maintained to them. They will be free to preserve their buildings located on the territories joined together at France.

Article 7. - For Sardinia, this treaty will be executory at once that the legislative sanction necessary will have been given by the Parliament.

Article 8. - This treaty will be ratified and the ratifications will be exchanged by it in Turin within ten day, or earlier if to make may be. In faith that what the plenipotentiary respective ones signed it and there affixed the seal of their weapons.

Fact in double forwarding in Turin the twenty fourth day of March of the year of grace 1860.

With reading

See the general bibliography on the article of the History of Savoy:

Luc Monnier, 1932, the annexation of Savoy in France and the Swiss policy

Genevieve Dardel, 1960, And Savoy became French , ED. Beech

Jacques Lovie:

1960, Large and little story of the fastening of Savoy in France , Presses of joined together printing works of Chambéry
Thesis: appeared in 1963, Savoy in the French life of 1860 to 1875 , PUF

Paul Guichonnet:

1960, " Theory of the natural borders and principle of nationalities in the annexation of Savoy in France: 1858-1860" , in Re-examined Work of the Academy of Science morals & political , Sirey
1982, History of the annexation of Savoy to secret France and its files , the Messenger: Horvath
1998, History of the annexation of Savoy in France: true secret files of the annexation , the Fountain of SILOE (ED. review and increased into 1999,2003)

Works disputing the Treaty:

Jean de Pingon, 1996, French Savoy, History of a country annexed (ED. Cabédita)
Alain Rouiller, 2003, Nice, Tomorrow independence , France Europe Edition

Sources

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