Thread by @PapalZouaveInt

On this day 153 years ago, Sep. 20, 1870. The Italians defeated the Papal Army in Rome and occupied the Holy City, thus ending the 1000 year reign of the Papal States🇻🇦

A thread on the siege🧵

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Italy wasn’t always a unified country and used to be divided into several states. The Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, led by King Victor Emmanuel II became caught up in the nationalist fervor of the 19th century. He sought to unify Italy under his rule.

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Beginning in 1859 he forcefully took over most of the Italian Peninsula including most of the Papal States with the exception of Rome and the Lazio region. Napoleon III, while allowing most of the Papal States to be captured would not allow the Lazio to fall in an attempt

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to appease French Catholics.

However, when Napoleon III was captured at the Battle of Sedan during the Franco-Prussian war. Victor Emmanual II saw this as an opportunity to take over the remainder of the Papal States and Rome. By Sep. 9, 30,000 Italian troops,

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divided into 3 divisions had massed on the border of the Papal States.

Victor Emmanuel II wrote Bl. Pope Pius IX a letter and sent Count Gustavo Ponza di San Martino to deliver it on Sep. 10, 1870. The letter, which really was just a guise to request a bloodless takeover.

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Claimed that due to the removal of French troops from the city, it was necessary for an Italian occupation to maintain law and order from Roman revolutionaries. A strange thing to say since there were no revolutionary uprisings in Rome at the time.

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Bl. Pius IX did not appreciate the hypocrisy in the letter. He replied to Count Ponza. 'What a race of vipers! Whited sepulchres! and wanting in faith!” Count Ponza became so afraid that he rushed out of the room and mistook a window for a door, almost falling to his death.

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Bl. Pius IX refused to be bullied. He rejected Victor Emmanuel II's offer which meant war, one which would be very difficult, the Italian Army outnumbered the Papal Army 6:1, 60,00 vs 10,000. The Papal State’s Minster of Arms and Army Commander, General Kanzler, believed

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that as long as the divisions remained divided, he could launch a successful offensive strike.

However, an offensive attack required Papal approval. Gen. Kanzler met with Bl. Pius IX immediately after his meeting with Count Ponza. The Pope disappointed the Papal Army,

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he rejected any offensive operations as he believed the war could not be won. His orders were upon invasion, to have all elements of the Papal Army fall back on Rome and wait for the arrival of the Italians. With the exception of the Papal port of Civitavecchia, so that

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the Pope could have a potential route to escape if needed.

Bits of resistance on the way to Rome were allowed to show the world that Italy was unjustly usurping the temporal power of the Pope by force, additionally a defense of the Holy City was allowed to a point.

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However, Bl. Pius IX believed that the Italians would not march into Rome. Not because of the defense of the Army but either through divine or European intervention

That evening Papal intelligence intercepted a telegram that indicated the invasion would start the next day

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Gen. Kanzler then recalled some units to Rome and ordered the city take up its defensive measures. The following evening the invasion began. The 13th Italian division crossed the Tiber River and occupied the border town of Orte, about 45 miles north of Rome.

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Early the next morning on Sep. 12th the 12th Italian division moved onto the town of Civita Castellana, which contained a 15th century fortress. The company of Papal Zouaves in the town retreated to the fortress and gave as much resistance as possible.

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However, after 45 minutes the Commander determined further resistance would put civilians in harm’s way and the Zouaves surrendered

The 13th division continued west towards Viterbo in an attempt to intercept a battalion of Papal Zouaves under the command of Col. Charrette

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as they made their way to Rome. However, upon entering the city, the Italians found it virtually undefended. Charrette had left upon their approach.

Utilizing farm paths and mule trails in the mountains and relying on peasants for supplies. the Zouaves managed to slip

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through Italian outposts and make it to Civitavecchia early on the morning of Sep. 13

On Sep. 14th, the 12th and 13th Italian divisions continued marching on Rome. Advanced Italian elements approached the outskirt of the city and began engaging with forward Papal defenses

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One encounter saw a squad of Papal Zouaves face off against a troop of Italian lancers by themselves. For more information see the following thread

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Meanwhile the Italian 2nd division moved on the port of Civitavecchia, about 50 miles north-west of Rome. The city was protected by 173 pieces of artillery, the last Papal Warship the Immocolata Concezione, and 1400 men including 4 Papal Zouave companies.

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The Italian naval fleet arrived in Civitavecchia on the morning of Sep. 14. An ultimatum was offered by the Italians. Surrender within 12 hours or the fleet will bombard the city. The Spanish Commander of the garrison, Col. Serra was torn on whether to surrender or resist.

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While definitely at a disadvantage the city had the ability to resist as siege. However, Gen. Kanzler received a telegram from Cardinal Secretary of State Antonelli transmitting a letter from Bl. Pius IX on further instructions for the defense of Rome.

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The Holy City was to be surrendered “at first canon shot” and Civitavecchia was to be surrendered immediately.

A displeased Kanzler relayed his own version of the order to Serra. Saying that he could fight but to “avoid a defense that would leave the city in ruin”

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Serra’s Officer’s wanted to fight and they desperately tried to persuade him to not give up the city without resistance, with the most protest from Papal Zouave Maj. Albiousse.

However, the following day on Sep. 15, Col. Serra capitulated. Most likely due to the influence

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from the municipal authorities who had pro-Italian sympathies and feared the destruction of the city. At this point the Italians now controlled the most important towns in the Papal States, all that was left was Rome.

The Italians tried to get their secret society agents

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to cause unrest in the city but with little success. Italian Gen. Cadorna attempted to negotiate with Gen. Kanzler insisting that his troops were there only to retain order. This farce was seen through by Kanzler and he responded that

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“His Holiness desires to see Rome occupied by his own troops not by those of another Sovereign.” After one more failed attempt at negotiation, On the evening of Sep 16, Gen. Cadorna ordered the 11th, 12th, and 13th divisions to continue to Rome.

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By Sep. 18 the city was surrounded by over 60,000 Italian soldiers, including a large contingent of Red Shirts who came to wreak havoc on the city.

The bulk of the Papal Army had made it back to Rome and consisted of 8,000 infantry, 500 dragoons, and 750 artillerymen.

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However, they made do with what they had. Gen. Kanzler’s plan divided the city into 4 zones. Zone 1 defended by Col. Allet covered the Vatican, Trastevere, and Janiculum. Zone 2 defended by Col. Perrault covered the historic center. Zone 3 defended by Col. Lepri covered

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the Monti regions and the Quirinale. Zone 4 defended by Col. Jeannerat covered the Campidoglio and Aventine.

Kanzler believed that the zones would allow order to be kept and allow troops to move to strategic points quickly. If necessary, the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo

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could be used as a possible final line of defense.

The Italian plan was to confuse the Papal Army on the true focus of their assault. Causing Papal troops to be thinly dispersed around the city. To achieve this, the Italians would attack simultaneously with

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all 5 divisions at their disposable. The main assault would come from the 11th and 12th division on the northern walls between the Pia and Salaria gates.

Artillery would breach the wall allowing infantry to enter the city. The only restriction the Italian government

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put on the army was to not attack the Leonine city, the area which consisted of the Vatican and its surroundings. Gen. Cadorna set the attack for 5:15 am on Sep. 20.

On the night of Sep. 19 the Italians sent out scouting parties to find weaknesses in the papal defense.

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One Italian scouting party got to close to the Tre Archi, where trains entered the city, and were repealed by a squad of Zouave’s. The Zouaves became emboldened and chased the them over the walls and managed to capture one before retreating back into the safety of the city

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Knowing that an attack was imminent Kanzler alongside 2 other generals went to Bl. Pius IX to petition him to allow a defense of the city instead of “surrender at first canon shot” Bl. Pius IX was swayed and allowed a defense until “a breach has been opened” in the walls.

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The Pope then spent the rest of the night in prayer. He went to the Scala Scanta, the steps where Christ walked up before his crucifixion, and ascended the steps on his knees imploring God to have pity on his city.

Around 3 am on the morning of Sep. 20 lights could be

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seen in the hills outside the city. Gen. Kanzler ordered all men to their battle positions at 4:40 am. The defenders were the first to strike. A Zouave Lt. observed Italian artillery moving in the direction of the Porta Pia.

30 Papal Zouaves under Lt. Kerkhove responded.

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They established an advanced position about 100 meters in front of the Porta Pia at the Villa Patrizi, a 17th century aristocratic residence. Around 5 am as the section of Italian batteries waited for the start of their attack, they were ambushed by the Zouaves.

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The batteries were caught off guard and received several casualties. The Papal defenders from the walls began opening fire. The Italians responded by sending a Bersaglieri battalion to attack the villa but the Zouaves, through extremely outnumbered stood their ground.

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They retained their position until engineers blew a hole in the villa wall. The Zouaves managed to escape back into the walls of the Holy City without suffering a single casualty. With the Zouaves out of the way the Italian batteries began firing on wall between the

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between the Pia and Salaria gates. By 5:45 the Italians had 34 pieces of artillery deployed against that section of the wall.

Meanwhile the other Italian divisions began their faint attacks. The northern Porta Pinciana gate, the eastern Tre Archi, and the southeastern

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San Giovanni gate were all assaulted. To the West, Italian infantry were preparing to assault the Convent of San Pancrazio when they were spotted by Papal gunners at Bastion 10 in the western end of the Vatican Gardens.

They opened fire wounding many.

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An Italian battery preparing to bombard the San Pancrazio gate noticed the gunners at Bastion 10 and counter fired. This put the Vatican under direct bombardment. Italian Gen. Bixio rode to the battery and scolded them for disobeying the order not to fire on the Vatican.

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The Papal gunners returned fire and two officers in Gen. Bixios staff were wounded. An hour after the fighting started 52 pieces of artillery were deployed against the Porta Pia. The firing was so intense that at one point the defenders had to temporally abandon that

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portion of the wall. By 6:30 am, there had been 210 direct hits along the Porta Pia wall.

There was little the defenders could do. Only 4 cannons were deployed to defend that section of the wall. Meanwhile, during this time Bl. Pius IX was celebrating a private mass

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in the Vatican with all of the diplomats in Rome.

The situation became worse when at 6:40 am the Italians switched from firing singly to firing in salvos. The wall at the Porta Pia began to collapse. The commander of the sector, Papal Zouave Maj. Troussures and the

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unit chaplain rallied the Zouaves. Moving up to the walls fully exposed and with masonry exploding around them, they let out cheers of “Viva Pio Nono!”

There was a temporary halt in the artillery as the Italians prepared to mount an infantry charge. The men quickly filled

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breaches in the walls with haybales, mattresses, and carts. Sharpshooters were stationed at the gate towers to cover the wall with crossfire and riflemen were positioned in nearby trees and buildings. The charge never happened, the bombardment continued at around 7:00 am

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At HQ things were going well. Positive reports on the defense of the city were coming in. It seemed the Papal Army was capable of repelling any infantry assault. The only troubling spot was the Pia-Salarian front. Which by 7:00 am HQ determined was the focus of the attack.

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At 7:30 Maj. Troussures warned HQ that the wall would be breached by midmorning. Determined to prevent a breach and continue fighting, Kanzler ordered cannons to reinforce the Pia gate. Fighting continued throughout the city. At 8:00 along the northern front at the

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Porta del Popolo Italian infantry launched an assault

A company of Zouaves and line infantry reinforced with dragoons managed to repel the invaders with great difficulty. Fighting continued in the area until 9:20 when the Italians shifted troops to attack the Salaria gate

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On the southern front Col. Charette was observing the siege from the bell tower at the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Noticing the 9th division gearing up for an assault on the San Giovanni gate he rushed to his men to prepare them.

The Papal Army had one Claxton gun and

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Charette hid it in the gate tower, any Italian infantry approaching the gate would be mowed down. An artillery barrage unhinged the gate in the wall and caused the defenders to take cover. The Italians hesitated to assault because their main objective was the Porta Pia.

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This gave Col. Charette an opportunity to rally his troops and reinforce his position. They were able to counterfire with their cannons and blasted off 60 rounds in 10 minutes.

At 8:20 Maj. Troussures warned Kanzler that the breach along the Pia-Salaria wall was almost

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complete and that Italian infantry were preparing for an assault. Believing that the Popes requirements for a breach in the wall were complete Gen. Kanzler gathered his committee of defense

There he read aloud the letter which contained Bl. Pius IX conditions for fighting

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This was the first time the officers were hearing that a breach meant they had to surrender, as Gen. Kanzler kept it hidden. They were all disappointed but agreed the requirements for surrender were met.

The Pope’s military liaison left to inform him of the news.

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Just as Kanzler and the other commanding officers were drafting the surrender letter Gen. Zappi and 2 Zouave officers came into the meeting and argued the defense should be continued as no Italians had reached the breach.

Zappi was convincing, two of the officers went to

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inspect the Pia gate to report on its condition for the committee. Unfortunately, upon their return they determined the breach was so wide it could only be defended under heavy casualties, the order to surrender would proceed.

At 9:35 am couriers were sent to the section

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commanders ordering them to raise the white flag. At the Pia gate Maj. Troussures received the message from a dragoon but refused to acknowledge the order unless it came “in written form or by the hand of an officer”

The Zouaves were busy shooting at the 3 columns of

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Italian infantry that had formed up to assault the Porta Pia breach, when suddenly an Italian tri-color appeared out of a nearby tower. This was the signal for the Italian artillery to cease fire and for the infantry to begin the assault. The Papal guns stopped too and for

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a few seconds there was an eerie quiet on the battlefield.

It was broken by the Papal Zouaves singing their regimental song. 300 voices sang out “Onward, onward, noble sons of France. Sons of Crusaders, it is God who guides you!”

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Captain Berger of the 4th Company 2nd Battalion rose and stood in the middle of the breach, pistol in one hand and his sword held aloft in the other as he sang along.

When the song faded away silence returned. But that was quickly interrupted by cries of “Viva Pio Nono!”

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followed by a volley of 300 rifles. The bullets stopped the central Italian column of bersaglieri in its tracks. Reinforced by an additional infantry regiment they tried again to reach the breach.

They made it within 100 meters when they were repelled again and sought

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cover in the terrain. The right column was unsuccessful in their charge and caused confusion in the ranks when they were repulsed back and intermingled with the center column.

However, the left column, with covering fire from nearby buildings, managed to overwhelm the

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defenders and reach the wall. The Italians were now meters within the breach when a member of Kanzlers staff galloped to the Porta Pia waving a white flag shouting cease fire

The fighting was so intense no one noticed him. His horse became agitated and he dropped the flag

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Papal Zouave Lt. Manduit saw him and retrieved the flag. He ran toward the breach and waved the flag just as the first Italian infantry made it over the rubble of the breach

An Italian officer noticed and gave the order to cease fire. The fighting at the Porta Pia ceased

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Along other fronts however fighting continued. When Col. Charette received the order to surrender, he ripped the message to pieces and dropped it on the ground. Angry but loyal he ordered his men to cease fire.

On the southern front Lt Col. Castella believed an Italian

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assault was imminent and asked his men if they “knew how to die at their posts? I am at Tre Archi and will provide an example” at 9:45 am a dragoon delivered the order to surrender to him but Castella refused to acknowledge it. It wasn’t until he received a letter from

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Gen. Zappi that he acknowledged the order. At 10:00 am Bl. Pius IX ordered the white flag to be flown over St. Peter’s Basilica. He turned to the diplomats with him and said “Sirs, I give the order to surrender. Abandoned by all, I had to succumb sooner or later.

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I must not shed blood uselessly You are my witnesses, Sirs, that the foreigner enters here only by force” The siege of Rome was over, 32 Italian soldiers were killed and 145 wounded. The Papal Army had 12 killed and 47 wounded. Italian troops poured into the city,

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doing so before an armistice was signed which violated the law.

Gen. Kanzler and Gen. Cardona met to discuss terms of surrender. Cardona was angry that in the document Kanzler referenced that the Pope was forced to yield to violence to avoid further bloodshed.

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Kanzler refused to remove this point

The surrender signed on the afternoon of Sep. 20 contained 6 articles 1. That the city including its property with the exception of the Leonine city now belonged to the Kingdom of Italy 2. The Papal Army will be given the honors of war

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and officers allowed to retain their swords. The third, fourth, and fifth order concerned the statues of the papal soldiers and the deportation of the foreigners in the ranks. The last article created a join commission of officers to oversee the transfer of weapons.

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As the Papal solders marched back to the Vatican to await further instruction anticlericals and secret society members accosted and even attacked the Papal soldiers. Over the coming days some were even murdered and several Churches and convents ransacked and destroyed.

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Most of the Papal Army spent the night in St. Peters Square. The following morning the last formation of the Papal Army occurred and a final blessing given by Bl. Pope Pius IX before the military was disbanded and everyone sent home.

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An Irish Papal Zouave gave this account of the emotional scene

"When all the soldiers were lined up, facing the Vatican and ready to leave, Colonel Allet stepped forward and, his voice broken with emotion, shouted: 'Mes enfants! Vive Pie Neuf!

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A mighty cheers broke out from the troops. Just at that moment the Pope appeared on the balcony, and, raising his hands to heaven, prayed: "May God bless my faithful children!”

The enthusiasm of that supreme moment was indescribable.

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With a frantic Eljen! (Hurrah) a Hungarian Zouave drew his sword, and immediately, with a simultaneous scuff of steel, thousands of unsheathed swords glinted in the sun.

The scene was absolutely moving. At the thought of leaving the Holy Father, tears of bitter regret

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ran down the cheeks of those men who had defied death in so many desperate battles. The trumpets gave the order to advance and, as it moved, the head of the column let out a last sad cry of "Long live Pius IX!" which, echoed row after row,

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was repeated by the whole army and by the crowd gathered to watch the departure."

The Papal Zouaves were put in a train and sent to Civitavecchia. Under horrid conditions and lack of food they awaited to board steamers to return home.

Thus the 1000-year reign of the

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of the Papal States was over. Bl. Pius IX refused to acknowledge the takeover as legitimate. He considered himself a prisoner in the Vatican and refused to step outside its walls for the rest of his life. Gen. Kanzler in solidarity, adopted this same position.

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He retained his title as Minister of War honorarily.

Subsequent popes remained as prisoners in the Vatican until the Lateran treaty in 1929 between Pope Pius XI and Mussolini which formalized the relationship between Italy and the Vatican.

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The consequences of the takeover are still evident today. Many churches and relics in Rome are still owned by the Italian government in addition to the many rectories and church officers which were turned into Carabinieri stations (and still are) to spy on Catholics.

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For the Papal Soldiers who gave their lives defending the Pope,

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Bl. Pope Pius IX,
Pray for us!

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