How did Victor Emmanuel II preserve constitutional government in Piedmont?

Victor Emmanuel II played a pivotal role in preserving constitutional government in Piedmont during a period when other Italian states were reverting to despotic rule. Following the defeat of Piedmontese forces in the war against Austria, the king faced significant pressure from a hostile left-wing majority in the chamber that refused to ratify the peace treaty.12

To resolve this impasse, Victor Emmanuel II issued the Proclamation of Moncalieri on November 20, 1849. This appeal to the electorate allowed him to bypass parliamentary obstructionism and secure a new, more moderate majority. By doing so, he maintained the statuto—the constitution granted in 1848—rather than following the example of other rulers who repudiated their constitutional oaths.12

While the king occasionally displayed absolutist tendencies and favored clerical interests, he ultimately entrusted the government to Count Cavour in 1852. This decision facilitated the development of ministerial responsibility to parliament and allowed Piedmont to modernize through significant ecclesiastical, judicial, and fiscal reforms, establishing it as the nucleus for the unification of Italy.321