Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

178
Ronald E. Coons
which foUowed the French revolution of 1789. So many of the governments on thi* continent are now in a state of disquietude or disorganizatioo, that even should the French not attempi as fonnerly, to force their principles npon their neighbours, at the point of the bayonet, or at the cannon's mouth, yet the example set by them, will most likely be foilowed by others, and the ball put in motion in Paris will probably not stop, until Belgium, and perhaps Denmark and Sweden on the one side and Spain, Portugal, the kingdoms of the Sicilies and Sardinia, the States of the Church and perhaps even Austria and Prussia on the other, shall bave become partiaUy if not entiréiy revolutionized. But the movement will not be confined to France. The well-known characteristies of the French, the idealists and theorists now at the head of the government, the tenor of the proci amatioms which they have already issued, the necessity of action, not only for the gratification of the national vanity, but for the preser-vation of the government, ali favor the belief, that they will rush impetuously to the first field which presents itself, and as that is now to be found on the plains of Lombardy, where the discontented Italians are struggi in g under the Austrian yoke, it is strongly anticipated that there, in connection with the Sardinians, they will make a vigorous effort for the emancipati on of that provìnce, and if successful in that attempt, that they may for the third time take possession of this capital or if on the other band they should be defeated, that the allied powers will not rest until they shall for the third time have entered Paris. This is not only the opinion of individuala, but seems to be that which at this time actuates this government, as their movements so far as ascertained, most olearly indicate. Orders have been issued for 150,000 more men to be marched forthwith into Lombardy,n) and preparations being made for a stili farther rednforcement, by expresses which it is understood have been despatched to Russia and Prussia, whith instructions to the former to take possession of and garrison the fortress of Gallicia, and to the latter to hold those of Bohemia, in order that the Austrian troops at present required for those stations might be free for remo-vai to the field of action.58) Independent, however, of ali foreign influences, the late development in France has shown, that bere in Austria, where such a manifestation might last have been looked for, the great mass of the people are awake to their situafcion, and ready for a change. In the most public manner have they been sympatbising with the revolutionists of Paris, loudly complaining of their own oppressions, strongly urging the necessity of
57 ) Nei primi di marzo 1848 Radetzky aveva circa 70,000 uomini sotto il suo co­mando; vedi P. PIERI, op. cit., pp. 195-196. In febbraio, Metternich. infatti, appoggiò la richiesta di Radetzky che l'esercito d'Italia fosse aumentato a 150,000 uomini; non si trattava, però, di uomini in più, come asserisce Stiles. Non fu possibile, però, far arrivare rinforzi prima dello scoppio delle cinque giornate di Milano. Vedi RUDOLF KISZMNG, Die Revolution im Kaisertum Ósterreichs, 1848-1849, Wien, 1948-1952, voi. I, p. 90.
58 J Stiles ebbe torto nel ritenere che Metternich potesse ordinare al governo della Russia e a quello della Prussia di intraprendere operazioni militari. Gò che il cancelliere austriaco poteva fare e fece era di iniziare intense trattative con i due governi, nel ten­tativo di assicurarsi il loro aiuto militare. Rispondendo alle domande di Metternich lo zar si dichiarò favorevole all'invio di truppe alla frontiera austriaca e all'occupazione della Galizia, se quest'operazione avesse permesso il rafforzamento delle posizioni austriache in Italia. Cfr. E. A NO ics, Dos Bundnia Bubaburg-Romanow, p. 45: Die mit fieberhafter Elle ausgearbeiteten Piane wurden aber alle durch den Sieg der Revolution am 13. Mara in Wien, sodann am 18. Mare in Berlin unter den HauCen geworfen .