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It may be well to notice here an event of world-wide importance, which came as a sequel to the military collapse of France.  Italians had always looked to the day when Rome would be the national capital.  The great Napoleon during his time of exile at St. Helena had uttered the prophetic words:  “Italy isolated between her natural limits is destined to form a great and powerful nation. . . .  Rome will without doubt be chosen by the Italians as their capital.”  The political and economic needs of the present, coinciding herein with the voice of tradition, always so strong in Italian hearts, pointed imperiously to Rome as the only possible centre of national life.

As was pointed out in the Introduction, Pius IX. after the years of revolution, 1848-49, felt the need of French troops in his capital, and his harsh and reactionary policy (or rather, that of his masterful Secretary of State, Antonelli) before long completely alienated the feelings of his subjects.

After the master-mind of Cavour was removed by death, (June 1861), the patriots struggled desperately, but in vain, to rid Rome of the presence of foreign troops and win her for the national cause.  Garibaldi’s raids of 1862 and 1867 were foiled, the one by Italian, the other by French troops; and the latter case, which led to the sharp fight of Mentana, effaced any feelings of gratitude to Napoleon III. for his earlier help, which survived after his appropriation of Savoy and Nice.  Thus matters remained in 1867-70, the Pope relying on the support of French bayonets to coerce his own subjects.  Clearly this was a state of things which could not continue.  The first great shock must always bring down a political edifice which rests not on its own foundations, but on external buttresses.  These were suddenly withdrawn by the war of 1870.  Early in August, Napoleon ordered all his troops to leave the Papal States; and the downfall of his power a month later absolved Victor Emmanuel from the claims of gratitude which he still felt towards his ally of 1859.

At once the forward wing of the Italian national party took action in a way that either forced, or more probably encouraged, Victor Emmanuel’s Government to step in under the pretext of preventing the creation of a Roman Republic.  The King invited Pius IX. to assent to the peaceful occupation of Rome by the royal troops, and on receiving the expected refusal, moved forward 35,000 soldiers.  The resistance of the 11,000 Papal troops proved to be mainly a matter of form.  The wall near the Porta Pia soon crumbled before the Italian cannon, and after a brief struggle at the breach, the white flag was hoisted at the bidding of the Pope (Sept. 20).

Thus fell the temporal power of the Papacy.  The event aroused comparatively little notice in that year of marvels, but its results have been momentous.  At the time there was a general sense of relief, if not of joy, in Italy, that the national movement had reached its goal, albeit in so tame and uninspiring a manner.  Rome had long been a prey to political reaction, accompanied by police supervision of the most exasperating kind.  The plebiscite as to the future government gave 133,681 votes for Victor Emmanuel’s rule, and only 1507 negative votes[53].