On the morning of November 7, Victor Emmanuel III ordered the court steward to compile a complete inventory of the royal family’s landholdings.
That afternoon, he delivered a public speech in the square.
Victor Emmanuel III was dressed in military uniform, standing upright and looking exceptionally dignified.
Umberto, who also held a military rank, wore his military uniform as well, giving him a striking and imposing appearance.
The square was packed with guards maintaining order, tens of thousands of citizens, and reporters from various newspapers and media organizations.
Victor Emmanuel III walked onto the podium, looking radiant.
“People of Italy, I am your King.” “Today, I have an important announcement to make.
“To support the land reform program of the Umberto Regency Cabinet, I have decided to transfer the farmland, forests, and pastures belonging to the royal family to the Cabinet.
“The total area amounts to 300,000 hectares, of which 240,000 hectares are arable land.” “Wow!” “Ah!” The moment his words fell, cries of astonishment erupted throughout the square.
Everyone’s mouths hung open, seemingly unable to close.
Even the reporters forgot to take photographs, completely stunned by the announcement.
Seeing this reaction, the corners of Umberto’s mouth rose slightly.
This was exactly what he wanted.
He wanted to catch everyone completely off guard.
Seeing the crowd still immersed in shock, Victor Emmanuel III paused and patiently waited for them to recover.
At that moment, countless gazes were fixed upon him.
Three minutes later, someone finally snapped back to reality and began applauding excitedly.
In an instant, thunderous applause and cheers erupted throughout the square.
Words spoken publicly by the King could not simply be taken back, and no one seriously doubted whether the announcement was genuine.
The royal family’s credibility still carried considerable weight.
“Long live the King!” The shouts came in wave after wave, each louder than the last.
Victor Emmanuel III had not expected such an overwhelming reaction.
He repeatedly waved to the crowd, and an indescribable sense of satisfaction rose within him.
Was this the feeling Umberto had described?
The feeling of being loved by the people?
“My people, Italy is about to enter a new era under the leadership of the Umberto Cabinet.” “Next, I will ask the Crown Prince to announce the first decree.” With these words, Victor Emmanuel III formally handed political authority to Umberto.
Barring exceptional circumstances, he would no longer interfere in the government’s daily affairs.
Umberto stepped forward, saluted his father, and walked onto the podium.
“Everyone!” Umberto’s voice rang loudly across the square.
“For the revitalization of Italy, I hereby announce that, beginning today, the national state of emergency will be extended and the country will enter a period of constitutional guidance.
Parliamentary elections will therefore be suspended.” “The constitutional guidance period will last ten years.
“At the end of those ten years, a national referendum will determine whether democratic constitutional government should be restored.” “During these ten years, the Regency Cabinet will complete land reform, financial reform, economic reform, educational reform, administrative reform, and other major programs.
“We will restore a stable and fair national environment to the people of Italy and remove the obstacles preventing them from pursuing prosperous and fulfilling lives.” “I promise that within five years, every family will own a family car!” Hearing this promise, the crowd became even more excited.
People waved their hands and shouted at the tops of their lungs.
“Support His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!” “Support His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!” “Support His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!” With the royal family’s land donation as the foundation, who would still question Umberto’s intentions?
And who had the time to care about Parliament?
In recent years, Parliament’s reputation had already fallen to rock bottom.
The overwhelming enthusiasm caused Umberto to instinctively raise his hand.
“For Italy, forward!” Seeing this, the crowd raised their hands in response and shouted along with him.
“For Italy, forward!” “For Italy, forward!” “For Italy, forward!” …
Reporters from every newspaper frantically captured every detail, terrified of missing even a moment of the Crown Prince’s commanding presence.
This speech allowed ordinary citizens to see hope.
After the event ended and the crowd dispersed, some citizens took to the streets in spontaneous marches supporting the King and the Crown Prince.
Amid the procession, an enormous group suddenly appeared.
They had come from outside the city and wore coats of various colors.
The November weather was somewhat chilly, but their heavy clothing kept out the cold.
“Long live the King!
Long live the Crown Prince!” Everyone wore smiles, their eyes filled with determination.
A reporter stopped one of the marchers and asked about the situation.
“May I ask where you are from?” “We came from the temporary camp outside the city.” “Who organized your march?” “No one.
We came spontaneously.
“The tens of thousands of us here are all former members of the Blackshirts—veterans who wanted land.” “Why did you decide to participate in the march?” “Because the Crown Prince keeps his word, and because the Crown Prince has given this country hope.
“If another war ever comes, I will firmly stand on the Crown Prince’s side.” “So will we!” Several passing marchers shouted in unison.
The reporter froze, staring blankly as the group continued down the street.
More and more people were swept up by the atmosphere.
Unemployed workers and wandering peasants joined the procession, turning the royal palace into the center of an enormous march that wound through avenue after avenue.
Rome had gone crazy.
Victor Emmanuel III stood on the balcony of the royal palace, watching the endless crowds march past again and again.
His spirits soared, and he could not suppress the smile on his face.
In his memory, scenes like this had been exceedingly rare.
Even during the victory celebrations following the Great War, the ordinary people had not appeared this joyful.
Umberto was right once again.
What others thought was not important.
What the people thought was what truly mattered.
…
The next morning, the major newspapers spread news of this historic moment to every town and city throughout Italy.
Where there were people celebrating, naturally there were also those filled with resentment.
The Communist Party of Italy issued a public statement harshly condemning the “dictatorial seizure of power” by the King and the Crown Prince.
It called upon workers and revolutionary youth throughout the country to organize street demonstrations and strikes in opposition to the extension of the state of emergency and the suspension of Parliament.
The radical faction of the Socialist Party likewise issued a statement of resistance, condemning the royal dictatorship and announcing that it would mobilize workers in the northern industrial regions to launch large-scale strikes and demonstrations, blockade factories and railways, and resist the royal decrees.
The Republican Party condemned the monarchy itself, declaring that it should not exist and was an obstacle to social progress that ought to be abolished.
As for the suspension of Parliament, that was almost secondary in their eyes.
In contrast, the People’s Party, the Liberals, the Unified Socialists, and the Democratic Association remained silent and chose to wait and see.
These parties naturally pursued their own political interests, but they also desired stability.
If the Crown Prince could genuinely stabilize society, it would ultimately benefit them as well.
The smaller parties were divided between support and opposition, though their influence was comparatively limited.
Umberto and the Ministry of Agriculture quickly stepped forward to confirm and publish the most basic priorities of the coming reforms.
The purpose was to make the Cabinet’s determination clear to the public and prevent people from being misled into participating in unrest.
Umberto was not particularly worried about the citizens of Rome.
He was more concerned about the rest of the country, especially the north, where the various political movements possessed their strongest bases.
However, their activities were already under surveillance, so the situation remained manageable.
Two days later, Umberto struck while the iron was hot and publicly released a consultation proposal for land reform.
The purpose was both to stabilize public sentiment and to test the reactions of the country’s major landowners.
The proposal contained four key points.
First, each household would receive five hectares of land.
For households with more than six members, additional land would be allocated on a per-capita basis, though such supplementary allocations would come from whatever land remained after the initial distribution had been completed.
In regions where there was insufficient land to provide five hectares per household, free land reclamation would be permitted.
Second, veterans of the Great War and their families would receive priority in land allocation, fulfilling the promises made to them before and during the war.
Third, the government would purchase land from large landowners for redistribution.
Independent farmers possessing fewer than four hectares would be exempt from compulsory purchase.
Fourth, compensation for purchased land would be paid through ten-year government bonds, redeemable for cash upon maturity.
Once the proposal appeared in the newspapers, it immediately triggered heated discussions throughout the country.
The veterans had no interest in complicated political maneuvering.
They simply took to the streets and openly declared their support for the Crown Prince and the government.
Even from inside Palazzo Chigi, Umberto could hear the shouting in the streets of Rome.
Umberto smiled at Ettore Rossi.
“Look.
Now let’s see who dares to openly stand against public opinion.” “Your Highness’s methods are brilliant.” Rossi gave him a thumbs-up.
During the Great War, approximately five million men had been mobilized.
Even if only half of those demobilized soldiers were willing to return to agriculture, the amount of land required to satisfy them would be astonishing.
Without extraordinary courage, who would dare openly take the lead in opposing them?
And those five million demobilized soldiers were themselves one of the greatest “powder kegs” in Italian society.
Whoever won their loyalty would possess an enormous advantage in determining the future of Italy.
“Things have only just begun.
It’s far too early to call anything brilliant.” Umberto had never expected the landowners to obediently surrender their estates.
These people possessed enormous influence in Parliament, the military, and local government.
They were one of the country’s most deeply entrenched vested-interest groups, one that no previous government had dared to offend lightly.
Now Parliament had been suspended, removing the greatest institutional obstacle to the reform.
The remaining question was whether anyone within the military would dare step forward to oppose him.
“Rossi, take the lead in organizing a land-reform symposium.
“In my name, invite the major landowners from both the north and south to Rome.” Umberto smiled faintly.
“Tell them we’re going to discuss affairs of state.”