The land reform was still in the consultation stage and had not yet been formally implemented, so the landowners had not reacted too aggressively.
Moreover, the prestige of the Italian Royal Family was currently at its peak, and no one was eager to invite trouble upon themselves.
Even so, Umberto remained cautious.
He ordered intelligence personnel to closely monitor the major landowners so that any unusual movements could be detected and dealt with in advance.
Many members of these noble and landowning families served in the military, so their influence within the armed forces could not be ignored.
For this reason, Umberto specifically instructed General Diaz and Vaccari to keep a close watch on officers throughout the military, particularly those from the south, to ensure that nothing went wrong.
After the Great War, Italy had drastically reduced the size of its military establishment.
The country was divided into two major military regions—the North and the South—with a total of twelve army corps under their jurisdiction.
Each corps commanded two divisions, while each division consisted of two brigades, totaling four regiments.
The Rome Garrison consisted of the Eighth Army Corps, commanded by Corps Commander Chiapini.
Umberto had spent considerable effort bringing the garrison firmly under his control, so there was little concern about its political reliability.
Noble officers with questionable connections had already been transferred elsewhere, while newly appointed officers were predominantly veterans who had distinguished themselves during the Great War and had been cultivated by Umbertofrom an early stage.
As for the remaining eleven corps, they were kept under control by General Diaz.
As the “Duke of Victory,” Diaz enjoyed enormous prestige throughout the military.
That was precisely why Umberto had asked him to come out of retirement.
After arranging matters concerning the military, Umberto once again immersed himself in endless meetings, setting objectives for the various government departments.
What he wanted was not a collection of isolated reforms.
He wanted a comprehensive five-year plan covering every aspect of the country.
…
Within just a few days, news of the land reform had spread to even the most remote corners of Italy, giving countless people renewed hope and sending public enthusiasm soaring.
Landless peasants, land-poor farmers, and veterans throughout the country began organizing peasant solidarity associations to support the government’s reforms.
At the same time, conflicts in the countryside gradually began to intensify.
Seeing the peasants organize themselves, the landowners grew increasingly uneasy.
In the south, inside a luxurious manor on Sicily, a fierce discussion was underway.
The atmosphere was filled with tension and unease, completely different from the calm prevailing in Rome.
Inside the council hall, the room was packed with people wearing gloomy expressions.
They were the heads of the most powerful landowning families on Sicily, each controlling thousands or even tens of thousands of hectares of land.
Among them, Vittorio Saraceno, head of the Saraceno family, controlled more than 200,000 hectares spread across several regions of Sicily.
He was practically a “local emperor,” wielding influence that surpassed even that of many government officials.
The two hundred families gathered there controlled most of the island’s land and resources.
For generations, ordinary Sicilians had worked as tenant farmers under these families, enduring layer upon layer of exploitation.
They lived in extreme hardship, filled with resentment yet rarely daring to openly resist.
These landowning families controlled far more than just the land.
Their influence extended deeply into Sicily’s politics, economy, and society.
Through generations of cooperation and intermarriage, they had formed an enormous network of shared interests.
In some parts of Sicily, their words carried more weight than decrees from the King.
However, the news arriving from Rome had struck them like a thunderbolt, shattering their long-standing peace and comfort.
The Italian Royal Family had voluntarily surrendered its own lands to support land reform for landless peasants and veterans.
The news had caught them completely off guard and plunged them into panic.
If they refused to cooperate with the reform, would the Italian Royal Family simply stand aside and allow the peasants to seize the land themselves?
It was a possibility they could no longer ignore.
After all, both the royal family and the government now appeared to be standing firmly on the side of the peasants.
“Prince Palagonia, you are considered a relative of the royal family.
Could you make a trip to Rome and ask the King to revoke the land reform?” Vittorio Saraceno was the first to make a proposal.
“Exactly.
Even if the government intends to purchase our land, does it even have that much money?” The head of the Florio family laughed.
His family’s businesses covered shipping, shipbuilding, canned food, mining, chemicals, finance, winemaking, insurance, and newspapers, forming an enormous commercial empire on Sicily.
Even if the family lost tens of thousands of hectares of land, its foundations would remain largely intact.
“Everyone, stop dreaming.” Prince Palagonia spoke bluntly.
“Word has already come from Rome.
The Crown Prince is serious.
The government is already drawing up detailed plans and is merely waiting for its financing arrangements to be settled.” Prince Palagonia himself controlled tens of thousands of hectares, most of it inherited.
That did not mean he was willing to lose it.
“The Ministry of Agriculture has invited everyone to Rome for discussions.
That means they’re at least willing to listen to our opinions.
“Why don’t we go first and see what conditions they offer?” “What is there to discuss?
Land is our lifeblood.” Vittorio Saraceno essentially declared his position in advance.
“If we surrender the land, the future of our families will be threatened.
“Perhaps a few decades from now, our descendants will have fallen into obscurity, and the foundations our ancestors spent centuries building will be completely severed.” “Exactly.
I agree with Patriarch Saraceno.” “I agree as well.” “Sicily must remain ours.” Everyone began speaking at once, and the council hall quickly descended into noise.
Sitting to one side, Duke Capodimonte lightly tapped the table, signaling for everyone to quiet down.
“Making noise will not solve the problem.” He was the current Duke Capodimonte, a hereditary aristocrat who controlled towns across several provinces and possessed extensive local political influence, making him one of the most powerful nobles on the island.
At the same time, Duke Capodimonte maintained deep connections with the Sicilian mafia’s Cusia family, employing their members to manage estates and suppress resistance among tenant farmers.
He also exercised enormous influence over the local olive-oil and wine trades, making him one of the leading figures of the Southern Landlord Alliance.
Among everyone present, only Saraceno possessed enough wealth and influence to compete with him for leadership.
“Duke, what do you propose?” Although Patriarch Saraceno was immensely powerful, his political influence was still inferior to that of Duke Capodimonte, leaving him somewhat disadvantaged when dealing with political matters.
“Your Excellency Saraceno, there is no easy solution.” Duke Capodimonte slowly looked around the room.
“According to the information we’ve received from various provinces, the Cabinet in Rome is already preparing its plans.
They intend to begin implementation after the landowners’ conference.” He paused.
“If we truly refuse to surrender our land, then there is only one option left.” “Rebellion.” Those words exploded through the hall like a bomb.
Everyone froze.
Rebellion?
How were they supposed to rebel?
“Duke, are you suggesting that we rebel against the government?” Prince Palagonia belonged to a collateral branch of the royal family.
Although several generations separated his branch from the main line, his sympathies still leaned toward the royal family, making him fundamentally a royalist.
“Your Highness understands me perfectly.” Duke Capodimonte smiled and nodded.
“The Crown Prince is implementing policies little different from those advocated by the communists.
He is no longer the kind of ruler we can support.” “Besides, the South has always shown respect toward the royal family while maintaining considerable independence from Rome.” “You!” Prince Palagonia’s expression changed.
His family’s peerage had been altered and his branch had settled on Sicily partly to expand the influence of the royal family.
Unfortunately, his ancestors had underestimated Sicily’s isolation and overestimated their ability to resist the local environment.
Over generations, the family had gradually become part of that very system.
“Your Highness, don’t stand on the wrong side.” Giuseppe Licata attempted to persuade him.
“Rebelling against the Crown Prince does not mean rebelling against the King, nor does it mean overthrowing the House of Savoy.
“We simply want to preserve the existing order and protect the interests of Sicily.” “Exactly.
Sicily has no interest in seizing power in Rome.
As long as there is a wise monarch on the throne, we will support him all the same.” Ferdinando Toledo had long since stopped caring much about rule from Rome.
His family was originally of Spanish descent and possessed little attachment to Italy.
Greater autonomy for Sicily would greatly benefit his family.
At the very least, they could consolidate local power without constantly worrying about interference from the central government.
The Toledo family’s declaration effectively meant that the major nobles and landowners had reached a consensus: They would resist to the end.
Seeing this, the smaller and medium-sized families began declaring their positions one after another.
“For the sake of Sicily, I am willing to contribute money.” “For the sake of Sicily, I am willing to contribute men.” …
After the meeting ended, representatives of several major families remained behind to discuss their next steps.
Duke Capodimonte took out a telegram from Rome and smiled.
“Sicily alone is not enough.
“We must unite the landowners throughout the entire South and oppose the Crown Prince together.” Saraceno immediately agreed.
“Exactly.
The landowners of Calabria, Campania, and Apulia value their estates no less than we do, and their connections within the military and political establishment run deep.
“As long as everyone protests together and resists Rome’s tyranny, we can certainly force that Crown Prince to compromise.” “Have you considered the possibility that the Crown Prince might deploy the military?” Prince Palagonia, having chosen to remain with the landowners, naturally offered his advice.
He was also an important link between the Sicilian nobles and royal relatives elsewhere.
“That King fears civil war more than anything, and the previous King feared it as well.” Duke Capodimonte understood the temperament of the royal family very well.
“There will be no war.” The House of Savoy had unified Italy too recently to fully extend its influence into the South.
Military suppression alone could not solve the region’s problems.
As a result, the South had enjoyed considerable practical autonomy for decades.
“Very well, then we’ll proceed this way.” Saraceno was the most enthusiastic of them all.
He had even prepared the necessary funds in advance.
“If that fails, we can always send someone to give the Crown Prince a warning.” “Unless absolutely necessary, don’t act recklessly.” Prince Palagonia immediately objected.
“Otherwise, if a genuine civil war breaks out, no one will benefit.” He understood his distant cousin, the King.
Victor Emmanuel III might appear cautious, weak, and timid.
But if anything happened to his only son and heir, he would probably be willing to drag every landowner in Italy down with him.
“That’s right.
Unless civil war actually begins, no one is to act recklessly.” Duke Capodimonte stood up.
“But we can still negotiate.” He looked around at the others.
“You will be responsible for contacting the major families throughout the South.
“I will go to Rome personally and persuade the young Crown Prince not to do anything foolish.” …
During the same period, landowners elsewhere in southern Italy were also holding private meetings.
In several regions, the situation was similar to that of Sicily, with an extremely small portion of the population controlling the overwhelming majority of the land.
The situation in the North was somewhat better.
Some northern landowners belonged to old aristocratic families and could be considered medium-sized landlords, while others were members of the emerging bourgeoisie who had originally purchased their estates as investments.
If the general political trend favored the government and the compensation offered was reasonable, they were unlikely to rebel.
To them, land was primarily a means of preserving wealth and generating additional income.
Moreover, northern landowners generally did not possess estates on the same enormous scale as their southern counterparts.
Most controlled only hundreds or thousands of hectares of farmland.
Their estates, however, were far more mechanized and productive, making them models of modern agriculture.