The Life of great hero Giuseppe Garibaldi

14th Part) With France (from 1870 to February 1871)


Two days after the defeat of Sedan during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 which signs the fall of Napoleon III, Paris protests and the Third Republic was proclaimed. Garibaldi following events closely. At the proclamation of the Republic, it sends a message to the Government of National Defence that remains unanswered "What's left of me is at your disposal, have." Fringe conservative Catholic and sees him as a revolutionary opponent of 1849 and 1867. Finally, some support of the Popular Committees and government figures, Garibaldi, although weakened by arthritis, sailed to Marseilles, where the reception was enthusiastic. He reiterated his support for Republican France: "I come to give France the rest of me. France is a country that I love, "" I was too unhappy when I thought the Republicans fought without me. "

After joining Tours, serving as its capital, and Léon Gambetta, Minister of War and defender of the resistance against the Prussians, it is offered by a small one commandment, no French officer agreeing not be under his command. Because of the fear of starting Garibaldi, Gambetta gave him the command of all the corps area Vosges, Paris to Strasbourg and a brigade of mobile guards as he is accustomed, are poorly armed and ill-equipped to deal with a particularly cold winter.

Garibaldi up his staff to Dole (October 14), and on 11 November, he organized the army into four brigades under the commandment of his two son, Ricciotti and Menotti, Delpech will be replaced by Cristiano Lobbia and Polish Jozef Bossak-Hauke. Bordone is meanwhile Chief of Staff and the son of Garibaldi, Stefano Canzio, chief of headquarters before becoming commander of the 5th Brigade.

November 19, Ricciotti inflicts defeat to the Prussians General Werder Châtillon-sur-Saône, but the theater remains Dijon. On 26 November, the city has been occupied since October 31 can not be reversed to the Prussians. They are repulsed at a cons-offensive on December 1st. It was not until 21 January 1871 for Garibaldi moved to Dijon, evacuated by the Prussians December 17, the latter being informed of the arrival from the north of the French regular troops led by General Bourbaki.

21, 22 and 23 January 1871, Dijon is attacked by the Prussians 4000: Garibaldi emerges victorious while Ricciotti grabs a flag of the 61st regiment Pomeranian. An armistice enter into force 28 January 1871 terminating the participation of Garibaldi.

Military operations by Garibaldi heavily criticized by the military authorities. In 1903, Foch publishes principles of war. He points out that Garibaldi, when he could use a single brigade, stopped his 000 men from 20 to 30 deal with the Prussian brigade of 4,000 men instead of to the aid of the army of the East Bourbaki, as he had ordered. Foch then makes the pride of Garibaldi responsible for the disaster of the Army of the East.

In February 1871, Garibaldi was elected on the lists of the Republican Union without being a candidate, the French National Assembly as a member of the Côte-d'Or, Paris, Algiers and Nice. In Paris, he came in fourth place behind Louis Blanc and Victor Hugo Gambetta. Because of his Italian nationality invalidating the election against libel and the new monarchist majority in the House who are accused of not having fought, he accepts his terms to appear before the National Assembly from which he went to defend the cause of the men he commanded. Right violently opposed to any intervention, as Garibaldi retired.

Garibaldi was re-elected in Algerian suppletive elections, that the Assembly invalids, in March, because he does not have French nationality.

Victor Hugo démissionnede its own mandate as a sign of support.
On March Garibaldi dissolves the volunteers and returns to Caprera.

... to be continued...

The life of Giuseppe Garibaldi - Fourth Part

At the time Garibaldi was born (we are in the first decade of 1800 ) the  italien peninsula was split under a multitude of small independent states.  A strong national sentiment lived  nevertheless  in the Italian's souls.

Some insurrectional and republican movements started in 1820 up to 1831. Garibaldi, like  mostly of his  génération, had built up the  conscience of a  national unity, ground since the split of the   Roman Empire.

For Garibaldi, the Mazzini's thèses to  unify Italy   (Mazzini was, as matter of fact, the other great Joseph of the italian risorgimental épopée),  look like the  directe conséquence of  Barrault's ideas, initial moment of the  rédemption of all reprimed  people.

This last voyage changes Garibaldi's life; in his mémories, he writes:« Christophore Colomb didn't certainly feel pas as satisfactied  déscovering lAmérica as I felt finding someone who was engaged on the  rédemption of our  italic country».

The officiel historiography wants Giuseppe Garibaldi meeting Giuseppe Mazzini in 1833 à Marseille where he jointed The " Giovine Italia" (The Young Italy), the political secrèt  Mazzini 's association whose objectif was to transform Italy into a démocratique unitaire république, without the king of  Tourin, and without the Pope of  Rome, making the  etèrnal town the capital of the new republican state.

In his quality of mariner, Garibaldi must face five year military  service in the royal sardinian  navy; he joined on décembre 1833. Respecting the tradition, he adoptes as nick name Cléombrote, greek  héro from  Sparte.

 Within his friends Edoardo Mutru and Marco Pes, he tries to make some  prosélytist for the cause, risking on the front of the police. As matter of fact the three friends  are foresigned to the police by whom they are surveilled ; Mutru and Garibaldi are moved on the ship Comte de Geneys, the 3rd of  fébruary; the ship is on the edge to   départ with destination Brésil.

In order to understand these  évents, we need to remind that   Mazzini and the Jeune Italie, were controled by the king of Sardinia and by his own governement, because of their républicain ideas.

Nevertheless Garibaldi, for the sake of  the  liberty of his  people, will renounce  the républicain idéals, becoming the king of  Sardinia's friend and of his premier count Camile de Cavour, the others great  autors  of the italien Unification with Mazzini and our héro Garibaldi. 

...to be continued...

The life of Giuseppe Garibaldi - Chapter One - First Part

Giuseppe Garibaldi was born in Nice (France) the 4th julliet 1807. His borning town, Nice, actually, before been conquered by the napeolenian trrops, was part oof the the kingdom of Sardinia, the small italic state led by the Savoia dinasty, which  constitutes the original nucleus of the actual Italian State. It will defitely become french in 1860, in force of the Plombiere Treat between Nappoleon III and Camillo Cavour, who sacrified the Garibaldi's borntown in the altar of the italian unity, never forgiven by the great hero of the two worlds. His parents were both Italians, from Chiavari, a little marin town in the ligurian gulf. His father, Domenico Garibaldi,  was a ship owner and wanted for his second born, Giuseppe, a future career as a lawyer or as a doctor; his mother, fervid chistian believer, would have wanted for his beloved Peppino (that's the way our hero was called by his relatives) a future as a priest. But the destiny of Giuseppe Garibaldi was quite different from these parents's desires, as we will see in the next parts.
... to be continued...