Guglielmo Pepe
Encyclopedia
Guglielmo Pepe was an Italian general and patriot. He was brother to Florestano Pepe
and cousin to Gabriele Pepe
. He married to Marianne Coventry, a Scottish woman.
in Calabria
.
He entered the army at an early age, but in 1799 he took part in the Neapolitan Republic, inspired by the French Revolution
. He fought against the Bourbon troops under Cardinal Ruffo
, was captured and exiled to France. He entered Napoleon's army and served with distinction in several campaigns, including those in the Neapolitan kingdom, first under Joseph Bonaparte
and later under Joachim Murat
.
After commanding a Neapolitan brigade in the Peninsular campaign, Pepe returned to Italy in 1813, with the rank of general, to help to reorganize the Neapolitan army. When the news of the fall of Napoleon (1814) reached Italy Pepe and several other generals tried without success to force Murat to grant a constitution as the only means of saving the kingdom from foreign invasion and the return of the Bourbons.
On Napoleon's escape from Elba
(1815) Murat, after some hesitation, placed himself on the emperor's side and waged war against the Austria
ns, with Pepe on his staff. After several engagements the Neapolitans were forced to retire after the Battle of Tolentino
(to which Pepe participated), and eventually agreed to the Treaty of Casalanza
by which Murat was to abandon the kingdom; but the Neapolitan officers retained their rank under Ferdinand IV
who now regained the throne of Naples.
While engaged in suppressing brigandage in the Capitanata, Pepe organized the carbonari
into a national militia, and was preparing to use them for political purposes. He had hoped that the king would grant a constitution, but when that hope failed he contemplated seizing Ferdinand, the emperor of Austria
, and Metternich
, who were expected at Avellino
, and thus compelling them to instil a liberal constitution in Italy (1819). The scheme broke down through an accident, but in the following year a military rising broke out, the mutineers cheering for the king and the constitution. Pepe himself was sent against them, but while he was hesitating as to what course he should follow Ferdinand promised a constitution (July 1820). A revolt in Sicily having been repressed, Pepe was appointed inspector-general of the army.
In the meanwhile the king, who had no intention of respecting the constitution, went to Laibach
to confer, with the sovereigns of the holy alliance assembled there, leaving his son as regent. He obtained the loan of an Austrian army with which to restore absolute power, while the regent dallied with the Liberals. Pepe, who in parliament had declared in favour of deposing the king, now took command of the army and marched against the Austrians. He attacked them at Rieti
(March, 1821), but his raw levies were repulsed.
The army was gradually disbanded, and Pepe spent several years in England, France and other countries, publishing a number of books and pamphlets of a political character and keeping up his connection with the Carbonari. When in 1848 revolution and war broke out all over Italy, Pepe returned to Naples, where a constitution had again been proclaimed. He was given command of the Neapolitan army which was to co-operate with Piedmont against the Austrians, but when he reached Bologna the king, who had already changed his mind, recalled him and his troops. Pepe, after hesitating between his desire to fight for Italy, and his oath to the king, resigned his commission in the Neapolitan service and crossed the Po
with 2,000 volunteers to take part in the campaign. After a good deal of fighting in Venetia, he joined Manin
in the siege of Venice and took command of the defending army. When the city was forced by hunger to surrender to the Austrians, Pepe and Manin were among those excluded from the amnesty.
He again went into exile and died in Turin in 1855.
Florestano Pepe
Florestano Pepe was an Italian patriot. He was brother to the more famous general Guglielmo Pepe and cousin to Gabriele Pepe....
and cousin to Gabriele Pepe
Gabriele Pepe
Gabriele Pepe was an Italian soldier who fought in defence of the Neapolitan Republic in 1799. He was cousin to Guglielmo and Florestano Pepe....
. He married to Marianne Coventry, a Scottish woman.
Biography
Pepe was born at SquillaceSquillace
Squillace is an ancient seaside town and comune, in the Province of Catanzaro, part of Calabria, southern Italy, facing the Gulf of Squillace....
in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
.
He entered the army at an early age, but in 1799 he took part in the Neapolitan Republic, inspired by the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. He fought against the Bourbon troops under Cardinal Ruffo
Fabrizio Ruffo
Fabrizio Ruffo was an Italian cardinal and politician, who led the popular anti-republican Sanfedismo movement .-Biography:...
, was captured and exiled to France. He entered Napoleon's army and served with distinction in several campaigns, including those in the Neapolitan kingdom, first under Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
and later under Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
.
After commanding a Neapolitan brigade in the Peninsular campaign, Pepe returned to Italy in 1813, with the rank of general, to help to reorganize the Neapolitan army. When the news of the fall of Napoleon (1814) reached Italy Pepe and several other generals tried without success to force Murat to grant a constitution as the only means of saving the kingdom from foreign invasion and the return of the Bourbons.
On Napoleon's escape from Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
(1815) Murat, after some hesitation, placed himself on the emperor's side and waged war against the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
ns, with Pepe on his staff. After several engagements the Neapolitans were forced to retire after the Battle of Tolentino
Battle of Tolentino
The Battle of Tolentino was fought on 2 – 3 May 1815 near Tolentino, in what is now Marche, Italy: it was the decisive battle in the Neapolitan War, fought by the Napoleonic King of Naples Joachim Murat to keep the throne after the Congress of Vienna. The battle itself shares many parallels with...
(to which Pepe participated), and eventually agreed to the Treaty of Casalanza
Treaty of Casalanza
The Treaty of Casalanza, which ended the Neapolitan War, was signed on 20 May 1815 between the pro-Napoleon Kingdom of Naples on the one hand and the Austrian Empire, as well as the United Kingdom, on the other....
by which Murat was to abandon the kingdom; but the Neapolitan officers retained their rank under Ferdinand IV
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
who now regained the throne of Naples.
While engaged in suppressing brigandage in the Capitanata, Pepe organized the carbonari
Carbonari
The Carbonari were groups of secret revolutionary societies founded in early 19th-century Italy. The Italian Carbonari may have further influenced other revolutionary groups in Spain, France, Portugal and possibly Russia. Although their goals often had a patriotic and liberal focus, they lacked a...
into a national militia, and was preparing to use them for political purposes. He had hoped that the king would grant a constitution, but when that hope failed he contemplated seizing Ferdinand, the emperor of Austria
Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I was Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation, King of Hungary and Bohemia , as well as associated dominions from the death of his father, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, until his abdication after the Revolutions of 1848.He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child...
, and Metternich
Klemens Wenzel von Metternich
Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich was a German-born Austrian politician and statesman and was one of the most important diplomats of his era...
, who were expected at Avellino
Avellino
Avellino is a town and comune, capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains 42 km north-east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento.-History:Before the Roman conquest, the...
, and thus compelling them to instil a liberal constitution in Italy (1819). The scheme broke down through an accident, but in the following year a military rising broke out, the mutineers cheering for the king and the constitution. Pepe himself was sent against them, but while he was hesitating as to what course he should follow Ferdinand promised a constitution (July 1820). A revolt in Sicily having been repressed, Pepe was appointed inspector-general of the army.
In the meanwhile the king, who had no intention of respecting the constitution, went to Laibach
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
to confer, with the sovereigns of the holy alliance assembled there, leaving his son as regent. He obtained the loan of an Austrian army with which to restore absolute power, while the regent dallied with the Liberals. Pepe, who in parliament had declared in favour of deposing the king, now took command of the army and marched against the Austrians. He attacked them at Rieti
Rieti
Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
(March, 1821), but his raw levies were repulsed.
The army was gradually disbanded, and Pepe spent several years in England, France and other countries, publishing a number of books and pamphlets of a political character and keeping up his connection with the Carbonari. When in 1848 revolution and war broke out all over Italy, Pepe returned to Naples, where a constitution had again been proclaimed. He was given command of the Neapolitan army which was to co-operate with Piedmont against the Austrians, but when he reached Bologna the king, who had already changed his mind, recalled him and his troops. Pepe, after hesitating between his desire to fight for Italy, and his oath to the king, resigned his commission in the Neapolitan service and crossed the Po
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
with 2,000 volunteers to take part in the campaign. After a good deal of fighting in Venetia, he joined Manin
Daniele Manin
Daniele Manin was an Italian patriot and statesman from Venice. He is a hero of Italian unification .-Early life:...
in the siege of Venice and took command of the defending army. When the city was forced by hunger to surrender to the Austrians, Pepe and Manin were among those excluded from the amnesty.
He again went into exile and died in Turin in 1855.
Works
- Relazione delle circostanze relative agli avvenimenti politici e militari in Napoli nel 1820 e 1821 [...] (1822)
- Memorie (1847)
- L'Italie politique et ses rapports avec la France et l'Angleterre (1848)
- Casi d'Italia negli anni 1847, 48 e 49 : continuazione delle memorie del generale Guglielmo Pepe (1851)