92. The old _Hanoverian Army_ disappeared, of course, with the
annexation of Hanover to Prussia in 1866, but it is still represented
officially by certain regiments of the X. army corps, and, in one case
at least, battle honours won by the King's German Legion in the
British service are borne on German colours of to-day. The _Hessian
Army_ is now represented by the XXV. (Grand-ducal Hessian) division,
which forms part of the XVIII. army corps.
ITALIAN ARMY
93. The old conscription law of the kingdom of Sardinia is the basis of
the military organization of Italy, as its constitution is of that of
the modern Italian kingdom. The Piedmontese have long borne a high
reputation for their military qualities, a reputation shared by the
rulers of the house of Savoy (q.v.), many of whom showed special ability
in preserving the independence of their small kingdom between two such
powerful neighbours as France and Austria. During the wars of the French
Revolution Piedmont was temporarily absorbed into the French republic
and empire. The Italian troops who fought under Napoleon proved
themselves, in many if not most cases, the best of the French allies,
and Italy contributed large numbers of excellent general officers to the
_Grande Armee_.
After 1815 various causes combined to place Piedmont (Sardinia) at the
head of the national movement which agitated Italy during the ensuing
thirty years, and bring her in direct antagonism to Austria. Charles
Albert, her then ruler, had paid great attention to the army, and when
Italy rose against Austria in 1848 he took the field with an excellent
force of nearly 70,000 men. At the outset fortune favoured the arms of
Italy; but the genius and energy of Radetzky, the veteran Austrian
commander, turned the tide, and in the summer of 1849 after many
battles the Piedmontese army was decisively defeated at Novara, and
her king compelled to sue for peace. Charles Albert abdicated in
favour of his son Victor Emanuel, a prince who had already
distinguished himself by his personal gallantry in the field. Under
his care the army soon recovered its efficiency, and the force which
joined the allied armies in the Crimea attracted general admiration
from the excellence of its organization, equipment and discipline. In
1859 Piedmont again took up arms against Austria for the liberation of
Italy; but this time she had the powerful assistance of France, and
played but a subordinate part herself. In this campaign the Sardinian
army was composed of one cavalry and five infantry divisions, and
numbered about 60,000 combatants. By the peace of Villafranca, Italy,
with the exception of Venetia, was freed from the Austrians, and
Lombardy was added to Piedmont. The revolutionary campaign of
Garibaldi in the following year united the whole peninsula under the
rule of Victor Emanuel, and in 1866, when Italy for the third time
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