Editing Kingdom of Italy (section)

== History ==
The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed on 17 March 1861 after the unification of most of the peninsula under the House of Savoy. The process followed the Risorgimento, a political and cultural movement that supported Italian unification and culminated in the creation of the kingdom in 1861.<ref name="risorgimento" />

Venetia was annexed in 1866. Rome and the former Papal States were incorporated by 1871, completing the main territorial process of unification. The capital moved from Turin to Florence in 1865 and then to Rome in 1871.<ref name="state" />

The early kingdom faced uneven development between northern and southern regions. In 1861 it had about 26 million inhabitants, with high illiteracy and a largely agricultural population. The state used central administration and appointed prefects to consolidate authority over the provinces and communes.<ref name="condition">[https://www.britannica.com/place/Italy/Condition-of-the-Italian-kingdom "Condition of the Italian kingdom"]. ''Encyclopaedia Britannica''. Retrieved 14 June 2026.</ref>

Italy joined the Allies during the First World War. The post-war period brought economic pressure, social unrest, and political conflict. Benito Mussolini and the Fascist movement came to power in the 1920s, and constitutional rule was replaced by dictatorship.<ref name="britannica-summary" />

During the Second World War, Italy was allied with [[Nazi Germany]]. The Fascist regime collapsed in 1943, and the country entered a period of military occupation, internal conflict, and transition. After the war, the future of the monarchy was decided by referendum.<ref name="britannica-summary" />

On 2 June 1946, Italians voted on whether the state should remain a monarchy or become a republic. The vote also elected a Constituent Assembly. On 18 June 1946, the Court of Cassation officially proclaimed the birth of the Italian Republic, ending the Kingdom of Italy.<ref name="referendum" />