Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia
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Victor Amadeus II (b.May 14 1666-d.October 31 1732 was the Duke of Savoy (1675-1720, 1730-1732). His mother Marie Jeanne Baptiste was the regent from 1675 to 1684. He first became king of Sicily (1713-1718), he was forced to exchange this title and instead became king of Sardinia (1720-1730).
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Internal Reforms
Victor Amadeus II undertook sweeping administrative reforms within Savoy-Piedmont. In 1696 he established a system of intendents, based on the French model, responsible for collecting taxes and law enforcement. In 1697 he began a land survey which was largely completed by 1711, the Perequazione, to examine the land holdings and privileges of the Church and nobility. In 1717 he reformed the secretariat system in Turin establishing individual secretaries for war, internal affairs and foreign affairs. From the 1670s he also had a new administrative zone built in Turin, around the ducal palace. This zone included a military academy, the ministry of war, a mint and a customs house, this work was still ongoing upon his death.
Victor Amadeus also undertook a number of military reforms. In 1690 he established a select militia within his territories, he later overhauled the militia system in 1714 and strictly codified it. From 1713 he also began to establish his own navy based on the limited Sicilian naval forces he had been granted.
Foreign Policy
Under his mother's regency Savoy, despite being a state of the Holy Roman Empire, was closely linked to and heavily dependant upon France, essentially becoming a French satellite. Victor Amadeus II broke this link with France by joining alliances against Savoy's neighbour in both the Nine Years War and the War of the Spanish Succession.
Savoy was considered a valuable ally in both wars due to its geographical position, enabling a second front to be opened against France in the south. Savoy relied heavily on foreign subsidies particularly from England and the United Dutch Provinces in both wars to maintain its armies. During the War of the Spanish Succession foreign subsidies amounted for almost half of the revenue raised by Savoy to fight the war. In the War of the Spanish Succession Savoy faired particularly badly against the larger French forces resulting in a siege of Turin in 1706 which was only relieved by the intervention of an army of the Holy Roman Empire under Prince Eugene of Savoy.
As a result of his aid in the War of the Spanish Succession Victor Amadeus II was made King of Sicily in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht which ended the war. Victor Amadeus was forced to exchange Sicily for the less important kingdom of Sardinia in 1720 after objections from an alliance of four nations, including several of his former allies.
The Vaudois
Victor Amadeus II began a large scale persecution of the Vaudois (Piedmontese and Savoyard Protestants) in 1685. Due to his alliances with England and the United Dutch Provinces during the Nine Years War he was forced to cease this practice from 1688 and in 1694 granted an Edict of Toleration.
Dynasticism
He married
- 1. Anne Marie of Orléans (b. August 27, 1669-d. August 26, 1728) daughter of Philippe I of Orléans & his first wife Henriette Anne Stuart.
- 1. Marie Adelaide (b.1685-d.1712) married Louis, duke of Burgundy and was the mother of:
- 2. Marie Anne (b.1687-d.1690)
- 3. Marie Louise (b.1688-d.1714 first wife of Philip V of Spain
- 4. Victor Amadeus (b.1699 d.1715), prince of Piedmont
- 5. Carlo Emanuele III (b.1701-d.1773)
- 6. Emanuele Philibert (1705) Duke of Chablais,
- 2. Anna Teresa Canalis di Cumiana (b.1679-d.1769) morganatic
- 3. (Mistress) Jeanne Baptiste d'Albret de Luynes (b.1670-d.1736)
- 1. Vittorio Francesco di Savoie, Marchese di Susa. (b.1694-d.1762), married Donna Lucretia de Castro dei Duchi di Taurisano.
- 2. Donna Maria Vittoria di Savoie, Marchesa di Susa. (b.1690-d.1766)
- 3. Donna Caterina di Savoie, (b.1713-d.1779), married Conte Giorgio Magro.