January 9, 1848, Italy.
In Palermo, the capital of Sicily, a proclamation appeared prominently on the city walls.
"Sicilians! ... Protests, petitions, and peaceful demonstrations have all proved useless. Ferdinand II has shown that, in his eyes, we are nothing but objects of contempt. To us, a free people, he has fastened the chains of misery.
"How much longer must we wait before reclaiming our rightful rights? Take up arms, sons of Sicily! Take up arms!"
The most ridiculous thing was that, at the time, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies treated it all as a joke. Ferdinand II even planned to hold a grand birthday celebration on January 12, just three days later.
In truth, a string of disasters had driven agriculture to an unprecedented low, while the worldwide economic crisis had wrecked the kingdom's handicrafts industry.
With troubles mounting at home and abroad, a snowfall from the heavens crushed the people's hopes for the future. The public blamed it all on King Ferdinand II, and the government and royal family's indifference only stirred them up further.
Ferdinand II had once been an enterprising king. As soon as he came to the throne, he launched sweeping reforms, appointed capable people, cleared away old abuses, and strove to build an honest, efficient government.
Afterward, Ferdinand II cut taxes, abolished corvée labor, encouraged industry, developed trade, established schools, promoted talented people beyond their station, and even set up early welfare institutions.
Under his leadership, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies built the first railway in Italy—the Naples–Portici Railway—the region's first shipping company, and the Apennines' first telegraph company.
Ferdinand II had once been considered the monarch most likely to reunify Italy. Now, however, all he wanted was to drift through the rest of his life.
Three days later, on January 12,