Turin. The fearless Martini arrives in the city, bearing letters signed by Cattaneo and another by Manzoni, among other illustrious Milanese. Carlo Alberto has just dismissed the cabinet. It was its first meeting, but the king, with scant regard for the new constitution, decrees that he is the one to decide, and he decides for war. The “hesitant king” is primarily persuaded by the public and an article by Camillo Benso di Cavour, which states that the supreme hour has come for the Savoy monarchy. In reality, the king has nothing ready, and the army is slowly moving from the French border. He is simply looking for an excuse to open hostilities. More than a century later, Indro Montanelli would comment: “When does the wolf ever lack excuses to attack the lamb? The trouble is, here it was the lamb that was looking for them to attack the wolf.” The pretext comes with Martini’s letter: Milan has been liberated, and the Piedmontese army is needed.
