Revolt of Genoa
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The Sack of Genoa happened between Thursday April 5 and Wednesday April 11, 1849. Genoa was then part of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, but had only become so comparatively recently, after the defeat of Napoleon. The uprising broke out in Genoa after King Vittorio Emanuele II (succeeding his father Carlo Alberto after the defeat of Novara) signed the armistice with the Austrian general Joseph Radetzky on March 25.
The Genoese, reluctant members of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, restored autonomous government in the ancient capital of the Republic of Genoa. General Alfonso La Marmora was sent by the king to quell the revolt. After several days of violent clashes, starting on 5 April the city was bombarded without warning for thirty-six hours in clear violation of contemporary customs of war. During the heavy bombardment of April 5, the government troops began to attack civilian homes; Genoese resisted effectively to 11 April, when the city was occupied by an army of 25,000-30,000 soldiers (the Italian Bersaglieri).
These soldiers then committed murders and atrocities. They raped women and killed men who resisted. They fired through the windows at civilians and ran through the streets shouting Genoese people are all Balilla (referring to the deeds of the young Genoese patriot Balilla), they do not deserve compassion, we must kill them all!
When the city was effectively occupied, Vittorio Emanuele II thanked General La Marmora with a letter.[1]
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