Political and Revolutionary Activity
In 1858 he decided to leave for the Russian Empire in order to find an ally against the Austrian state. Kvaternik was aware that the Russia felt angry because Austria wasn't involved in the Crimea War. While in Russia, Kvaternik gained its citizenship, but soon realized that he wouldn't get any help. In spring 1859 he left for Torino, and with help of Nikola Tommaso he met with various Italian statesmen and politicians. One of them was Italian prime minister Camillo Benso di Cavour and minister of justice Urbano Rattazzi. Kvaternik succeeded to arrange a meeting with them more easily because the Kingdom of Sardinia was just about to ally with Napoleon III of France to attack Austria.
The Croatian Grezners saved the Austrian Empire many times. Kvaternik promised that he would get loyalty of the Grenzers to help Cavour in his war against Austria. Kvaternik knew that the Grenzers were unhappy with the Austrian payments to them after the 1848 Hungarian Revolution. He issued an announcement on Croatian language to the Grenzer not to help Austria in their war against the Italians, as the Italians are suffering, as welll as Croats, under the Austrian rule. Kvaternik's announcement left a strong impact on them, as the Grenzer had low morale while fighting in the Battle of Solferino. Austrians rushed to sign a peace with the French, thus disappointing the Italians as they couldn't get Venice and as well as Kvaternik who hoped that Austria would collapse.
Nevertheless, Kvaternik believed that the Grenzers would play a significant role in the liberation of Croatia. He continued negotiations with the Italian and Hungarian emigration and offered the Croatian crown to the Prince Napoléon Joseph Charles, the Emperor's causin and son-in-law of Italian King Victor Emmanuel II. After Napoléon refused the crown, he offered it to a Polish noble Władysław Czartoryski, who was both a Catholic and a Slav, like most Croats. Kvaternik and his Italian and Hungarian allies made a plan for Austria's destruction. They would raise simultaneous revolts in both the Croatian Military Frontier and Venice, while Giuseppe Garibaldi would landed his troops in the northern Dalmatia. After that they counted on Hungarian and Romanian help with support of the Sardinian Kingdom and France. They also knew that Russia and Prussian Kingdom wouldn't offer any help to Austria. However, in 1865 the plan was withdrawn as Napoleon of France stopped to giving any help and thus forced Italy on inaction.
In March 1860, Kvaternik claimed to Napoleon of France that Croatia was able to give some 250,000 soldiers if revolted, explaining to him that Croats were able to do so when they fought Hungarians during the 1848 Revolution. A month later, he stated to the Sardinian ambassador Nigra that Croats still hope for the revolution and that they are able to raise some 400,000 men and even liberate Venice. He knew this informations from the secret document that supposed to be sent in Vienna in case of war with the Italians. Kvaternik was, however, more active during his stay in Italy between 1863 and 1865. As he become member of the Croatian Sabor in 1861, Kvaternik become popular amongst those who disliked Austria, and at the same time he was still in contact with the Grenzers. In February 1864 he stated, while in Torino, that he is very influential in Croatia and amongst the Grenzers. In March 1864, he made a revolutionary plan, anticipating creation of the Croatian People's Government and made its seal in Paris and also he started to publish revolutionary newspaper in Geneve. Kvaternik stated that within the Grenzers, there was one armed battalion in each regiment, other battalions were in reserve ready to help the revolt while the rest of the battalions are poorly armed and it's needed to get some 20,000 sabres and same quantity of firelocks and 50,000 rifles with the bayonetts. In April 1864 he claimed to the Sardinian Foreign Ministry that the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia is able to give some 300,000 men and in May he claimed that he is able to transfer the Granzers into the "free Italy" in order to help the revolt.
Read more about this topic: Eugen Kvaternik
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