Ricerca del consenso e idea di unità d'Europa nel "Giornale italiano"

As late as during the first decades of XXth century supporters of European unification liked to consider Napoleon as one of the most important forerunners of Continent’s unity. The myth was still revered of the great politician who could promote a new ideal of imperial organization, guarantee peace and general well-being, and at the same time preserve all different nationalities. When considering from a positive point of view his irresistible military campaigns; and keeping in mind the extraordinary reconstruction he made in his “Memories from St. Helena”, we find that the same interpretation had been extensively advertised in all bonapartist propaganda. Even italian historians widely spread Napoleon’s image as a source of political stability and economical prosperity for Europe led by common ideals and united under french government, Though it is evident that they aimed to legitimize his conquests and to justify the inclusion of the new States he created in the system of french leadership. We may quote in this stance as highly indicative some pages from the “Giornale Italiano”: during Napoleon’s rule this was the main milanese newspaper, entrusted to Vincenzo Cuoco’s direction, and intended to gain a wider consent to the government’s politics. In this we make specific reference to those pages where the documentation and reconstruction of the most significant events concerning the Italian peninsula extend their importance (in a revolving continuum of past and present times) to the whole european situation during the centuries when were elaborated all novelties brought up and diffused by the French Revolution. Readers are here shown a wholly instrumental reconstruction on european history aimed to emphasize France’s and Napoleon’s influence in the process of Italy’s renewal and modernization; and at the same time to remember Napoleon’s impact he made or could have made on the international european system