Editing Charles Albert of Sardinia (section)

==== Second campaign and abdication ====
{{see also|Battle of Novara (1849)}}
[[File:Carlo Alberto Museo Risorgimento Roma.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Charles Albert reopened hostilities with Austria on 20 March 1849, but the second campaign lasted only four days.]]
[[File:The abdication of Charles Albert in favour of Victor Emmanuel.jpg|thumb|upright|Charles Albert abdicates in favour of his son Victor Emmanuel]]
The king was not proud of the campaign and, once he had written a record of the first campaign,<ref>''Memorie ed osservazioni sulla guerra dell'indipendenza d'Italia, raccolte da un ufficiale piemontese'', Stamperia Reale, Torino, 1848. Published anonymously, the book was immediately pulled from circulation at the request of the new minister of war, [[Giuseppe Dabormida]] who perceived that they would provide fuel for future controversies. The volume sought to demonstrate the bravery of the king, his sons, and the troops, but said almost nothing about the responsibilities of the military commanders.</ref> Charles Albert decided to break the armistice. On 1 March, at the inauguration of the legislature, he spoke clearly about war and [[Chamber of Deputies (Kingdom of Sardinia)|Chamber]] responded positively. For the imminent resumption of hostilities, the king was convinced to renounce effective command of the army, which he continued to hold formally. Rather than appointing a Piedmontese general, he selected the Polish general [[Wojciech Chrzanowski]] as commander of the army. On 8 March, the council of war in Turin decided that the armistice would be broken on the 12th. According to the terms of the armistice, hostilities would then begin eight days later on 20 March.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=245–247}}</ref>

The war did indeed resume on that day. On 22 March, Charles Albert arrived at [[Novara]] and a day later, Radetzy attacked the city from the south with superior numbers, near the village of [[Battle of Novara (1849)|Bicocca]]. Chrzanowski made some significant tactical errors and despite the bravery of the Piedmontese and Charles Albert himself, who fought along with his son Ferdinand in the front lines, the Battle of Novara proved a disastrous defeat.

Returning to the Palazzo Bellini in Novara, the king declared, "Bicocca was lost and retaken three or four times, before our troops were forced to yield... the Major General [Chrzanowski] employed all his strength, my sons did everything they could, the Duke of Genoa [Ferdinand] lost two horses from under himself. Now we have withdrawn within the city, on its walls, with the enemy below, with an exhausted army – further resistance is impossible. It is necessary to request an armistice."<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|p=250}}</ref>

Austria's conditions were very harsh: occupation of the [[Lomellina]] and the fortress of Alessandria, as well as the surrender of all the Lombards who had fought against Austria. Charles Albert asked the generals if it was possible for a final push to open a path to Alessandria. They said it was not: the army was in pieces, discipline had crumbled, many soldiers fighting in the campaign were despoiling the houses in the countryside and they feared an attack on the king himself.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|p=251}}</ref>

At 9:30 pm on the same day, Charles Albert summoned his sons, Chrzanowski, generals [[Alessandro Ferrero La Marmora]], {{ill|Carlo Emanuele La Marmora|it}}, [[Giovanni Durando]], {{ill|Luigi Fecia di Cossato|it}} (who had negotiated the armistice) and minister [[Carlo Cadorna]]. He confessed that he had no choice but to abdicate. They tried to dissuade him, but, in the hope that Victor Emmanuel could get better terms, he ended the discussion, "My decision is the fruit of mature reflection. From this moment, I am no longer the king; the king is Victor, my son."<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=251–252}}</ref>