Liliuokalani vs Victor Emmanuel III

Liliuokalani composed the song 'Aloha Oe' while still a princess. The song became a symbol of Hawaiian culture and identity, and is one of the most famous Hawaiian songs worldwide.

Liliuokalani became Queen of Hawaii on 29 January 1891, following the death of her brother King Kalakaua. She was the first and only queen regnant of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Liliuokalani attempted to replace the Bayonet Constitution of 1887 with a new constitution that would restore power to the monarchy and native Hawaiians. This move triggered a coup by American and European businessmen, who overthrew the monarchy.

On 17 January 1893, a group of American and European businessmen, supported by U.S. Minister John L. Stevens and U.S. Marines, overthrew Liliuokalani. She yielded under protest to avoid bloodshed, ending the Hawaiian monarchy.

In 1895, Liliuokalani was implicated in a failed counter-rebellion by royalists seeking to restore the monarchy. She was arrested, tried for treason, and forced to abdicate. She was imprisoned in Iolani Palace for eight months.

Victor Emmanuel III approved the Treaty of London, committing Italy to enter World War I on the side of the Allies. Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, leading to years of costly fighting on the Italian front. The war resulted in over 600,000 Italian deaths.

After the March on Rome, Victor Emmanuel III refused to sign a decree of martial law and instead appointed Benito Mussolini as prime minister. This decision enabled the Fascist takeover of Italy, ending the liberal parliamentary system.

Following the Allied invasion of Sicily and a vote of no confidence by the Grand Council of Fascism, Victor Emmanuel III dismissed and arrested Mussolini. The king appointed Marshal Pietro Badoglio as prime minister and began secret armistice negotiations with the Allies.

Victor Emmanuel III and Badoglio signed an armistice with the Allies, announced on September 8, 1943. The German army responded by occupying northern and central Italy, disarming Italian forces, and triggering the Italian Civil War. The king fled to Brindisi.

Under pressure from the Allies and anti-fascist parties, Victor Emmanuel III formally abdicated in favor of his son Umberto II. The move was an attempt to save the monarchy before a referendum on its future. He went into exile in Egypt.