As Austria rebuilds from the wreckage that was its loss to Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War, Chancellor Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust of Austria wished to see Austria resurgent, and Prussia crushed. He sought to make an alliance with the Second French Empire, Austria would only create said alliance if the young Kingdom of Italy was part of the alliance. However, Victor Emmanuel, who wanted to create the alliance, knew his recently established rule would disintegrate if he joined, as the Italian popular opinion was heavily against France. France occupied the city of Rome, for the purpose of defending the Pope Pius IX against the nationalistic Italians, and unless France left the city Italy had declared its capital, the alliance could not be created. Pope Pius IX didn't wish to see himself