256                   MODERN   CIVILIZATION

The Weakness of Italy—Italy, as well as Germany,
had been a part of the empire which represented uni-
versal monarchy in the Middle Ages. Like Germany
it had not been able to become a nation. Each seignior,
each town had become a sovereign; then the most
powerful had subjugated the feeble, and there remained
in Italy but a small number of states. The principal
ones were:

The Kingdom of Sicily, founded by the Normans,
and which had passed over successively to the emperors
of the Hohenstaufens, to the princes of Anjou and to
the kings of Aragon; it included Sicily and southern
Italy.

Tuscany, subject to the City of Florence, and gov-
erned by a family of bankers, the Medici.

The Duchy of Milan, formed from countries sub-
dued by the City of Milan.

Venetia, formed from the countries subdued by
Venice.

The possessions of the pope, which comprised all
of central Italy, except Tuscany.

The Duchy of Savoy, which included the larger
part of Piedmont.

The territory of the Republic of Genoa.

None of these petty states were strong enough to
put the others into subjection and to organize in Italy
a monarchy like the kingdoms of France and Spain.
In the fifteenth century each one of them was suffi-
ciently well organized to defend itself against its neigh-
bors, and the dominant idea of the men of Italy was
to maintain the balance of power in Italy.

These states were rich and prosperous; no people