Italyball

Italyball is a countryball in Europe, the favourite grandchild of SPQRball (one day return the empire!). Italyball appears in a lot of the Polandball comics, often with Vaticanball and  San Marinoball on his head. It is always celebrating his culture, art, history and other "beautiful" things....but it hates very much when people think he is only pizza and pasta. He thinks they should know he is much more than that.

Italyball is both a great power and a weak nation, which is one of the world's unsolved mysteries. It is a member of the G20 (or Group of Twenty) and of the G7 (or Group of seven). Italyball is friend with both Russiaball (Italyball: stop with this thing of Third Rome) and  USAball (Italyball: stop trying to be a wannabe Roman Empire too).

Italyball was the host of the two FIFA World Cups: the first time in 1934 and the second time in 1990.

It has a love/hate relationship with Franceball (his older sister) and  Germanyball (France's spouse). Italyball is the godparent of the EUball, the son of Franceball and Germanyball. Italy can into space along with ESAball and can into Nukes along with NATOball.

Unification (1848-1871)
The Italian stateballs had been divided for centuries since the fall of the glorious SPQRball in 476 AD, but only after the Enlightenment and subsequent Napoleonic Wars, did a sense of Italian nationalism and unity begin growing amongst the Italian Stateballs, particularly after the Revolutions of 1848 which rocked the European continent. In 1859, Kingdom of Sardiniaball annexed many of the Northern Italian Stateballs, such as Tuscanyball, Modenaball, Massaball and Parmaball. He then fought a war against Austrian Empireball/ Habsburgball with the help of Franceball to liberate Lombardia, in exchange for giving Nice and Savoy to Franceball.

Then in 1860, Sardiniaball led his Redshirts' Expedition of the Thousand to Two Siciliesball's clay, which was then forced to join the new union, leading to Sardiniaball to proclaim himself as Kingdom of Italyball in 1861. He then set about reclaiming 'Italia Irredenta' (Unredeemed Italy). In 1866, he teamed up with Prussiaball against Habsburgball again, gaining Venice from Franceball, who had obtained it from Austrian Empireball directly. Then Italyball turned on Franceball's ally Papal Statesball while Franceball was distracted by the North German stateballs during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. Rome was 'liberated' by Italyball, and became the new capital, with Papal Statesball protesting vehemently.

Italia Irredenta! (1871-1915)
Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Italyball worked to secure diplomatic ties with his neighbours; in 1882 he signed an alliance with German Empireball and Austria-Hungaryball despite their dfferences over the Adriatic lands, then he signed a naval agreement with UKball in 1887 regarding Mediterranean passage. He also colonized East Africa in 1889, adopting Italian Eritreaball and Italian Somalilandball. He was however beaten to the punch by Franceball who took Tunisiaball in 1881 before he could. He was, however shamefully defeated at the Battle of Adawa in 1896 by Ethiopiaball.

By 1900 Italyball had established himself as a world power; taking part in the 1897 Cretan expedition, and the international relief expedition of 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. In 1908, Austria-Hungaryball annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina outright from a dying Ottoman Empireball, causing Italyball to declare war for the Dodecanese Islands, and Cyrenaciaball (now Libyaball) and his clay in 1911-12. He stayed neutral for the first few months of the Great War when it broke out in August 1914, because German Empireball and Austria-Hungaryball were the aggressors, but the Allies convinced Italyball to join them in 1915 with promises of Dalmatia, Trentino, Istria, and colonies.

Viva Il Duce! (1915-1939)
Italyball fought hard against Austria-Hungaryball, with whom he was evenly matched in the Julian Alps, but was defeated at Caporetto in 1917, but triumphed at Vittorio Veneto in 1918, shortly after which Austria-Hungaryball signed an armistice at Vila Gusti. Italyball had been bankrupted by the war, and turned briefly towards socialism when he didn't get all he was expecting at the Peace Conference (he got only Trentino, Trieste, Istria, Fiume and Zadar). In 1922 he became fascist and Marched on Rome; it took until 1925 for him to completely abandon democracy. In the 1920s, he pioneered aviation, and took part in pacifying a colonial uprising in Libya; in 1929 he signed the Lateran Pact with the new Vatican Cityball and in the 1930s, he began building up a vast armaments industry in preparation for war, as he had to prevent the newly Nazified Nazi Germanyball from Anschlussing Austriaball in 1934.

In 1934, following border clashes at Wal-Wal, Italyball manufactured a casus-belli for war against Abyssiniaball (Ethiopiaball) despite a mutual 1928 non-agression pact. He invaded in 1935, using poison gas and bombers to massacre 8-balls, eventually annexing their clay to create Italian East Africaball. This led to international outrage, and League of Nationsball condemned Italyball's actions by introducing half-hearted economic sanctions. Italyball left the League and abandoned the democracies (UKball and Franceball) in response, to formulate an alliance with Nazi Germanyball, aligning themselves in the 1936 Anti-Comintern Pact and Rome-Berlin Axis. They were further drawn into each other by their assistance of Nationalist Spainball in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), and the lack of Italyball's criticism of Nazi Germanyball's remilitarization of the Rhinelands, then his Anschluss of Austriaball successfully conducted in March 1938. He stood by his new ally in the Czech crisis of September 1938. Nazi Germanyball pressured his friend into adopting racial laws against Jewcubes in 1938 as well.

Disastrous Warfare (1939-1947)
In March 1939, Italyball Invaded Albaniaball's clay, who had been his protectorate since 1926. He then signed the Pact of Steel with Nazi Germanyball; however he was left shocked when Nazi Germanyball signed a non-aggression pact with their mortal enemy Soviet Unionball, and even more so when they invaded Polandball jointly in September 1939. Italyball again stayed neutral for the first stretch of the war, but after seeing Nazi Germanyball's blitzkrieg through Western Europe and the fall of Franceball in mid 1940, Italyball jumped in half-preparedly; resulting in him getting his ass handed to him by Franceball even when he was capitulating. Italyball got to occupy parts of Vichy Franceball's clay afterwards, though he got his ass kicked by Greeceball in November 1940 when he tried to invade, resulting in Nazi germanyball having to come bail him out the following year with a Balkan campaign. Italy occupied most of Greece, and some of the southern Balkans afterwards. UKball had also bombed his fleet at Taranto.

Meanwhile, in 1941 UKball and Free Franceball had liberated Abyssiniaball in East Africa, and occupied his colonies there, as well as in Libya. His forces were hopeless in North Africa until Nazi Germanyball sent his panzers to help him out; then he was forced to send his troops to help invade Sovietball's vast clay. Then USAball and UKball kicked them out of North Africa altogether, and even landed in Sardinia and Sicily by mid 1943, pushing up into Campania. At this point, Italyball had spent his resources, and was tired of the war; he dropped fascism in the coup of 25 Luglio 1943, and signed an armistice, but then Nazi Germanyball occupied the north of his clay and created a puppet state, Italian Social Republicball to continue the war as the Allies struggled up the Italian peninsula, with battles at Monte Cassio. Rome was liberated in mid 1944; but Italian Social Republicball kept fighting until the surrender of Nazi Germanyball in May 1945.

After the disaster of the war, which had wrecked Italyball's clay and industry, he decided to dispose of the monarchy in a referendum in 1947, after having lost his colonies and having to pay reparations. So, in 1947, The Kingdom of Italy became a Republic.

Modern Era (1947- present)
Italyball, after becoming a republic by popular referendum in 1947, started rebuilding his economy and industry based on loans from the Marshall Plan. He narrowly avoided a socialist victory in the elections, and became affiliated with USAball, NATOball and against Sovietball. He was forced to give up all his colonies to UKball, Franceball and Ethiopiaball except Italian Somalilandball; and he had to give up Albaniaball, the Dalmatian coastline, and some of Istria to Yugoslaviaball. He also had to pay reparations, and was prhibited from owning heavy duty military machines for some time.

In 1951, Italyball was invited to join the European Coal and Steel Community, which developed into the EEC in 1956/7 via the Treaty of Rome, with Franceball, West Germanyball and the BeNeLux balls. In 1960 he gave Somaliaball his independence; then he allowed USAball to place strategic missiles on his clay during the Cold War (the Jupiter Missiles). Those were removed following the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. He also got rid of Mafia activites in the 1970s.

Italyball developed a modern economy in the 1970s and 1980s, producing luxury brands like Ferrari. He joined the EU in 1993 as a founding member of the EEC after the Maastricht Treaty, and nowadays he partakes in only some coalitions to keep peace in the Middle East under NATOball. He is a member of the G7, and the fourth most developed EU member (third after Brexit). He now spends his time producing luxury sunglasses, good food, and patrolling the southern coast to keep a lookout for 8-ball and Middle Eastern refugees.

Together with his sisters Franceball and  Spainball, they host the three Grand Tours of professional cycling. Italyball proudly hosts the Giro d'Italia every May (his sisters host the Tour and the Vuelta respectively).

Characteristics
Italyball tries to be friends with everyone except people of different races like 8ball or kebab, despite his tries of being friendly with everyone he still has some resemblances of him during the fascist era and sometimes this causes some troubles, he doesn't seem to care about most things but is very serious about irredentism and taking back all the stolen lands from Croatiaball and  Franceball (who loves him in return as she loves every beautifull things).

He's normally calm and relaxed but when his fascist counterpart takes his place he becomes very violent and forces everyone who uses the communistic "u" instead of the Latin "v" to drink the so called "Olio di Ricino" used by him to torture communists during the fascist era. His favourite comic hero is Dr. Fascio, a fascist propaganda comic about a bolsheviks-killing doctor. He's very mad if someone insults his favourite football team, so mad that he can even send everyone to the hospital (Italyball: Of course I am violent, I have blood of Roman legionaries in the veins !!! Capiche !!!)

How to draw
Draw Italyball is simple
 * 1) Draw the basic circle shap and divide it into three vertical stripes.
 * 2) Colour the stripes respectively of these colours: green, white, red
 * 3) Add eyes and you've finished

Friends/Allies

 * [[File:USA-icon.png]] USAball - I am in his NATO alliance, and there are many Italians who immigrated to him. I wish you good luck with your new president.
 * [[File:Vatican-icon.png]] Vaticanball - Home of catholics. We used to have hate. Now he's like my little brother(literally).
 * [[File:Greece-icon.png]] Greeceball - Lets take monies from Germany.
 * [[File:Spain-icon.png]] Spainball - We must also take back monies, cara sorella.
 * [[File:Brazil-icon.png]] Brazilball - Rich nephew, gib yuor father and uncles som monies plox.
 * [[File:San Marino-icon.png]] San Marinoball - Yuo are rightful Italia clay! We're also like brothers.
 * [[File:Austria-icon.png]] Austriaball - Good friend, but please get your troops off the border!
 * [[File:Libya-icon.png]] Libyaball - Half-son.
 * Croatiaball - Slavic friend and thief of Istria
 * Argentinaball - Incest (bastard) son I had with Spainball. His president is of my ancestry.
 * UKball - We're On good terms. Both of us have rivalry with France. Has bad food reputation that makes us look even better.
 * [[File:Romania-icon.png]] Romaniaball - We have a good relation. We are corrupt but we have the best food. He likes pizza, I like mititei.
 * Indonesiaball Vatican love him so much..(Even though he is an Kebab), He also say My food is better than Escargot, TAKE THAT FRANCE!!!!

Neutral

 * [[File:Tunisia-icon.png]] Tunisiaball - Used to be enemies in the past, but we´re getting along with each other and i´m teaching him how make pizza and sometimes he calls me for daddy. Sometimes I get angry at him for claiming that Malta is his sister, sending me refugees and arguing about Pantelleriaball and Sicilyball belongs to him. I will give you Pantelleria if you only tell your sister that I'm her real father.
 * Franceball- Mia sorella. We both have lots of history and we are in NATO and EU. BUT MY FOOD IS BETTER!!!!!  Also just because Mona Lisa is in your museum doesn't mean it's yours.  In fact IT'S MINE!!!!!! Also stop being so arrogant.

Enemies

 * [[File:Ethiopia-icon.png]] - Ethiopiaball Because he hates me, and he is my son... (Ethiopiaball: I am not your son!!! I am the begining of everything!!! I am several millenium older than you !!! I'm the Cradle of the Humanity!!!)
 * [[File:Slovenia-icon.png]] Annoying Neighbor - Trieste is mine so stop trying to steal it
 * [[File:Croatia-icon.png]] Croatiabal - Another thief Istria
 * South Koreaball - Stupid thieves (we rimember 2002 World Cup!!!!! Unforgivable!!!)
 * [[File:Egypt-icon.png]] Egyptball - TELL NOI THE TRUTH SU REGENI!(i'm looking at you,UK)
 * Uruguayball - Yuo of biting me and make me lose on world cup, I will report UNball if yuo of biting me again
 * Germanyball - Traitor! Gib Monies!
 * Bangladeshball - Stop coming and scamming my tourists, they will want to stop coming, and don't force things into people's hands or else I will remove you
 * Mexicoball - FLAG STEALER!!!!!! Yet you can into Catholic and nephew([[File:Spain-icon.png]]).

Family

 * [[File:SPQR-icon.png]] SPQRball - Father and old glory of Italy. I am your proudly descendant!!! Search-0.jpg
 * [[File:Argentina-icon.png]] Argentinaball - Claims to be Italyball's child.
 * Mostly all Latin American balls - Nephews.
 * [[File:France-icon.png]] Franceball - Sister (CHE COSA? Why am I related with her?!)
 * [[File:Spain-icon.png]] Spainball - Sister
 * [[File:Romania-icon.png]] Romaniaball- Brother


 * [[File:Portugal-icon.png]] Portugalball - Brother


 * [[File:Somalia-icon.png]] PIRATE LIMEWIRE (Adopted son)


 * [[File:Malta-icon.png]] STOLEN DAUGHTER (daughter)


 * [[File:Greece-icon.png]] Greeceball- Cousin


 * [[File:Ethiopia-icon.png]] Ethiopiaball - Adopted son.But he hates me :(
 * [[File:Libya-icon.png]] Libyaball Adopted son.
 * [[File:Eritrea-icon.png]] Eritreaball Weird Crazy 2nd Adopted son that hates his brother and likes to kill
 * [[File:Albania-icon.png]] Albaniaball My Foster son
 * Philippinesball Grandson

Gallery

 * African Refuges
 * A brief history of Italy

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