This military monarchy had its intrenched camp, rather than its capital, in Turin.

The plains it occupied in Italy had been, and were destined to be, the field of battle for Austria and France; and her positions were the keys of Italy.
This population, accustomed to war, was necessarily constantly under arms to defend itself, or to unite with that one of the two powers whose rivalry could alone assure its independence.

Thus, military disposition was its strength; its weakness lay in having half its possessions in Italy, half in France.

The whole of Savoy is French in language, descent, and manners; and at any great commotion Savoy must detach itself from Italy, and fall on this side of its own accord.

The Alps are too essential a frontier to two people to belong to only one; for if their south side looks to Italy, their north looks to France.