History of Italy May") and the Constitutional Referendum that abolished the monarchy; De Gasperi briefly became acting Head of State as well as Prime Minister on 18 June 1946, but ceded the former role to Provisional President Enrico de Nicola ten days later. The aftermath of World War II left Italy with a destroyed economy and a divided society. Following Victor Emmanuel III's abdication, his son, the new king Umberto II, was pressured by the threat of another civil war to call a Constitutional Referendum to decide whether Italy should remain a monarchy or become a republic. On 2 June 1946, the republican
SS King Orry (1946) SS King Orry (1946) TSS (RMS) "King Orry" (IV) - the fourth vessel in the line's history to be so named - was the lead ship of the "King Orry Class" of passenger ferries and packet ships. More commonly referred to as "the six sisters", they were built for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company between 1946 & 1955 primarily to replace war-time losses. The company's previous , was one of three company losses during Operation Dynamo - the evacuation of British and French troops from the port of Dunkirk during May 1940. The name King Orry is a