History UsefulNotes / WarsOfItalianIndependence

* The ''Risorgimento'' is an important event in ''[[Victoria 3 VideoGame/VictoriaAnEmpireUnderTheSun]]'', and true to his historical persona, Garibaldi will travel the world to pursue revolutionary causes. Players starting as the Italian states can expect to play a part in the unification of Italy; Austrian players, on the other hand, are likely to have to contend with Italian uprisings.

A series of wars that brought about the unification of UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}, also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (resurgence).

The conflict began in 1848 when the Kingdom of Sardinia (so called because the island, in spite of being basically a colony, provided the Piedmontese House of Savoy with the title of king) declared war on Austria, while most of its cities - especially Milan, Venice and Vienna - [[UsefulNotes/RevolutionsOf1848 were in revolt]]. The Sardinians had limited support from the other major Italian states (the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal States). Initially, the Italian allies succeeded in capturing Milan, but the Sardinian King's (at the time Carlo Alberto) ambiguous attitude, coupled with his fear of losing the Kingdom's sovereignty, led to the dissolution of the alliance. The Austrians counterattacked and defeated the Sardinians at Custoza in July 1848 and reclaimed Lombardy, concluding an armistice. The following year Carlo Alberto denounced the armistice and attacked, but was quickly outmanouvered by Austrian ''feldmarshall'' Joseph Radetzky and decisively defeated at Novara.

* ''Film/TheLeopard'' by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa is set on Sicily before, during and after the ''Risorgimento'' (1860). The film adaptation includes a battle scene showing Garibaldi's red shirts overcoming the Neapolitan army.

!'''First Italian War of Independence'''

!'''Second Italian War of Independence'''

The following year, with French and British approval, Sardinia annexed Parma, Modena, Tuscany and the Papal Legations as part of Cavour's [[RefugeInAudacity absurdly audacious plan to conquer the Two Sicilies]], whereas France was given Nice and Savoy as payment for their support in the war.

!'''The Expedition of the Thousand'''

In 1860 a small volunteer force - the so-called "Expedition of the Thousand", an army led by left-wing revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi - landed in Sicily and began toppling the Bourbon rule in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies during a short, but incredibly successful, military campaign which lead to its annexation by Sardinia ([[RefugeInAudacity with the justification that if they didn't Garibaldi would have caused another mess there and in Parma, Modena, Tuscany and the Papal Legations, the lands that the Sardinian Army annexed as it marched south to "stop" Garibaldi]]). For his military feats, Garibaldi became the most well-known hero of Italian Unification and one of Italy's national heroes.

!'''Third Italian War of Independence'''

Or Third War of Italian Unification. Better known as the UsefulNotes/AustroPrussianWar of 1866, with an appendix in the the UsefulNotes/FrancoPrussianWar of 1870/71. The Kingdom of Italy attacked the Austrians, but was defeated on the field and on sea. However, as it was allied to Prussia, it ended up on the winning side nonetheless and was able to annex Venice and its adjoining territories.

* In ''Literature/ThePragueCemetery'', the main character follows Garibaldi's expedition and tries, unsuccessfully, to stop him.

In 1860 a small volunteer force - the so-called "Expedition of the Thousand", an army led by left-wing revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi - landed in Sicily and began toppling the Bourbon rule in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies during a short, but incredibly successful, military campaign which lead to its annexation by Sardinia ([[RefugeInAudacity with the justification that if they didn't Garibaldi would have caused another mess there and in Parma, Modena, Tuscany and the Papal Legations, the lands that the Sardinian Army annexed as it marched south to "stop" Garibaldi]]).

In 1860 a small volunteer force - the so-called "Expedition of the Thousand", an army led by Giuseppe Garibaldi - landed in Sicily and began toppling the Bourbon rule in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies during a short, but incredibly successful, military campaign which lead to its annexation by Sardinia ([[RefugeInAudacity with the justification that if they didn't Garibaldi would have caused another mess there and in Parma, Modena, Tuscany and the Papal Legations, the lands that the Sardinian Army annexed as it marched south to "stop" Garibaldi]]).

The war's notable high point was the Battle of Solferino in June 1859, where a combined Franco-Sardinian Army, led by Napoleon III and the Sardinian King Vittorio Emanuele II, fought the Austrian Army led by Emperor Franz Josef; that was considered the largest battle since the Battle of Leipzig (with both sides fielding roughly 160,000 troops each). The Franco-Italian Army defeated the Austrians, however, fearful that more German states would involve themselves in the war, Napoleon agreed to an armistice and Sardinia was awarded Lombardy in the ensuing Armistice of Villafranca. A Swiss man named Henry Dunant witnessed the battle, and as he aided the injured with the help of the townspeople nearby, it led him to create a humanitarian organization now known as the Red Cross. In the same month, the French advanced to the town of Magenta in Lombardy and won a decisive battle there. Coincidentally, a new color was created from aniline dyes after mauve, and the deep purplish-red color was eventually named ''magenta'' in honor of the battle.

The war's notable high point was the Battle of Solferino in June 1859, where a combined Franco-Sardinian Army, led by Napoleon III and the Sardinian King Vittorio Emanuele II, fought the Austrian Army led by Emperor Franz Josef; that was considered the largest battle since the Battle of Leipzig (with both sides fielding roughly 160,000 troops each). The Franco-Italian Army defeated the Austrians, however, fearful that more German states would involve themselves in the war, Napoleon agreed to an armistice and Sardinia was awarded Lombardy in the ensuing Armistice of Villafranca. A Swiss man named Henry Durant witnessed the battle, and as he aided the injured with the help of townspeople nearby, it led him to create a humanitarian organization now known as the Red Cross. The following year, with French and British approval, Sardinia annexed Parma, Modena, Tuscany and the Papal Legations as part of Cavour's [[RefugeInAudacity absurdly audacious plan to conquer the Two Sicilies]], whereas France was given Nice and Savoy as payment for their support in the war.

The war's notable high point was the Battle of Solferino in June 1859, where a combined Franco-Sardinian Army, led by Napoleon III and the Sardinian King Vittorio Emanuele II, fought the Austrian Army led by Emperor Franz Josef; that was considered the largest battle since the Battle of Leipzig (with both sides fielding roughly 160,000 troops each). The Franco-Italian Army defeated the Austrians, however, fearful that more German states would involve themselves in the war, Napoleon agreed to an armistice and Sardinia was awarded Lombardy in the ensuing Armistice of Villafranca. The following year, with French and British approval, Sardinia annexed Parma, Modena, Tuscany and the Papal Legations as part of Cavour's [[RefugeInAudacity absurdly audacious plan to conquer the Two Sicilies]], whereas France was given Nice and Savoy as payment for their support in the war.

A series of wars that brought about the unification of UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}, also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (resurgence).

The conflict began in 1848 when the Kingdom of Sardinia (so called because the island, in spite of being basically a colony, provided the Piedmontese House of Savoy with the title of king) declared war on Austria, while most of its cities - especially Milan, Venice and Vienna - [[UsefulNotes/RevolutionsOf1848 were in revolt]]. The Sardinians had limited support from the other major Italian states (the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal States). Initially, the Italian allies succeeded in capturing Milan, but the Sardinian King's (at the time Carlo Alberto) ambiguous attitude, coupled with his fear of losing the Kingdom's sovereignty, led to the dissolution of the alliance. The Austrians counterattacked and defeated the Sardinians at Custoza in July 1848 and reclaimed Lombardy by the following year.

The conflict began in 1848 when the Kingdom of Sardinia (so called because the island, in spite of being basically a colony, provided the Piedmontese House of Savoy with the title of king) declared war on Austria, while most of its cities - especially Milan, Venice and Vienna - were in revolt. The Sardinians had limited support from the other major Italian states (the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal States). Initially, the Italian allies succeeded in capturing Milan, but the Sardinian King's (at the time Carlo Alberto) ambiguous attitude, coupled with his fear of losing the Kingdom's sovereignty, led to the dissolution of the alliance. The Austrians counterattacked and defeated the Sardinians at Custoza in July 1848 and reclaimed Lombardy by the following year.

A series of wars that brought about the Unification of Italy, also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (resurgence).