Historical Timeline
- 1859, Franco-Austrian War: Piedmont-Sardinia prompted Austria to declare war in 1859 after forming an alliance with Napoleon III’s France, starting the struggle that helped to unite the northern Italian nations against the Austrian Army.
- 1861, Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy: Piedmont-Sardinia had one of the more liberal political systems and was one of the peninsula’s more strong states. The southern peninsula was included in Garibaldi’s advance to “liberate” the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1860. On March 17, 1861, the new Kingdom of Italy was established, with the royal family of Piedmont-Sardinia as the new ruling monarch of Italy.
- 1866, Annexation of Venetia: Venetia was added to the Kingdom of Italy’s possessions in 1866 as a result of Austria’s loss in the Austro-Prussian War.
- 1870, Taking over Rome: The major defense against the Italian occupation of the Papal States after 1867 was provided by French troops. Invading the Papal States in September 1870, the Italians later incorporated Rome and the Papal States into the Kingdom of Italy with the help of a referendum that took place in the first few days of October.
Unification of Italy
The unification of Italy refers to the political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of several small states in the Italian Peninsula into a single, united kingdom of Italy in 1861. This process was driven by a combination of factors, including economic and cultural factors, as well as a desire for national unity and independence from foreign rule. For over 700 years, beginning in the third century BCE, Italy was united together under the rule of the Roman Empire. The Byzantine Empire’s invasion finally shattered the unity, and other city-states emerged. At the beginning of the eighth century, the Holy Roman Empire (a German-speaking Empire) ruled the northern half of Italy. In contrast, the middle and southern halves of the country were alternatively ruled by the Kingdom of Naples, the Kingdom of Sicily, and the Papal States.
The Milanese and Venetian city-states rose to prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries, changing the balance of power after the Renaissance. The Peace of Westphalia formally ended the control of the Holy Roman Emperor over Italy in 1648.
Italy was split up into numerous minor principalities, and this division persisted until the French Revolution began in 1789.
The unification of Italy was finally achieved in 1861 when the Kingdom of Italy was established, and Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed its first king. The new kingdom faced many challenges, including social and economic difficulties, as well as opposition from the Papacy and other powers, but it eventually became a stable and prosperous state and a significant player on the international stage.