Austro-Sardinian War

Austro-Sardinian War was fought by Napoleon III of France and Kingdom of Sardinia against Austria-Hungary in 1859. In respect to Italian unification process, this war is also known as the Second Independence War.

The Sardinian army, allied to France, wanted to conquer the northen Italy Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, then under Austrian rule.

Summary

In 1859, emperor Napoleon III and Camillo Cavour, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, signed a treaty of alliance against Austria: France would help Sardinia to fight against Austria and Sardinia would give Nicea and Sabaudia to France. In the same year Austria started a war with Sardinia. French and Sardinian armies defeated Austrians in several battles (Montebello 20 May, Palestro 30 May, Magenta 4 June and Solferino 21 June) and took Milan, which was a province of the Austrian Empire. German states forced Napoleon to stop the war, so he signed a armistice with Austria in Villafranca. Kingdom of Lombardy, with its capital Milan, was transferred from Austria to France, which gave it to Sardinia.

Major events

• 26 April, Giuseppe Garibaldi's Hunters of the Alps confronts Austrian forces led by Field Marshal-Lieutenant Carl Baron Urban at Varese;
• 20 May, French infantry and Sardininan cavalry defeat the Austrian army, which retreated, near Montebello;
• 30 May, Sardininans defeat the Austrian army at battle of Palestro;
• 4 June, in the battle of Magenta, French and Sardinians defeat Austrians;
• June 21/June 24, in the battle of Solférino, Sardinians and Napoleon III of France defeat Franz Josef I of Austria in northern Italy. Battle also reputedly inspires Henri Dunant to found Red Cross;
• July 11, Austrian Emperor Franz Josef, faced with the revolution in Hungary, meets Napoleon III at Villafranca, where they signed an armistice.