Second Italian War of Independence 1859

Preparation for the Second Italian War of Independence (also known as the Italian War of Unification) began with a secret conference in July 1858 at which the Sardinian prime minister opened negotiations with the emperor of France, Napoleon III, for French military intervention in the event of Austrian aggression against Sardinia. The Sardinian goal was the expulsion of Austria from the Italian peninsula. France demanded the cession of Savoy and Nice. Terms of the French-Sardinian alliance were finalized in January 1859 and, shortly thereafter, King Victor Emmanuel II made a provocative speech in support of Italian unification. In response, Austria on April 23rd issued an insulting and unacceptable ultimatum demanding the demobilization of Sardinian troops. Sardinia rejected the ultimatum, and Austria, under Emperor Franz Joseph I, declared war three days later. France then joined the war in alliance with Sardinia.

In June 1859 the Franco-Sardinian allies defeated Austrian armies at the Battle of Magenta (June 4th) and the Battle of Solferino and San Martino (June 24th). There was an outcry of French public opinion against the substantial loss of life in the Italian campaign while on the Italian peninsula political unification seemed imminent. Much earlier, on April 27th, Leopold II of Tuscany had been overthrown; in June Parma, Modena, and the Papal Legations (the northern Papal States) had all rebelled. Plebiscites in the liberated states urged unification with Sardinia but France opposed this outcome. At the same time, the risk of a Prussian military intervention along the Rhine was expected to grow if France engaged in a long war with the Austrians in Italy. In this context, Napoleon III then sought a truce with the Austrians without consulting his Sardinian ally; the decision to seek a truce with Austria effectively ended the Second War of Italian Independence.

At the Conference of Villafranca, French emperor Napoleon III and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria met quickly concluded a preliminary peace (July 11, 1859) ending the Franco-Sardinian war against Austria. The Austrians ceded Lombardy, excluding Mantua and Peschiera, to France; an Italian Confederation was to be formed under the presidency of the Pope; Austria would be a member of the confederation by virtue of its Italian territories; and the dukes of Parma, Modena, and Tuscany were to be restored peacefully to their thrones after having been deposed by nationalist forces. It was understood that Lombardy would be ceded by France to its Sardinian ally. King Victor Emmanuel II accepted these terms, but his prime minister resigned over the compromise with Italian nationalist aims. The peace terms agreed upon at Villafranca were confirmed in a formal treaty at Zurich (November 10, 1859). Italian nationalists reacted very strongly against its terms. The bloodshed of this war also inspired Henri Dunant to lead the movement to establish the International Red Cross.

Great Britain opposed the restoration of conservative governments in Modena and Tuscany, and Napoleon III, with his position at home strengthened by the acquisition of Savoy and Nice, later reconsidered his position. New plebiscites in the duchies and the Papal Legations reconfirmed popular sentiment in favor of union with Sardinia. Fear of a democratic revolution, the need to weaken Austria, and British desire to set up a strong Italian state as a counterweight to French influence that prompted other European powers to support Sardinia in obtaining this great success.

References

Austria - A Country Study; Clodfelter, 302-3; COW28; EB - Conference of Villafranca; Kohn, 235-6.

Category

Inter-State War

Region

Western Europe

Belligerents

Sardinia, Austria, France

Dispute

Territory, Governance

Initiation Date

April 29, 1859

Termination Date

July 12, 1859

Duration

74 days

Outcome

Imposed Settlement
(Allied victory)

Fatalities

Total: 22,500
Austria: 12,500
Sardinia: 2,500
France: 7,500

Magnitude

4.4