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The Southern Italian Carbonari Uprising of 1820
Near the end of Napoleon’s reign, the southern members of the Italian secret society known as the Carbonari gave their political support to the Bourbon King in Sicily in exchange for his promise to create greater constitutional protections for the Italian people. When the Bourbon King regained power, he went back on this promise, which lead to this rebellion. This reaction forced him to create a constitution. -
Giovane Italia (a.k.a. the “Young Italy” Movement) founded by Giuseppe Mazzini
The goal of each of the Giovane Italia chapters was to create a united Italian republic. Members of these groups caused several protests and revolts between 1831 and 1853 in support of Italian unification. -
Felice Orsini attempts to assassinate Louis Napoleon, Emperor of France
Felice Orsini, an Italian revolutionary, came up with the idea that if he killed Napoleon III, there would be a vacuum in Europe and within the chaos, Italy would rise victorious as a unified nation. He and a few accomplices threw three bombs at the Emperor’s carriage on his way to the theatre, killing eight people and wounding over a hundred others. The emperor and his wife were fine, however, and subsequently had Orsini executed in March 1858. -
Italian Revolution of 1848/First Italian War of Independence begins
Conflict broke out between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian Empire, a domino result of the revolutions occurring across Europe during 1848. -
Plombières Agreement
Camillo Cavour and Napoleon III of France met secretly in the French town of Plombières-les-Bains and crafted a deal that outlined France's promise to support Italy if a war occurred between Austria and Italy. -
Second Italian War of Independence begins
After being defeated in the First Italian War of Independence, Prime Minister Cavour recognized Italy's need for allies in order to defeat Austria. He lured France into helping them by making Austria declare war upon Italy, which he achieved through a number of strategically placed military maneuvers near the Austrian border. This ended with an armistice between Franz Josepf and Napoleon III at Villafranca. -
Napoleon III meets with Franz Josepf, Emperor of Austria; Second Italian War of Independence ends
A new treaty is drafted between France and Italy, in which France kept Venice and gave Lombardy to Sardinia, while also restoring papal power. This marked the official end of the Italy-France alliance established by the Plombières Agreement and the end of the Second Italian War of Independence. -
First Italian War of Independence ends
Charles Albert of Sardinia abdicates to his son Victor Emmanuel. A peace treaty is signed between Austria and Piedmont-Sardinia, which requires them to pay approximately 65 million francs to the Austrian Empire for damages. -
Tuscany and Emilia declare themselves a part of Sardinia
The addition of Tuscany and Emilia to the growing Italian republic added more steam to the revolutionary attitude against Austria, getting the Italian states closer to their final form of unification. -
“Handshake of Teano”
After Giuseppe Garibaldi won the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies from the Bourbons, Victor Emmanuel (King of Sardinia at the time) and Giuseppe Garibaldi met in Teano. Garibaldi could have easily defied him and taken power for himself; however, he instead gladly proclaimed Victor Emmanuel the first King of Italy. -
Unification of Italy is made official
Thanks to Garibaldi's surrender of territory to now King Victor Emmanuel, Italy was declared a united nation-state under Emmanuel's command, with Cavour still reigning as Prime Minister. -
Seven Weeks' War (a.k.a. The Austro-Prussian War) ends
In what is called the "Peace of Vienna," Italy created a deal with Berlin, causing Austria to cede Venetia to the newly formed Italian state, allowing Italian territory to continue growing. -
Italy aquires Rome
At the end of the Franco-Prussian War, French troops that had previously occupied Rome retreated after the announcement of their defeat. Victor Emmanuel II (now King Victor Emmanuel) took over this territory, which eventually became the country's capital. All of this land was finally united under one authority, that of the Italian king.
