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Period: to
Unification of Italy
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Cavour Leads Italian Unification
Cavour realized that the greatest roadblock to annexing northern Italy was Austria. In 1858, the French emperor Napoleon III agreed to help drive Austria out of the northern Italian provinces. Cavour then provoked a war with the Austrians. A combined FrenchSardinian army won two quick victories. -
Garibaldi
In May 1860, a small army of Italian nationalists led by abold and visionary soldier, Giuseppe Garibald, captured Sicily. In battle, Garibaldi always wore a bright red shirt, so did his followers. As a result, they became known as the Red Shirts. -
Unified
The nation was officially united in 1861; the king of Sardinia was crowned Victor Emmanuel II of Italy later that year. -
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Rome
When France declared war on Prussia in 1870, occupying French troops abandoned Rome. This left the pope undefended, and the Italian army immediately marched in to complete the unification process
