Italian Unification Campaign of 1860

Diplomatic Context. In March 1860, after Cavour had been reinstalled as Prime Minister, the Treaty of Turin was signed, and France gained Nice and Savoy. A deal with the French was struck for plebiscites to take place in the Central Italian Duchies. In 1860, Tuscany, Modena, Parma, and Romagna decided to side with Sardinia, expanding Piedmont-Sardinia's territorial base before the southern campaigns began.

Military Expansion. Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand, authorized by Victor Emmanuel II, departed in 1860 to exploit uprisings in Sicily. The campaign resulted in the rapid fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Southern territories, including Sicily and Naples, were annexed to Piedmont-Sardinia via plebiscites, marking the final territorial conquests before the formal establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Political Consolidation. Victor Emmanuel II remained King of Sardinia until 1861, when he became the first King of Italy. In 1860, Sardinian forces marched victoriously in the Marche and Umbria after the victorious Battle of Castelfidardo over the Papal forces. After another series of plebiscites in the occupied lands, the new Parliament of unified Italy proclaimed Victor Emmanuel the first King of Italy on 17 March 1861, consolidating the gains from the 1860 campaigns.