Orsini affair: assassination attempt on Napoleon III and Orsini's execution (1858)

Felice Orsini, an Italian revolutionary, attempted to assassinate Napoleon III in Paris on 14 January 1858. Orsini and accomplices threw three bombs at the imperial carriage, killing eight people and injuring over one hundred. The Emperor and Empress escaped unharmed, and Orsini was executed by guillotine on 13 March 1858.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Felice Orsini was an Italian revolutionary and Carbonari leader who sought to assassinate Napoleon III. He believed that killing the Emperor would trigger a republican revolt in France, leading to Italian unification. Orsini traveled to Paris in 1857 to conspire against the Emperor, having previously visited Britain in 1856, where he received a favourable welcome.

The Assassination Attempt. On the evening of 14 January 1858, Orsini and his accomplices threw three bombs at the imperial carriage in Paris. The Emperor and Empress escaped unharmed, but the explosion caused significant casualties. The attack was intended to spark a republican uprising in France that would support Italian independence from Austria.

Aftermath and Execution. The culprits were quickly arrested. Bernard was in London at the time, and since he was a political exile, the Government of the United Kingdom refused to extradite him. Orsini was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. He went calmly to the guillotine on 13 March 1858.

People involved

Sources

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