Victor Emmanuel II

The Sardinian army suffered a severe defeat against the Austrian Empire on 22 March 1849.

King Charles Albert abdicated on 23 March 1849 following the military defeat.

Victor Emmanuel II agreed to an armistice with Radetzky on 24 March 1849.

Cavour and Napoleon III met at Plombières-les-Bains to agree on a plan to provoke Austria into war with Sardinia.

The treaty creating a formal Franco-Piedmontese alliance was signed in January 1859.

Austria issued an ultimatum to Sardinia following provocative military movements near the frontier.

Napoleon III and Franz Joseph I concluded the armistice at Villafranca on July 11, 1859, setting the stage for the war's end.

The Treaty of Zürich reaffirmed the Villafranca terms, officially closing the Austro-Sardinian War on November 10, 1859.

Franco-Piedmontese forces defeated the Austrian Empire in a battle fought on 30–31 May 1859. King Victor Emmanuel II participated directly in the combat.

The Franco-Sardinian alliance defeated the Austrian army in a costly tactical victory, marking the largest battle since 1813.

Henri Dunant arrived in Solferino on the evening of the battle to petition Napoleon III, witnessing the suffering of wounded soldiers.

Cavour was still formally in office around midnight on 11 July 1859 when informed of the Austrian counterproposal; the passages do not state his exact resignation date.

The Armistice of Villafranca was signed on July 11, 1859, ending the Second Italian War of Independence.

Victor Emmanuel II recalled Cavour on December 22, 1859, after his resignation.

Sardinia mobilized its army on 9 March 1859, initiating the military crisis against Austria.

Austria issued an ultimatum on 23 April 1859, demanding Sardinian demobilization.

Garibaldi greeted Victor Emmanuel II as King of Italy and handed over control of southern Italy.

Garibaldi's Thousand arrived at Marsala on 11 May 1860, aided by Royal Navy ships, marking the start of the expedition.

Garibaldi's Redshirts defeated a larger Neapolitan army at Calatafimi on 15 May 1860, securing his first victory in Sicily.

Garibaldi's forces besieged and occupied Palermo between 27 and 30 May 1860, taking the capital of Sicily.

Garibaldi's forces defeated royal Neapolitan forces near Milazzo in July 1860, bringing nearly all of Sicily under his control.

After securing Sicily, Garibaldi's forces crossed from the island to the Italian mainland in August 1860 to continue the campaign against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Piedmontese forces defeated the Papal army at Castelfidardo on 18 September 1860, allowing them to march into Neapolitan territory.

Tuscany sided with Sardinia in 1860, leading to its annexation by Piedmont-Sardinia prior to the Kingdom of Italy's formation.

Cavour's reinstatement as Prime Minister facilitated the Treaty of Turin, granting Nice and Savoy to France in exchange for plebiscites in Central Italy.

Uprisings in Messina and Palermo in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies provided Garibaldi with an opportunity for intervention in April 1860.

Garibaldi led the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860 on behalf of Victor Emmanuel II, departing from Quarto to launch the southern campaign.

The first Italian Parliament assembled in Turin and proclaimed Victor Emmanuel II as King of Italy on 17 March 1861.

After the creation of the Kingdom of Italy, the United Kingdom and the Swiss Confederation were the first to recognize the new state, followed by the United States.

Italian forces breached the Aurelian Walls near Porta Pia, allowing Bersaglieri soldiers to enter Rome and end the Papal States' temporal power.

A plebiscite held in Rome supported the annexation of the city by Italy, legitimizing the capture of the Papal States.

Rome was officially designated as the capital of unified Italy, completing the Risorgimento, though sources differ on the date's precision.

Victor Emmanuel II died in Rome in 1878 after his excommunication was lifted, paving the way for Umberto's succession.

Umberto I became King of Italy on 9 January 1878, following the death of his father, Victor Emmanuel II.