Battle of Solferino
Solferino, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia (present-day Lombardy, Italy)
What happened
Emperor Napoleon III of France and King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia led their armies against the Austrian army of Emperor Franz Joseph I. France and the Kingdom of Sardinia went to war with Austria to drive it out of northern Italy. Near the villages of Solferino and San Martino, south of Lake Garda, the two sides fought for many hours. The French and Sardinians won, and the Austrian army retreated.
Why it matters
Result: Franco-Sardinian victory End of the Italian War of Independence Armistice of Villafranca. Leaders: Napoleon III / Victor Emmanuel II against Franz Joseph I. Why it matters: It was the largest battle in Europe since Leipzig in 1813 and the last major battle in which all the armies were under the personal command of their monarchs. The battle led Henry Dunant to write A Memory of Solferino, which led to the Red Cross.
What came next
Napoleon III made peace with the Armistice of Villafranca on 11 July 1859, and Sardinia gained Lombardy. Henry Dunant, who arrived after the battle, wrote a book about the wounded, and in 1863 a committee including him began what became the Red Cross.
Did you know?
Local women near Castiglione cared for wounded soldiers from both sides, under the slogan 'Tutti fratelli', meaning 'All are brothers'.
Timeline
- 24 June 1859French and Sardinian forces defeat Austria at Solferino.
- 11 July 1859The Armistice of Villafranca ends the war.
- 1862Henry Dunant publishes 'A Memory of Solferino'.
- 1863A committee including Dunant begins what becomes the International Committee of the Red Cross.