The Second War of Italian Unification 1859-61
By: Frederick C. Schneid
Series: Essential histories -- 74; Essential histories (Osprey Publishing) -- 74.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Published: 2012
Language: eng
Number of pages: 95
ISBN-13: 9781849087872; 9781849088534; 9781780964508
Subjects: History
Description: "The culmination of decades of nationalist aspiration and cynical Realpolitik, the Second War of Italian Unification saw Italy transformed from a patchwork of minor states dominated by the Habsburg Austrians into a unified kingdom under the Piedmontese House of Savoy. Unlike many existing accounts, which approach the events of 1859-61 from a predominantly French perspective, this study draws upon a huge breadth of sources to examine the conflict as a critical event in Italian history. A concise explanation of the origins of the war is followed by a wide-ranging survey of the forces deployed and the nature and course of the fighting -- on land and at sea -- and the consequences for those involved are investigated. This is a groundbreaking study of a conflict that was of critical significance not only for Italian history but also for the development of 19th-century warfare."--Publisher's web site.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 92-93) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Chronology; title: Background to War: The Risorgimento as war and revolution, 1815-49; title: Warring Sides: The Italian Kingdoms, France, and Austria; title: Outbreak: Revolutions, plots, and planning; title: The Fighting: The Second War of Italian Unification, 1859-61; title: Portrait of a Soldier: Giuseppe Cesare Abba and Garibaldi's Thousand; title: The world around War: The threat of a general European War; title: Portrait of a Civilian: An anonymous Neapolitan account; title: How the War Ended: From Villafranca to Gaeta; title: Conclusions and Consequences.