1849 – August 24:
Venice falls to
Austrian forces that have crushed the rebellion in
Venetia
1858 – Meeting at
Plombieres: Napoleon III and Cavour decide to stage a war with Austria, in return for Piedmont gaining Lombardy, Venetia, Parma and Modena, and France gaining Savoy and Nice.
July 11: Napoleon III meets with
Franz Joseph (Austria) and backs out of the war. Among other land negotiations, Lombardy will be transferred to Sardinia
November 10:
Treaty of Zurich ends conflict in northern Italy for a time; Sardinia occupies some central Italian states
December:
Tuscany,
Parma,
Modena, and some other states join the United Provinces of Central Italy, and seek annexation by Sardinia
1860 – March 20: Sardinia annexes central Italian states by giving
Nice and
Savoy to the French, now only four states remain in Italy: Austrians in Venetia, the Papal States, the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
February 18: Victor Emmanuel II assumes title of King of Italy with an Italian parliament under him
May 6: Garibaldi and about a thousand Italian volunteers leave Genoa, and on
May 11: land near Marsala on the west coast of
Sicily
May 14: After many victories, Garibaldi names himself dictator of Sicily
May 27: With British help Garibaldi seizes capital of
Palermo
August 18:
Basilicata is the first continental province to declare the fall of
Francis II.[1]
September 2: Garibaldi entered Basilicata through
Rotonda, encountering no difficulty. The provincial government raised a "Lucanian brigade", which followed Garibaldi to Naples.[2]
September 7: After victories throughout Sicily and Italian mainland, Garibaldi is welcomed into Naples.
October :
Victor Emmanuel II leads Sardinian forces through the Papal States south to meet Garibaldi in Naples, Garibaldi hands over his power to Victor Emmanuel II
June 6: Camillo di Cavour dies after seeing his life's work almost fulfilled, with only Venetia, and the
Papal States not under Italian control
1862
June: Being frustrated with inaction against the Papal States, Garibaldi sails from Genoa to Palermo to gather volunteers for a Rome expedition
August 14: Garibaldi sails for Melito on the southern coast of Italy and vows to march to Rome
August 28: Garibaldi meets government troops at Aspromonte, and is honorably imprisoned, with his army being disbanded, however Garibaldi is soon released
1864 – September 15: Victor Emmanuel II meets with Napoleon III at the September Convention, Napoleon III agrees to withdraw French troops from the Papal States within 2 years
1865 – Capital moves from Turin to Florence
1866 – June 20: Italy enters the Austro-Prussian war against Austria with Prussia promising Venetia if they win
June 24: Italian forces under Victor Emmanuel II are defeated at Custoza
July 21: Italian forces under Garibaldi are victorious against Austria at Bezzecca, and move forward into Venetia
July 26: Prussia signs armistice with Austria
August 12: Italy ends war with Austria after Prussia signs armistice
October 12: Emperor Franz Joseph cedes Venetia to Napoleon III for not entering the war, who then cedes it to Italy
1867 – October: Garibaldi seeks Rome and Papal States but fails, revolutions inside Rome are also suppressed
1870 – July: With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war, Napoleon III calls back troops from Rome
September 10: Victor Emmanuel II sends Count Ponza di San Martino with a letter to the Pope proposing a peaceful entrance of the Italian army into Rome, but the Pope rejects the letter and the Count leaves the next day
September 11: Italian Army slowly advances toward Rome
September 20: Italian army forcefully enters Rome with some casualties and, after a plebiscite, Rome is annexed by the Kingdom of Italy