Third Italian War of Independence

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The Third Italian War of Independence was a conflict fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire from 20 June to 12 August 1866. It was part of the larger process of Italian unification and occurred concurrently with the Austro-Prussian War.

Background[edit | edit source]

The war was a continuation of the efforts to unify Italy, which had begun with the First Italian War of Independence and the Second Italian War of Independence. The Kingdom of Italy, established in 1861, sought to annex the remaining Italian territories under Austrian control, particularly Venetia.

Prelude[edit | edit source]

In 1866, Italy formed an alliance with Prussia, which was preparing for war against Austria. The alliance stipulated that Italy would declare war on Austria if Prussia did the same, with the aim of gaining Venetia.

The War[edit | edit source]

The war began on 20 June 1866, when Italy declared war on Austria. The Italian forces, led by King Victor Emmanuel II, launched offensives in both the Venetia and Trentino regions.

Major Battles[edit | edit source]

Battle of Custoza: Fought on 24 June 1866, this battle resulted in a defeat for the Italian forces.
Battle of Lissa: A naval battle on 20 July 1866, where the Austrian navy defeated the Italian fleet.
Battle of Bezzecca: Fought on 21 July 1866, this battle saw the Italian forces, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, achieve a victory.

Despite these setbacks, the Italian army continued to press on, and the Prussian victories in the north forced Austria to negotiate.

Aftermath[edit | edit source]

The war concluded with the Treaty of Vienna on 12 August 1866. As a result of the treaty, Austria ceded Venetia to France, which then transferred it to Italy. This marked a significant step in the unification of Italy, although the process would not be fully completed until the capture of Rome in 1870.