France. A Medal Of The 1859 Italian Campaign

The Commemorative Medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign was established by Napoleon III, following the 1859 French campaign in Italy during the Second Italian War of Independence. Early in 1815, there was a powerful popular movement in favour of national unification throughout the Italian peninsula. This idea, championed by the King of Sardinia Victor Emmanuel II, was opposed by Pope Pius IX and the Austrian Empire who occupied the provinces of Lombardyand Veneto. In Europe, Italian unification was only supported by Emperor Napoleon III of France who, on January 28, 1859, based on the clauses of the Treaty of Turin, decided to bring aid and support from France. Piedmont being invaded by 100,000 Austrian soldiers on April 26, 1859, France declared war on the Austrian Empire on May 3, 1859. In spite of the lack of preparation of the French army, the soldiers, alongside their Piedmont and Sardinian allies were to illustrate themselves in several famous battles, including that of Magenta on June 4th, which allowed Napoleon III and Victor Emmanuel II to enter triumphantly in Milanon on June 8th. Then, on June 24th, the Franco-Piedmontese forces took the village of Solferino after a terrible battle culminating in an armistice signed at Villafranca on July 12th. The French forces, composed of an army of 120,000 men, were commanded by the Emperor and placed under the orders of Marshals Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers and François Certain de Canrobert, Generals Patrice de Mac-Mahon, Adolphe Niel and Auguste Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély. During the three-month campaign, French losses amounted to 8,000 dead and 40,000 wounded. To reward all participants and ensure the memory of this glorious military campaign, the Commemorative Medal of the Italian Campaign was created by Imperial Decree on August 11, 1859. Nearly 120,000 medals were awarded to reward all soldiers and sailors who participated in the Italian campaign of 1859.