The Franco-Sardinian army of Napoleon III and Victor Emmanuel II defeated the Austrian army of Emperor Franz Joseph at Solferino, in Lombardy, on 24 June 1859. The battle was costly on both sides, and the sight of its wounded inspired the founding of the Red Cross.
Two emperors and a king
Each monarch personally commanded his army. Figures differ by source: EBSCO gives some 118,600 Franco-Sardinian troops against some 120,000 Austrians, while John Rickard of HistoryOfWar.org gives about 130,000 on each side.1
The Austrians withdrew to the Quadrilateral fortresses. The victory was costly: the Austrians lost about 21,000 to 22,000 men and the Allies about 17,000. An armistice was agreed on 8 July, and on 11 July 1859 Napoleon III and Franz Joseph agreed peace terms at Villafranca.2
The Red Cross
Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman, helped the wounded after the battle and set out his ideas in A Memory of Solferino, published in 1862. His campaign led to the founding of the International Red Cross in 1863 and to the first Geneva Convention the following year.3
Also on this day
1866: Battle of Custoza. In the Third Italian War of Independence, Archduke Albrecht's Austrian army met La Marmora's Italian army near Custoza in Venetia.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Battle of Solferino?
It was fought on 24 June 1859 near Solferino and San Martino, in present-day Lombardy, Italy, during the Second Italian War of Independence.
Who won the Battle of Solferino?
The Franco-Sardinian army of Napoleon III and Victor Emmanuel II defeated the Austrians of Franz Joseph I.
Why is it remembered beyond the battle?
Henry Dunant's account of its aftermath led to the founding of the International Red Cross and to the Geneva Conventions.
Notes
A number in the text points to a note; each note names the works that paragraph draws on, listed in full under Sources.
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