The Battle of Solferino, 1859
24. Jun 1859
The war against Piedmont-Sardinia and its ally France led to the Habsburgs losing a major part of their territories in northern Italy. The decisive battle took place on 24 June 1859 near Solferino, where the Austrian army suffered a painful defeat. Austria was forced to cede Lombardy, and the collateral lines of the Habsburgs in Tuscany, Modena and Parma lost their possessions. This opened the way for the founding of the Kingdom of Italy under the House of Savoy.
