50.
liberation of Italy in 1796…1859: *
In 1796 Napoleon, commanding armies of the Republic, successfully invaded Italy & defeated the armies of Sardinia & Austria, forced a peace on Sardinia; next he captured Milan & started the Siege of Mantua. He defeated successive Austrian armies sent against him while continuing the siege. He defeated all comers, humiliating Austria, hitherto the masters of Italy.
The 2nd Italian War of Independence (1859) pitted France under Napoleon III allied with Sardinia against Austria. The costly battle of Solferino (June) was a victory for France & the Sardinians. The Austrians retreated, the campaign ended & Napoleon ended the war with the Armistice of Villafranca (July). Austrian defeat was a major step in Italian independence (achieved in 1861).
51.
"contemporary" epochal moments: *
table: Transition events from Culture to Civilization, in the Classical and Faustian Cultures
