The Battle of Solferino and San Martino by sandra46
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Description
From the terrace of the cafeteria at San Martino della Battaglia one can see the plain where the famous battle of Solferino was fought during what is usually called the Second War of Italian Independence in Italian schoolbooks .
The Battle of Solferino, (referred to in Italy as the Battle of Solferino and San Martino), was fought on June 24, 1859 and resulted in the victory of the Franco-Sardinian Alliance, that is the allied French Army under Napoleon III and Sardinian (later Italian) Army under Victor Emmanuel II against the Austrian Army under Emperor Franz Joseph I; it was the last major battle in world history where all the involved armies were under the personal command of their monarchs. Perhaps 300,000 soldiers fought in this important battle, the largest since the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. There were about 160,000 Austrian troops and a combined total of 156,000 French and allied Piedmontese troops. The clash was chaotic, on a front stretching for 15 kilometers. The battle was a particularly gruelling one, lasting over nine hours. Reports of wounded and dying soldiers being shot or bayoneted on both sides added to the horror. In the end, the Austrian forces were forced to yield their positions, and the Allied French-Piedmontese armies won a tactical, but costly, victory.
After this battle, the Austrian Emperor refrained from further direct command of the army. Napoleon III was moved by the losses, and for reasons including the Prussian threat and domestic protests by the Roman Catholics, he decided to put an end to the war with the Armistice of Villafranca (July 12, 1859). The Italians won Lombardy but not the Venetia. The Kingdom of Italy was created in 1861.
The battle is especially notable for being witnessed by the Swiss Jean-Henri Dunant. Horrified by the suffering of wounded soldiers left on the battlefield, Dunant set about a process that led to the Geneva Conventions and the establishment of the International Red Cross. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem 'The Forced Recruit at Solferino' commemorates this battle (Last Poems 1862). Joseph Roth's 1932 novel Radetzky March opens at the Battle of Solferino. There, the father of the novel's Trotta dynasty is immortalized as the Hero of Solferino.
Thanks for your kind comments.
Comments (47)
Great work!!!
a wonderful and interesting view! GREAT photo!!!!!!!
Sandra, this is such a marvelous capture as the pov you selected to show off this historical area is perfect. Thanks for providing so many fascinating details on the epic battle that took place here, and for also pointing out the positive things that came out of this terrible time.
COLORFUL!!!!!! Good history also (interesting).
very interesting information to go with an extremely interesting shot, i love the layering of the picture
Fantastic capture and interesting history!!
Fascinating pic and info!
a nice shot!
Impressive history. Nice to see it is a properous place nowadays.
Narrativa impressionante, captura maravilhosa minha amiga, aplausos (5)
Great colors and photography!!!
Great shot and interesting info on the history of the place Sandra!
bon renseignement et photo!
Great pic and wonderful information.
Wonderful shot!!!!!
Ode to the geometry! BEAUTIFUL photo.
Beautiful composition. excellent work
Very beautiful capture and fascinating information. sometimes good does come out of the worst of events
like your history on this Sandra, beautiful color in this shot..
A great narration!!!!!!!
Fantastic capture and interesting history!!
Gorgeous photo and amazing history. Seems impossible that all that death and destruction took place in such a lovely location.
PRECIOSA IMAGEN.
Beautiful capture of the vineyard and surrounding areas. Sad to read of so much loss of blood. Outstanding narrative Sandra and the POV that show the decay in the foreground building. Dana
this is wonderful work
wonderful POV and place!!
Fascinating history. All we learn here in the States is about Garibaldi. Ironic considering the history how the plants are arrained as if ready for battle. Beautiful scene.
a beautiful plant with beautiful colors
Interesting history, you actually cleared up a point I wasn't certain about, the last battle where Monarchs commanded. This actually came up in a conversation a couple of days ago. Thanks!
just imagine what a slaughterhouse this must have been gruesome indeed.a fine bit of history for me history-addict.