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| Battle of Solferino Carlo Bossoli (PD) Solferino, June 24, 1859 - about 1400 hours. Conclusion of the Battle of Solferino. The forces of division "Forey" and division "De Ladmirault" take possession of the Castle and the Fortress of Solferino. |
Solferino, Italy.
On the 24th of July 1859 three armies converged on this area in northern Italy. These armies were led by the Emperor Napoléon III (France), King Victor Emmanuel II (Piedmont-Sardinia), and Emperor Franz Joseph I (Austria).
The French and the Piedmont-Sardinians were allied against the Austrians. The goal of Victor Emmanuel II was to drive the Austrians out of Italy and unite the country, under his rule of course. (Spoiler alert, Victor Emmanuel II became King of Italy in 1861, the first time Italy had been united under one monarch since the 6th Century.)
Napoléon III's goal was not in conflict with that of Victor Emmanuel II's, driving Austria out of Italy was his goal as well. Something his uncle the Napoléon would have understood. Napoléon III also wanted to destroy the system created at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 which he felt denied France her rightful place in European affairs.
This was the last battle at which the armies in contention were led by their sovereigns, in person. (To date, I doubt any modern "leaders" will ever be bothered to lead their troops in battle ever again.) An interesting note is that after this battle, an Austrian defeat, Franz Joseph I decided that he would leave future wars to his generals. He was still Emperor when World War I broke out. (He died in 1916.)
A quick video of Solferino (sorry it's in French, but it does have English subtitles) -
Now there was a Swiss gentlemen, Henri Dunant who witnessed the aftermath of the battle, he was so shocked and appalled by the suffering of the wounded (and the lack of care they received) that he went on to become one of the co-founders of the Red Cross. He was also the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (back when that award actually meant something, yeah, looking at you Obama).
A video on this badass dude -
(And yesterday was the day "I found out" about Monsieur Dunant.)
Solferino was one of the battles in that oh-so-peaceful time in Europe between 1815 and 1914. It wasn't so much "peaceful" as it was a period of people slaughtering hundreds of their fellow man, as opposed to thousands. (Deaths in the millions would wait for the 20th Century.) Yes, I'm a bit down on that European hundred years of "peace" that some like to tout.
Anyhoo, that's it for today.
Hey, get out and vote on Tuesday, okay?
This might be your last chance. No, seriously.
¹ Okay, maybe some of you have, this is a wicked smart crowd here.
Couple of interesting vids there Sarge, the latter definitely increased my knowledge base about the Red Cross. At least the political ads will stop after Tuesday although the circus will continue, darn right I'm going to vote.
ReplyDeleteThe circus will continue as the clowns will continue to work.
DeleteThe Red Cross? Learn something new!
ReplyDeleteThat is a good painting.
A topic I've been meaning to get to for a while now.
DeleteI most certainly will vote, there is a Donkey that must be stopped, at all costs! I do not wish to live in a tyranny.
ReplyDeleteI take issue with the "at all costs" part of your comment, but I know what you mean. After all, it's not the puppet we should fear, but the puppeteer. Who is pulling the strings?
DeleteThere are keyboard warriors out there calling for !ACTION NOW!. And they think that everything is based upon one or two issues and say 'our founding fathers would be stacking bodies by now.' Without realizing that the issues that led to the American Stacking Bodies Revolution was based on decades upon decades of issues with England.
DeleteWe're in the 'things have finally piled up enough even the normies are realizing something's going on' stage. Not saying we're at 1775 levels, but...
The keyboard warriors will watch the action from their parents' basement, just saying.
Delete"... her rightful place in European affairs." That's what one loses when one repeatedly loses wars.
ReplyDeleteGood point.
DeleteAnd yet the three countries that lead the European Union are... France, Germany and Belgium. None of whom have been successful in winning wars in the last century (WWI wasn't won by France, but by a coalition of powers including France and they would have lost if they wet into it alone, lost bigly and would have given Germany a check in the 'win column.'
DeleteAnd most of the 'powerful' countries leading the UN have been losers, too.
Well, as the European Union is worthless in just about every sense, why not have the losers lead it?
DeleteThis is one of those, "OH YEAH! I've heard of that!" and promptly forget names. And the details. Left is a vague notion that the Red Cross was founded as the result of someone seeing the aftermath of a battle.
ReplyDelete"The influence of women...will become more valuable as time proceeds."
(looks at some of our political leadership, slowly shakes head)
The influence of women has always played a role in history, the problem now is the "we don't need men" crowd. Need both sexes (yes, dear, there are only two) to make things work properly. Heck, look at the Nazis, most of them were sexual deviants of one sort or another.
DeleteSarge, I am also one of those that knew a little a bit about it but not much - thanks for the education!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading up on that time period, used to know more but haven't looked at it in a very long time. A fascinating period.
DeleteHistory Marche
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/0pKWPZr-MfA?si=lPywVejS9NBKB44s
I almost went with that video but the heavy use of maps and the like felt a bit boring. Didn't bother me in the least, but others might find it offputting.
DeleteMy ignorance of that era is vast, but a while back I learned about a significant naval battle in 1866.
ReplyDeleteI'll share that with you when I get the urge.
And, if Tuesday turns into acrimonious bickering, I might share the Cajun way of dealing with such things, at least in 1874. But, I would not expect Gatling guns and 12 pounder Napoloeons to be involved today, like was the case then. I am not predicting or advocating anything, just willing to report serendipitous historical events.
JB
I know the battle of which you speak (at least pretty sure I do) and I can't wait for your take on it!
Delete"If Tuesday turns into acrimonious bickering..." "If"??? Sorry gents; that's very much a " When" question.
DeleteWhether or not we by some happenstance have a semblance of a free and fair contest (NOT likely, but one can hope) about half of the country will be borderline apoplectic. Me? I'll just be grimly waiting and watching...
Boat Guy
Afraid so ...
DeleteA battle my Cousin Lissa shares a name with?
DeleteMight could be.
Deleteby becoming a political (I originally had quotes around the preceding word, but, upon reflection, removed them) organization, the Red Cross has lost much of it's former cachet
ReplyDeleteYes, it has. When politicians sense a form of income, they're all over it, much like sharks scenting blood in the water.
DeleteAnd so has the Salvation Army. Sigh.
DeleteEvery organisation will lean towards being political as the ambitious take over to line their own pockets and the original mission is lost.
DeleteIs there such a thing as a selfless politician? I think not.
In my mind, Harry Truman came close.
DeleteConcur.
DeleteI voted early, but I don't really like the mail-in voting, except for military absentee ballots. Why? Because I don't really trust voting on those machines. Too many strange happenings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhnLmahdyZk So what to do? Vote and hope it counts.
ReplyDeleteYup, vote and pray.
DeleteThere has been a number of "death in thousands" conflicts in the relative peace era of 1815-1914. Poles had major uprisings in 1830 and 1863, aimed at regaining independence. Hungary had similar attempt versus Vienna in 1848, which Russia helped quash. Prussia had wars with Denmark, Austria,and France on the way to Geman unification. Italy had the here depicted war with Austria. Russia had wars with Turkey at least 2 times, one in 1853 resulting in Crimea escalation with UK and France joining in, and another in 1878, which resulted in bunch of newly Independent Balkan states (and seeds of WW1). So, peace was relative, but the diplomats of the day were of such calibre that nothing lasted more than a year and spiralled out of control. But this also fed the false sense of security before WW1...
ReplyDeleteBingo.
Delete