Armies of the Italian Wars of Unification 1848-70 (2): Papal States, Minor States & Volunteers, Paperback

In the 1840s, Italy was a patchwork of states. The North was ruled by the Austrian Empire, the South by the Spanish-descended monarchy of the Two Sicilies. Over the next two decades, after wars led by Savoy/Piedmont and volunteers such as Garibaldi, an independent Kingdom of Italy emerged. These conflicts saw foreign interventions and shifting alliances among minor states, and attracted a variety of local and foreign volunteers.

This second volume in a two part series covers the armies of the Papal States; the duchies of Tuscany, Parma, and Modena; the republics of Rome and San Marco (Venice) and the transitional Kingdom of Sicily; and the various volunteer movements. These varied armies and militias wore a wide variety of highly colorful uniforms which are brought to life in stunning, specially commissioned, full color artwork from Giuseppe Rava.

About the Author:

Gabriele Esposito is Professor of Modern History at the Second University, Naples, Italy. His main field of research is the military of 19th-century Latin America, but his interests range from the Ancient world to modern post-colonial conflicts. He has published several works in the UK, including MAA 499 Armies of the War of the Triple Alliance 1864-70 and MAA 504 Armies of the War of the Pacific 1879-83, and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines.

Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963, and took an interest in all things military from an early age. Entirely self-taught, Giuseppe has established himself as a leading military history artist, and is inspired by the works of the great military artists, such as Detaille, Meissonier, R chling, Lady Butler, Ottenfeld and Angus McBride. He lives and works in Italy.