Armistice of Cormons
Encyclopedia
The Armistice of Cormòns was signed in Cormons
on 12 August 1866, between the Kingdom of Italy
(represented by General Count Agostino Petitti Bagliani di Roreto) and the Austrian Empire
(represented by General Baron Karl Möring) and was a prelude to the Treaty of Vienna
, which ended the Third Italian War of Independence
.
On 21 July 1866 the victorious Prussia
, which had just inflicted a decisive defeat on Austrian army at the battle of Sadowa
, signed the Armistice of Nikolsburg (without consulting the Italian allies). In the same days the Italian Navy was defeated in the Battle of Lissa
. On the contrary the Army, after the defeat at Custoza
, was taking advantage of the redeployment of many Austrian units to the Prussian front. Garibaldi's
volunteers, reinforced by regular units, gained at great cost some terrain in Trentino
and the main Italian army led by general Enrico Cialdini
reached Udine
, while a secondary army led by general Alfonso La Marmora was contemporary blocking some Austrian forces in the Quadrilatero
fortresses.
After the armistice of Nikolsburg, Italian staff was afraid to face alone the entire Austrian Army, so they ordered to withdraw from Trentino (which was too tied to Habsburg Empire to be claimed). Garibaldi replied by telegraph with a sentence that became famous: Obbedisco ("I obey").
Soon after Prussia and Austria signed the Peace of Prague
, while the definitive peace between Italy and Austria was ratified only on 3 October 1866 by the Treaty of Vienna
, with the mediation of Napoleon III. The Austrian Empire recognized formally the Kingdom of Italy and ceded Venetia (that comprised Mantua
, Veneto valley and western Friuli) to the French Empire
, which in turn ceded it to Italy. This represented the final division of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, as Lombardy
had been ceded to the Kingdom of Sardinia
by the Treaty of Zurich
in 1859.
Cormons
Cormons is a comune in the Province of Gorizia in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 45 km northwest of Trieste and about 12 km west of Gorizia, on the border with Slovenia...
on 12 August 1866, between the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
(represented by General Count Agostino Petitti Bagliani di Roreto) and the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
(represented by General Baron Karl Möring) and was a prelude to the Treaty of Vienna
Treaty of Vienna (1866)
According to the Treaty of Vienna signed on 12 October 1866, the Austrian Empire ceded Venetia to the French Empire, which in turn would cede it to the Kingdom of Italy, «under the reservation of the "consent of the people duly consulted"»...
, which ended the Third Italian War of Independence
Third Italian War of Independence
The Third Italian War of Independence was a conflict which paralleled the Austro-Prussian War, and was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire.-Background:...
.
On 21 July 1866 the victorious Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, which had just inflicted a decisive defeat on Austrian army at the battle of Sadowa
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
, signed the Armistice of Nikolsburg (without consulting the Italian allies). In the same days the Italian Navy was defeated in the Battle of Lissa
Battle of Lissa (1866)
The Battle of Lissa took place on 20 July 1866 in the Adriatic Sea near the Dalmatian island of Lissa and was a decisive victory for an outnumbered Austrian Empire force over a superior Italian force...
. On the contrary the Army, after the defeat at Custoza
Battle of Custoza (1866)
The Battle of Custoza took place on June 24, 1866 during the Third Italian Independence War in the Italian unification process.The Austrian Imperial army with the old Venetian Army, led by Archduke Albert of Habsburg, defeated the Italian army led by Alfonso Ferrero la Marmora and Enrico Cialdini,...
, was taking advantage of the redeployment of many Austrian units to the Prussian front. Garibaldi's
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
volunteers, reinforced by regular units, gained at great cost some terrain in Trentino
Invasion of Trentino (1866)
The Invasion of Trentino was a series of military operation undertaken by the Kingdom of Italy against the Austrian Empire during the Third Italian War of Independence of 1866, which was part of the larger Austro-Prussian War.-Background:...
and the main Italian army led by general Enrico Cialdini
Enrico Cialdini
Enrico Cialdini, Duca di Gaeta was an Italian soldier, politician and diplomat.-Biography:He was born at Castelvetro, in the province of Modena. In 1831 he took part in the insurrection at Modena, fleeing afterwards to Paris, whence he proceeded to Spain to fight against the Carlists...
reached Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
, while a secondary army led by general Alfonso La Marmora was contemporary blocking some Austrian forces in the Quadrilatero
Quadrilatero
The Quadrilatero is the traditional name of a defensive system of the Austrian Empire in the Lombardy-Venetia, which connected the fortresses of Peschiera, Mantua, Legnago and Verona between the Mincio, the Po and Adige Rivers...
fortresses.
After the armistice of Nikolsburg, Italian staff was afraid to face alone the entire Austrian Army, so they ordered to withdraw from Trentino (which was too tied to Habsburg Empire to be claimed). Garibaldi replied by telegraph with a sentence that became famous: Obbedisco ("I obey").
Soon after Prussia and Austria signed the Peace of Prague
Peace of Prague (1866)
The Peace of Prague was a peace treaty signed at Prague on 23 August 1866, which ended the Austro-Prussian War. The treaty was lenient toward the Austrian Empire because Otto von Bismarck had persuaded William I that maintaining Austria's place in Europe would be better in the future for Prussia...
, while the definitive peace between Italy and Austria was ratified only on 3 October 1866 by the Treaty of Vienna
Treaty of Vienna (1866)
According to the Treaty of Vienna signed on 12 October 1866, the Austrian Empire ceded Venetia to the French Empire, which in turn would cede it to the Kingdom of Italy, «under the reservation of the "consent of the people duly consulted"»...
, with the mediation of Napoleon III. The Austrian Empire recognized formally the Kingdom of Italy and ceded Venetia (that comprised Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, Veneto valley and western Friuli) to the French Empire
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
, which in turn ceded it to Italy. This represented the final division of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, as Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
had been ceded to the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
by the Treaty of Zurich
Treaty of Zurich
The Treaty of Zurich was signed by the Austrian Empire, the French Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia on November 10, 1859. The agreement was a reaffirmation of the terms of the preliminary peace of Villafranca, which brought the Austro-Sardinian War to an official close...
in 1859.