An epic struggle for the future of a continent The momentous battles described in this book were pivotal in shaping the Europe we know today. They brought about the unification of Italy and were the last time armies in the field fought under the personal command of their monarchs. Over 200,000 men took part, making Solferino the largest battle fought in Europe since Napoleon's epic conflict at Leipzig in 1813. Napoleon III of France together with Victor Emanuel II of Sardinia and Italian states defeated the Austrian Army under the Emperor Franz Joseph leading to the Armistice of Villafranca in 1859 and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy the following year. This important campaign is described here in detail. It was a conflict of enormous loss on both sides and was instrumental in the creation of both the Red Cross and the Geneva Convention. Essential for every student of warfare.