The Crimean War and the Kingdom of Sardinia

Abstract

The reasons that prompted the Kingdom of Sardinia to join the coalition of England and France during the Crimean War are analyzed. After the defeat in the so-called First War of Liberation (1848–1849), the kingdom’s political influence in Italy was seriously weakened. The urgent need to find allies to confront the Austrian Empire and, in the future, to remove obstacles to the process of unification of Italy, inevitably raised the question of the price of allied obligations assumed in such a case. Participation in the Crimean campaign initially did not guarantee Sardinia-Piedmont’s unconditional achievement of ambitious goals in Italy. However, the possibility of discussing Italian problems after the end of the Crimean War by the great European powers was considered by the head of the Sardinian government, Camillo Benso di Cavour, at least as eliminating the Austrian threat. Sardinia-Piedmont, thanks to its participation in the Crimean War, managed to officially bring the Italian problem to the international diplomatic arena.