The Comte Horace de Viel Castel recorded in his memoirs that on Tuesday 10 May, 1859, Napoleon III and the Prince Napoleon left Paris for the Italian front. He noted that “never has the Emperor received such a magnificent ovation as that which he received today… it was [a] poignant [moment]… a furia that will never be understood by those who were not there to witness it”. [Mémoires du Comte Horace de Viel Castel, 10 May, 1859, p. 751]

After Montebello on 25 May, Napoleon III finally enacted his initial plan, namely that of enveloping the Austrian troops ranged in the plain before Milan by coming at them from the north and so attacking their flank. The Austrians were slow to react, still believing that the French would come at them via Piacenza, from the south. The French emperor however moved his troops quickly north by train through Vercelli (the French victory nearby at Palestro [30-31 May] finally revealed to the Austrians what was happening), gathering the French army around Novara on 1 June. After a brief (and accidental) combat at Turbigo on 3 June, the French emperor envisaged that the following day would be one of manoeuvring in view of a decisive encounter the day after (having heard that the Austrians were retreating). He was however mistaken since the Austrians had not moved. On the battle day itself (4 June), MacMahon advanced south carefully down the left bank of the Ticino river towards Magenta meeting fierce resistance. Subsequently the Guard advanced from the West down the Milan road towards Magenta and down the railways line and was involved in an heroic defence of the canal before Magenta. The Austrians attacked the right flank of the French army, causing both armies to engage their reserves. Later on in the day MacMahon returned to the fight, taking Magenta and driving the Austrians into retreat. The road to Milan was opened up. On 7 June, a delegation from Milan presented the keys to the city to the victorious Emperor and the French army made a triumphal entry into the Lombard capital.

Magenta and Solferino (June 1859), for their results, are probably Napoleon III’s most successful military campaigns. Not only did they allow France to be the patron of Italian independence and unity and to establish the natural frontiers to the south (through the accession of Savoy and Nice to French territory), they also underlined the weakness of Austria in the concert of nations and highlighted the potential of French military might if unleashed. The face of Europe changed almost over night. ⛈️⚔️