Solferino's Carnage: Battle That Inspired the Red Cross
Franco-Sardinian forces defeated the Austrian army at the Battle of Solferino on June 24, 1859, in the last major battle in world history where all armies were under the personal command of their monarchs. Napoleon III of France, Franz Joseph I of Austria, and Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia were all on the field. The battle involved 300,000 soldiers and produced 40,000 casualties in a single day. Swiss businessman Henry Dunant, traveling to meet Napoleon III on a business matter, arrived at the battlefield and was horrified by the sight of thousands of wounded soldiers left without medical care. His account, A Memory of Solferino, published in 1862, led directly to the Geneva Convention of 1864 and the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
June 24, 1859
167 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Italy
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Austria
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Sardinia
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Battle of Solferino
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Solferino
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Battle of Solferino
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Sardinia
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Solferino
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France
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Kingdom of Sardinia
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Austrian Empire
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Henry Dunant
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International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
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Castiglione delle Stiviere
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Étienne Mougeotte
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LCI
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Canal de televisión
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Información
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Cardinal Richelieu
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Louis XIII
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Armenia
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Richard Melillo
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judo
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European Union
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Eurozone
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Marche des fiertés
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30 juin
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