Armistice of Cormons

TheArmistice of Cormònswas signed inCormonson 12 August 1866, between theKingdom of Italy(represented by General CountAgostino Petitti Bagliani di Roreto) and theAustrian Empire(represented by General BaronKarl Möring) and was a prelude to theTreaty of Vienna,which ended theThird Italian War of Independence.

On 21 July 1866 the victoriousPrussia,which had just inflicted a decisive defeat on theAustrian armyat theBattle of Königgrätz,signed the Armistice of Nikolsburg (without consulting the Italian allies^[1]). In the same days theItalian Navywas defeated in theBattle of Lissa.On the contrary theRoyal Italian Armywas taking advantage of the redeployment of many Austrian units to the northern front.Garibaldi's volunteers, reinforced by regular units, gained terrain byinvading Trentinoand achieved a victory atBezzecca;the main Italian army led by GeneralEnrico CialdinireachedUdine,while a secondary army led by GeneralAlfonso La Marmorawas contemporary blocking some Austrian forces in theQuadrilaterofortresses.^[2]

After the armistice of Nikolsburg, the Italian General Staff ordered to withdraw from Trentino (which was too tied to the Habsburg Empire to be claimed).^[3]Garibaldi replied by telegraph with a sentence that became famous:Obbedisco( "I obey" ).

Soon after Prussia and Austria signed thePeace of Prague,while the definitive peace between Italy and Austria was ratified only on 3 October 1866 by theTreaty of Vienna,with the mediation ofNapoleon III.The Austrian Empire recognized formally the Kingdom of Italy^[4]and cededVenetia(that comprised theProvince of Mantua,Veneto valley and westernFriuli) to theFrench Empire,which in turn ceded it to Italy. This represented the final dissolution of theKingdom of Lombardy–Venetia,as mainlandLombardy(less Mantua province) had been ceded toSardinia-Piedmontby theTreaty of Zürichin 1859.

Notes

^the Prussian staff itself pushed Italy to continue the war andOtto von Bismarckhad to assert himself on those who wanted to continue the war until a complete defeat of Austria, like KingWilliam I
^Wawro, 1997,pp.276-281
^However the first article of the armistice signed at Nikolsburg granted territorial gains to ItalyText of the preliminary peace of Nikolsburg
^Wawro, 1997,p.281

Bibliography

Wawro, Geoffrey (1997).The Austro-Prussian War: Austria's war with Prussia and Italy in 1866.Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0-521-62951-5.

[1] the Prussian staff itself pushed Italy to continue the war andOtto von Bismarckhad to assert himself on those who wanted to continue the war until a complete defeat of Austria, like KingWilliam I

[2] Wawro, 1997,pp.276-281

[3] However the first article of the armistice signed at Nikolsburg granted territorial gains to ItalyText of the preliminary peace of Nikolsburg

[4] Wawro, 1997,p.281

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