How did the Neapolitan War impact Italian unification?

The Neapolitan War of 1815 was a brief conflict between the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples and the Austrian Empire that ended in a decisive Austrian victory. Although King Joachim Murat's declaration of war was seen by many as reckless, Austria's subsequent intervention generated widespread resentment across Italy. This growing anti-Austrian sentiment helped spur the broader political and social movement toward Italian unification known as the Risorgimento.

What we know

• The Neapolitan War began on March 15, 1815, when King Joachim Murat declared war on the Austrian Empire, leading to the Treaty of Casalanza on May 20, 1815. [1, 2]
• The conflict concluded following a decisive Austrian victory at the Battle of Tolentino, after which Bourbon monarch Ferdinand IV was reinstated as King of Naples and Sicily. [2]
• The unification of Italy, also known as the Risorgimento, was a 19th-century political movement that eventually resulted in the creation of the Kingdom of Italy. [3]
• The intervention by Austria during these regional conflicts caused resentment in Italy, which further spurred the drive towards Italian unification. [2, 3]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat was the Risorgimento?
• how we knowHow did the Battle of Tolentino unfold?
• whoWho was Joachim Murat?
• how it workedWhat was the Treaty of Casalanza?
• what caused itHow did the Congress of Vienna shape Italy?
• an unexpected connectionHow did centuries-old Italian coinage change with unification?While the Neapolitan War laid early groundwork for anti-Austrian sentiment, the eventual political unification it inspired directly replaced diverse regional currencies with the unified Italian lira.

Sources

• [1]Neapolitan War (Wikidata Q298864) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Neapolitan War · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Unification of Italy · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Italian Wars · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]History of coins in Italy · CC BY-SA 4.0