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| 1860, Jan. 20 |
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| Cavour returned to power as premier and negotiated the annexations with Napoleon in return for the cession of Nice and Savoy to France (Treaty of Turin, March 24). | 1 |
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| March 13–15 |
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| Plebiscites in Parma, Modena, Romagna, and Tuscany favored annexation to Piedmont. | 2 |
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| May–July |
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| Garibaldi and his Thousand Redshirts sailed from Genoa to Sicily (May 5) after being diverted by Cavour from their intention to go to Nice. Landing at Marsala (May 11), Garibaldi defeated the Neapolitans at Calatafimi (May 15) and took Palermo (May 27), where he set up a provisional government. He defeated the Neapolitans at Milazzo (July 20). | 3 |
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| Sept. 7 |
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| Garibaldi took Naples after a triumphal march and planned on defeating the remains of the Neapolitan army (Francis II, who succeeded Ferdinand II in May 1859, fled to Gaeta). | 4 |
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| Sept. 8 |
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| An uprising in the Papal States gave Cavour, who opposed Garibaldi's plans to march on Rome, an opportunity to intervene. Cavour called upon Cardinal Antonelli, papal secretary of state, to disband his “adventurers,” and, when the latter refused, the Piedmontese crossed the papal frontier (Sept. 11) where they virtually annihilated the papal forces at Castelfidaro and advanced into Neopolitan territory, joining forces with Garibaldi. | 5 |
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| Oct. 21 |
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| Naples and Sicily voted by plebiscite for union with north. | 6 |
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| Oct. 26 |
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| Garibaldi defeated the Neapolitans on the Volturno. | 7 |
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| Nov. 3–1861, Feb. 13 |
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| Siege of Gaeta. | 8 |
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| Nov. 4–5 |
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| The Marches and Umbria voted by plebiscite for union with the north. | 9 |
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