210 HISTOR Y OF FRANCE. [cilAP. Malakoff, the English were beaten at the Redan. But the Russians now evacuated Sebastopol, after a siege of three hundred and forty-nine days. The allies entered it, and some months 1 iter peace was made. II. The War of Italian Liberation, 1839. — The second war was with Austria. That power had received Lom- bardy and Venetia at the Congress of Vienna, and ruled it so oppressively that there had been continual efforts on the pan ot the Italians, both there and elsewhere, to set themselves free. I-" ranee now availed herself of these to attacc Austria. In 1859 there was a general movement to make Victor Eininanuel, Kuig of Sardmia, King of all Italy. The Austrians invaded the Sardinian territory, and the ruler of France gave help to Victor Emmanuel. He loudly boasted that he would free Italy from the Alps to the Hadriatic. On the 4th of June, 1859, ^he French and Italian troops gained a great victory at Magenta, which drove the Austrians out of Lombardy, and on the 24th they defeated them again on the Mincio at Solferino. Instead of going on to the Hadriatic, Buonaparte now drew back, met Francis Joseph of Austria at Villa-Franca, and made terms, which the King of Sardinia had to accept. Lombardy was added to Sardinia, but Austria kept Venetia, while Buonaparte himselt^ took the ancient duchy of Savoy and the county of Nizza. He still kept his troops at Rome, and did all he could to keep Italy disunited. But the Italians were strong enough to stand without him, and obtained their united kingdom ; only tor Rome and Venetia they had still to wait. 12. The Mexican War, 1862. — Two of the great military powers, Russia and Austria, had thus been attacked with success. A longer time passed before the third attempt on Prussia. Meanwhile there was a smaller war in Mexico, which began in 1S62 with a joint expedition of England, France, and Spain. But England and Spain presently withdrew. France however continued its interference in Me.ican affairs, and in 1863 the Archduke Maximilian of Austria was set up with the title of Emperor under French protection. He was supported only by a party in the country, while others were still for a republic. Maxi- milian put out a proclamation, threatening death to all the other side who should be taken in arms. Being himself taken in 1867, he was shot. About the same time came the first beginnings of dispute with Prussia, which by its /ictories in 1866 had become the head of North Germany.
