garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882) was an Italian general, nationalist, and a central figure in the Risorgimento, the movement that unified Italy. Born in Nice, then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, he pursued a life at sea and became involved in liberal and republican causes. He participated in the defense of the Roman Republic in 1849 and later spent several years in South America, where he fought in Brazil and Uruguay and developed his guerrilla warfare tactics.

Garibaldi's best-known achievement was the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860, when a volunteer corps led by him, the Redshirts, conquered the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. This campaign helped complete the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy. He subsequently held various political and military roles within the new Italian state and continued to advocate for republican ideals, though he supported the monarchy as head of state after unification.

Garibaldi died on June 2, 1882, on the island of Caprera, off Sardinia. His legacy endures in Italian national memory, with many monuments, institutions, and places bearing his name. Historians view him as a symbol of Italian nationalism and popular leadership, while noting that some aspects of his campaigns, including foreign expeditions and his republican advocacy, were controversial.