How did Giuseppe Garibaldi help establish the Roman Republic in 1849?

Giuseppe Garibaldi played a pivotal role in the establishment and defense of the Roman Republic in 1849. After Pope Pius IX fled the Papal States in late 1848, Garibaldi arrived in Rome with a group of volunteers.1

In February 1849, he was elected as a deputy to the Roman Assembly, where he formally proposed that Rome be declared an independent republic. When French forces arrived in April 1849 to restore papal authority, Garibaldi became the chief inspiration for the city's defense. He successfully repulsed an initial French attack on the Janiculum Hill and later defeated a Neapolitan army at Velletri.12

Although the republic was eventually overwhelmed by a superior French force during the Siege of Rome, Garibaldi’s leadership and the gallantry of his volunteers became a defining, heroic chapter of the Risorgimento, significantly advancing the long-term cause of Italian unification.12