How did Giuseppe Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand help create the Kingdom of Italy?

Giuseppe Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand was a pivotal campaign in 1860 that facilitated the unification of Italy by overthrowing the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

By landing in Sicily with a volunteer force, Garibaldi successfully defeated Neapolitan troops and captured Palermo, effectively ending Bourbon control over the island. He subsequently crossed the Strait of Messina to the mainland, leading a triumphant march to Naples and securing the south.123

Although Garibaldi acted as a dictator during the conquest, he consistently proclaimed his actions in the name of Victor Emmanuel II, the king of Piedmont-Sardinia. Following his military successes, Garibaldi held plebiscites in the liberated southern territories, which resulted in overwhelming support for annexation to the north. In a historic meeting on October 26, 1860, Garibaldi relinquished his authority to Victor Emmanuel II, hailing him as the king of a united Italy. This transition allowed for the formal proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.132