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How did the Battle of Magenta help liberate Milan from Austrian rule?

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People walk and shop inside the ornate Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy, with its glass-domed roof, decorative mosaics, and luxury store entrances. — Milan Shoppers in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan.

The Battle of Magenta, fought on June 4, 1859, was a pivotal engagement during the second War of Italian Independence that directly facilitated the liberation of Milan from Austrian rule.12

During the conflict, French forces under Emperor Napoleon III engaged the Austrian army near the town of Magenta, located 12 miles west of Milan. Despite the chaotic nature of the fighting and the fierce resistance encountered in the town, the French secured a narrow victory, forcing the Austrian army to retreat.12

This defeat significantly weakened the Austrian position in northern Italy. Just four days after the battle, Napoleon III and the Piedmontese king Victor Emmanuel II made a triumphant entry into Milan. The victory served as a major catalyst for the broader Risorgimento movement, as numerous districts and cities subsequently rose against Austrian authority to join the cause of Italian unity. Following this liberation, Milan became permanently linked to the development of the new, unified Italian state.132