What happened at the Battle of the Volturno in 1860?

The Battle of the Volturno, fought on October 1–2, 1860, was the final major military engagement of the Expedition of the Thousand during the Risorgimento.

Following his triumphant entry into Naples on September 7, 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi faced a regrouped force of approximately 30,000 troops loyal to the Bourbon king Francis II. The battle took place near the Volturno River, north of Naples. Despite the Bourbon army's attempt to mount a final defense of their kingdom, Garibaldi’s forces successfully defeated them.123

While this victory secured Garibaldi's control over the south, it also marked the end of his unchecked military advance. The battle effectively checked his ambitions to march on Rome, as political leaders in Piedmont-Sardinia—fearing the radical implications of his movement—intervened to ensure the unification process remained under the control of the monarchy. Shortly after the battle, Garibaldi held plebiscites in the region and relinquished his dictatorship to Victor Emmanuel II, facilitating the annexation of southern Italy into the emerging Italian state.132