Famous Battles: Battle of Solferino, June 24, 1859
Wikimedia CommonsThe French infantry advances on Solferino, by Carlo Bossoli
The Battle of Solferino was the last major battle in the world where the armies were under the personal command of their monarchs and it changed the way that wars were fought forever after.
The fighting was between Napoleon III and Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I and resulted in tens of thousands of casualties — with the wounded survivors scattered amongst the city’s ruins, where scarce food, water, and medical supplies led to agonizing and slow deaths.
Wikimedia CommonsThe army camp made at Solferino one day before the battle. June 23, 1859.
A Swiss businessman, Jean-Henri Dunant, traveled through the area after the fighting had settled and was horrified by what he saw. The experience prompted him to found the International Committee of the Red Cross and establish the Geneva Convention, the first forum that sought to provide basic humanitarian guidelines and international rules for war.
Wikimedia CommonsThe wounded of Solferino, by Henry Dunant, 1859
To this day, the Red Cross provides aid the world-over and the Geneva Conventions institute and uphold international law in times of armed conflict.
After this look at some of history’s most famous battles, read up on the most famous battles of ancient Greece. Then, have a look at World War 2 photos that bring history’s greatest cataclysm to life.
