Europe 315
325 Italy/329 Two Sicilies
MID#113
Dispute Number: 113
Date(s): September 18, 1860 to February 13, 1861
Participants: 325 Italy/220 France, 329 Two Sicilies
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: >999 deaths
Narrative: The Neapolitan War was part of the campaigns for Italian unification
stretching from 1859 to 1861 (see also MID#112, the Italian-Roman War). The
conflict started when it was apparent that Sardinia was going to rout the heavily out-
numbered papal troops in the Italian-Roman War, making it likely they were going to
push further south to conquer the Kingdom of Naples/Two Sicilies. When the conflict
against Rome concluded, Garibaldi took the campaign south. The war centered around
Gaeta, the site of a three-month siege lasting from early November 1860 to February
13, 1861, when Gaeta fell to the Sardinian troops, marking a successful campaign for
the Kingdom of Piedmont/Sardinia. Two Sicilies was absorbed into Italy by plebiscite,
which was proclaimed in May of that same year. The modern Italian state had essen-
tially taken form after this war, though it would take approximately 10 more years to
finalize.
325 Italy/339 Albania
MID#394
Dispute Number: 394
Date(s): October 30, 1914 to May 29, 1915
Participants: 325 Italy/339 Albania
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: World War I proved to be a chaotic time in the history of an Albanian state
which was still in its infancy. Albania’s dilemma was that it had strategic value for the
European powers, especially Italy and Austria. Beyond Italy’s irredentism and Aus-
tria’s general push south into the Balkans (that led to World War I), control of Albania
would provide a European power with supreme leverage in the Adriatic Sea feeding
into the rest of the Mediterranean. As Albania descended into domestic turmoil and
conflict, the European powers devised a way to move into Albania.
Italy, still at odds with Austria-Hungary over the period of Italian unification, and
sitting out World War I as a result, responded with an occupation of Vlore. Rather
than punish Italy for its actions, both Central and Allied states were still seeking to
court Italy into World War I on their side. The Allies ultimately achieved this objec-
tive by a secret treaty signed in London on April 26, 1915. Articles 6 and 7 of this
treaty gave Italy the green light to occupy this part of Albania, provided they would
participate in World War I on their side and generally not prevent the other Allies