Invasion of Trentino (1866)

The Invasion of Trentino was a series of military operation undertaken by the Kingdom of Italy against the Austrian Empire during the Third Italian War of Independence of 1866, which was part of the larger Austro-Prussian War.

At the outbreak of the third Italian war of Independence (June 23, 1866), Giuseppe Garibaldi received the order to take up positions with his volunteer force the "Corpo Volontari Italiani" along the frontline between Lombardy and the south most part of the County of Tyrol which today corresponds to the Italian province of Trentino.

Initially Garibaldi could only muster 4 battalions, but in the end managed to obtain some 38,000 men, which were to face the roughly 15,000 Austrian regulars under general baron Franz von Kuhn. The Austrians were supported by their fleet on Lake Garda.

Garibaldi's men started the fights on June 21, 1866. After some initial minor clashes, they were, due to the Italian defeat at the Battle of Custoza ordered to retreat to the south-western tip of Lake Garda on June 25. As the Austrians choose not pursue, Garibaldi renewed his advance on July 3, but was wounded during an attack on an enemy mountain position. Nonetheless the advance of the Cacciatori was successful and on July 12th Storo and Condino were occupied.

Contemporarily, actions took place near the Tonale Pass, where 3,000 Austrians had established a defensive line between Vezza d'Oglio and Temù. During the battle of Vezza d'Oglio, July 4 the Austrians were dislodged from their positions by an attack of the Italian regular Bersaglieri infantry, which suffered heavy losses. On July 2 an Austrian column crossed the Stelvio Pass and captured Bormio and the Mortirolo Pass, but was later defeated by a force from the Italian National Guard (see Operations in Valtellina).

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