3 oct. 1866 - Italy Annexes Veneto and Friuli

Description:

Venetia remained under Austrian control until the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, when the Kingdom of Italy joined on the Prussian side and was promised Venetia in exchange for its assistance. Austria offered to sell Venetia to Italy, but the Italians refused, seeing it as a dishonourable act. This caused another southern front for Austria, the Third Italian War of Independence.

Once the wars ended, the Treaty of Vienna ceded the region to neutral France, but left the fortresses under Austrian control for a time. Following protests, the Austrians left and the French ceded it to Italy on 20 October. A referendum – where only 30% of the adult population voted as was custom in the period, and did so under government pressure there was a 99.99% majority for Italy – was held on 21–22 October and ratified the handover. During the fascist era, due to the nationalist policy the Venetian language, as other local languages, was banned in public spaces.