Nino Bixio Italian military and politician Date of Birth: 02.10.1821 Country: Indonesia

1. Italian Military and Politician
2. Involvement in Revolutionary Activities
3. Role in the Expedition of the Thousand
4. Later Years and Death
5. Legacy

Italian Military and Politician

Nino Bixio was an Italian military and politician, and a key ally of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who fought in the Risorgimento. He was born in Genoa, and as a young boy, his parents sent him to serve in the navy of the Kingdom of Sardinia. After traveling to various parts of the world, he returned to Italy in 1846 and joined the underground organization Young Italy on November 4, 1847. He gained fame in Genoa when he stopped the horse of the Sardinian king, Charles Albert, and shouted, "Cross the Ticino, Sir, and we will all be with you."

Involvement in Revolutionary Activities

With the start of the liberation war against Austria in 1848, Nino Bixio joined the Piedmontese volunteer corps and participated in revolutionary uprisings in Genoa, Treviso, Vicenza, and Venice. In 1849, he became a captain under the command of Giuseppe Garibaldi and took part in the defense of the Roman Republic against French interventionists. He distinguished himself by capturing an entire French battalion, for which he received the gold medal for bravery. In 1859, Nino Bixio commanded the Battalion of Alpine Hunters and fought in the Battle of Varese, where he was again honored with military awards.

Role in the Expedition of the Thousand

In 1860, Nino Bixio served as Giuseppe Garibaldi's closest aide in the preparation and execution of the revolutionary campaign in southern Italy, known as the Expedition of the Thousand, against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. He participated in the Battle of Calatafimi, the Battle of Milazzo, the capture of Palermo, and the Battle of Volturno. On August 4, 1860, he brutally suppressed a peasant uprising near the town of Bronte (Catania) with two battalions of Redshirts. This campaign culminated in the conquest of southern Italy and the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in March 1861.

Later Years and Death

In 1861, Nino Bixio was elected as a deputy and sought to reconcile Count Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi. In 1862, he joined the royal army. On June 24, 1866, as the commander of the 7th Division, he led the retreat of troops after the Battle of Custozza, ignoring Austrian demands to surrender. In 1870, he was appointed as a senator, and in September of the same year, he captured the city of Civitavecchia and led a volunteer detachment during the capture of Rome on September 20, completing the unification of Italy. On December 16, 1873, Nino Bixio died of cholera in the Achèh Bay near Sumatra while en route to Batavia (now Jakarta), where he was appointed as the commander of a commercial expedition.

Legacy

In the Carignano quarter of Genoa, there is a monument dedicated to Nino Bixio. He broke his leg during the Battle of Volturno.