Victorian Crusaders: British and Irish Volunteers in the Papal Army 1860-70

The struggle for Italian Unification brings to mind images of patriotic heroes such as Garibaldi and Mazzini. However, there is another side to the story: thousands of Catholics from across Europe (and beyond) volunteered to defend the pope from those who threatened his authority and his kingdom. These nineteenth century ‘crusaders’ included around 1,600 from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

This book focuses on the turbulent period between 1860 and 1870, which saw a Piedmontese invasio...