Francesco Crispi

Crispi helped organize and finance Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand to Sicily. He served as a key political advisor to Garibaldi, advocating for the immediate annexation of the conquered territories to Piedmont, which facilitated unification.

Crispi became Prime Minister of Italy, succeeding Agostino Depretis. He pursued an authoritarian and expansionist foreign policy, strengthening the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary and expanding Italian colonial ambitions in Africa.

Crispi enacted repressive laws, including the Public Security Act, which restricted press freedom, banned socialist organizations, and allowed for the arrest of political opponents. These measures strengthened state control but undermined democratic institutions.

Crispi's aggressive colonial policy in Ethiopia led to the disastrous Battle of Adwa, where Italian forces were decisively defeated by Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II. The defeat caused a political crisis in Italy and forced Crispi to resign.