French troops protecting the Papal State order all demonstrations against the Vatican halted

With war looming, Italian nationalists began to demonstrate all over Italy. In Florence, this would lead to the overthrow of the Tuscan government. In Rome, though, Napoleon III could not afford to offend the Pope Pius IX and ordered General De Goyen, commanding the French troops already in Italy protecting the Papal States, to put down all street demonstrations. (By John Osborne)