Camillo Benso Count of Cavour vs Stanley Baldwin

Cavour was appointed Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia by King Victor Emmanuel II. He implemented economic reforms, modernized the army, and pursued a policy of diplomatic maneuvering to unify Italy under Piedmontese leadership.

Cavour sent Piedmontese troops to fight alongside Britain and France in the Crimean War. This participation gained Piedmont-Sardinia a seat at the Congress of Paris, where Cavour raised the Italian question, gaining international sympathy for unification.

Cavour secretly met with French Emperor Napoleon III at Plombi

Cavour provoked Austria into declaring war, leading to the Second Italian War of Independence. Franco-Piedmontese forces won key battles at Magenta and Solferino, resulting in the annexation of Lombardy and the unification of central Italian states under Piedmont.

Cavour oversaw the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II, with the first Italian parliament meeting in Turin. He died shortly after, but his diplomatic and political efforts had largely achieved Italian unification.

As Prime Minister, Baldwin faced the General Strike called by the Trades Union Congress in support of coal miners. Baldwin's government used emergency powers and propaganda to maintain essential services, and the strike collapsed after nine days, weakening the trade union movement.

Baldwin's government passed the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act, which made general strikes illegal and restricted trade union political funds. The Act required union members to opt in to paying the political levy, reducing Labour Party funding.

Baldwin's government enacted the Statute of Westminster, which granted legislative independence to the Dominions of the British Empire (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Irish Free State, Newfoundland). This established the legal basis for the modern Commonwealth.

Baldwin's government initiated a major re-armament programme in response to German re-militarization, including expansion of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. This marked a shift from earlier disarmament policies, though critics argued it was too slow.

As Prime Minister, Baldwin managed the constitutional crisis caused by King Edward VIII's desire to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorced American. Baldwin insisted the King abdicate if he married Simpson, leading to Edward's abdication in December 1936 and the accession of George VI.