The chief architect behind the unification of Italy was Count Camillo di Cavour. As the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Cavour played a pivotal role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. He employed diplomatic strategies, forming alliances with France and other nations to confront the Austrian Empire, which controlled significant portions of Italy. Under his leadership, territories were annexed through a combination of warfare and plebiscites. Cavour's vision and pragmatic approach were instrumental in establishing a unified Kingdom of Italy in 1861, paving the way for national identity and governance.