CAIROLI, BENEDETTO (1825-1889), Italian statesman, was born in Pavia on Jan. 28, 1825. From 1848 until the com pletion of Italian unity in 1870, his whole activity was devoted to the Risorgimento, as Garibaldian officer, political refugee, anti Austrian conspirator and deputy to parliament. In 1870 he con ducted the negotiations with Bismarck, during which the German chancellor is alleged to have promised Italy possession of Rome and of her natural frontiers if the Democratic Party could pre vent an alliance between Victor Emmanuel and Napoleon. When in 1876 the Left came into power, Cairoli became parliamentary leader of his party, and, after the fall of Depretis, Nicotera and Crispi, formed his first cabinet in March 1878 with a Franco phil and Irredentist policy. General irritation was caused by his and Count Corti's policy of "clean hands" at the Berlin Congress, where Italy obtained nothing, while Austria-Hungary secured a European mandate to occupy Bosnia and the Hercegovina. The attempt of Passanante to assassinate King Humbert at Naples (Dec. 12, 1878) caused Cairoli's downfall in spite of the fact that he himself was wounded. On July 3, 1879, Cairoli returned to power, and in the following November formed with Depretis a coalition ministry, in which he retained the premiership and the Foreign Office. Confidence in French assurances, and belief that Great Britain would never permit the extension of French influ ence in North Africa, prevented him from foreseeing the French occupation of Tunis (May 11, 1881). In view of popular indig nation he resigned. He died on Aug. 8, 1889.
See S. Cardillo Brigandi, Benedetto Cairoli nella storia d'ltalia (1881).