During this period from 1815 to 1914, Italy was led by the influential prime minister Camillo Di Cavour, who helped unify the country through skillful diplomacy and key alliances like France. Under Cavour and with French aid, Italy gained power by taking northern Italian territories from Austria like Venice. Some important events included Cavour becoming prime minister in 1852, France driving Austrian forces from northern Italy in 1858, and Italy continuing to expand northward in the 1860s to include Venetia and Venice.