Royal war and popular (or people's) war (Guerra regia e guerra di popolo) is a recurring concept in the historiography of the Italian Risorgimento, referring to the two possible forms in which the whole of Italy could be conquered and formed into a single independent state.
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In the First Independence War, which ended unfavourably for the Risorgimento cause, there was a balance between two initiatives, people's war and royal war. The notable moments in the people's war were:
The royal war was the campaign by kingdom of Piedmont, including the battles of Goito, Peschiera del Garda, Custoza and Novara.
The Second Independence War was a typical example of royal war led by Victory Emmanuel II, allied to Napoleon III in conducting a war against Austria. The people's war was only a minor support Hunters of the Alps, a corps of volunteers commanded by Giuseppe Garibaldi and considered as a special unit within the royal army.
The Expedition of the Thousand was entirely a 'people's war', with Garibaldi as its central figure.
In the Third Independence War, with the Italian defeats at Custoza and Lissa, was essentially a royal war, though the corps of volunteers under Garibaldi did win a victory at Bezzecca.
The same contrast between royal war and people's war can be applied to the history of the Second World War[1], where a disastrous war under the royal and Fascist regime was followed by the 'people's war' of the Italian Resistance.