Here's why:
* Prime Minister of Piedmont-Sardinia: Cavour served as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1852 to 1861. During this time, he was the driving force behind the unification of Italy.
* Diplomatic Genius: Cavour was a master strategist and diplomat. He skillfully maneuvered Piedmont-Sardinia into alliances with France and Austria, ultimately leading to the Second Italian War of Independence (1859) and the subsequent unification of northern and central Italy.
* Realpolitik: Cavour was a practitioner of Realpolitik, focusing on pragmatic goals and power politics rather than idealistic principles. This allowed him to be flexible in his alliances and achieve his objectives.
* Nationalist Sentiment: While Cavour's primary goal was to expand the power of Piedmont-Sardinia, he also understood and utilized the growing Italian nationalist sentiment to gain popular support for unification.
While other figures played important roles in the Risorgimento (the Italian unification movement), it was Cavour's strategic planning, political maneuvering, and diplomatic prowess that ultimately led to the creation of a unified Italy under Victor Emmanuel II.