Genoa was then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but had only become so comparatively recently, after the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815.
The uprising broke out after King Vittorio Emanuele II had signed an armistice with the Austrian general Joseph Radetzky on 25 March to end the First Italian War of Independence.
After several days of violent clashes, starting on 5 April the city was bombarded without warning for thirty-six hours in clear violation of contemporary customs of war.
During the heavy bombardment, the government troops began to attack civilian homes.
After the city was effectively occupied, Vittorio Emanuele II thanked General La Marmora in a letter.