Suvorov's campaign in Italy, as part of the military operations of the forces of the Second Coalition against the French armies of Napoleon Bonaparte, like many of his battles, was brilliant. Endowed with the unlimited powers that he received from the emperor, Suvorov won a number of brilliant victories in Italy. This confused the allies of Russia, in particular Austria. They insisted on the transfer of hostilities to Switzerland.
Background
There were several reasons for Suvorov’s campaigns. The military-political situation prevailing in the last years of the 18th century was extremely difficult. These years were marked by the decentralization of power of the Holy Roman Empire, the revolutionary events in France. The Italian campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796-1797 led to the fact that Northern Italy for Austria was lost.
In 1798, Napoleon convinced the Directory of the need to go to Egypt in order to have a colony on the Red Sea and the shortest route to India. This caused discontent and concern for Britain, which controlled all the way to its colony.
In order to restrain the expansion of France, in 1799 a military coalition was created, which included Austria, Great Britain, the Kingdom of Naples, several German principalities, Sweden and Russia, whose interests were to return Austria all the lost lands in Italy, restore the French monarchy and suppress the revolutionary movement in Europe. This preceded the military campaigns of Suvorov.
Alignment of forces
Austria at the beginning of the military campaign of 1799 against France had a 210 thousandth army.
- In the south of Germany there was an 80,000th army commanded by Archduke Karl.
- In Tyrol, the 48,000th army of Count Belgard.
- In Italy, the 86,000th army of General Melas.
Russia introduced 65 thousand soldiers for warfare and housed another 85 thousand soldiers on the border.
The French Directory had a slightly smaller number of soldiers who were located:
- In the borderlands of Mainz and Alsace, the 45,000th army of Jourdan and Berandot.
- In Switzerland, the 48,000th army, which included citizens of the Helvetic Republic, was under the command of General Massen.
- Scherer’s 58,000th army was located in northern Italy.
- In central and southern Italy stood the 34,000th Neapolitan army of MacDonald.
The Austrian government insisted that field troops in Italy be commanded by Field Marshal A. Suvorov, who arrived in Vienna on March 25. In addition, the Russian squadron of F.F. Ushakov entered the Mediterranean Sea.
The beginning of the Italian campaign
In April, Suvorov arrived in Valeggio, where Russian troops began to approach. He was waiting for Rosenberg's corps, teaching Austrian soldiers his Science to Win. After the Povalo-Shvejkovsky corps arrived here, the army set off on a campaign. Suvorov demanded the passage of at least 28 versts per day, which made his troops mobile and light during any maneuvers.
With 66 thousand men under his command, Suvorov and his troops advanced towards the fortresses of Mantua and Peschiera, crossing the Chiese River. Leaving 14.5 thousand soldiers for their siege, Suvorov's army moved on. At the battle of Casano, 5,000 French were captured.
Italian campaign and its results
The Italian campaign of Suvorov, which began in early April, was completed on August 11, 1799. Almost all of Italy was liberated from the French. Surprise and maneuverability did their job. They gave the field marshal the opportunity, foreseeing the plans of the French generals, skillfully preventing them, taking the initiative in their hands.
Over the four months of the campaign, battles took place in which the Allies managed to win. The capture of the fortresses of Brescia, Lecca. The battle of the Adda River, the liberation of Milan, the capture of the fortresses of Mantua and Alessandria. The successes were staggering, the population favored the Russian troops. All this caused fear and envy among the allies, who tried in every possible way to interfere with Suvorov's plans.
Alliance differences
The Vienna Supreme Military Council set the tone for the campaign, pursuing primarily its own interests. They did not correspond to the strategy and tactics of the great commander. The constant intervention of the Vienna Military Council led to irreconcilable differences.
It came to the point that all orders were sent to Suvorov through the Russian emperor. The Italian and Swiss campaigns of Suvorov in 1799 were only needed to return the previously lost lands to the Austrians. Intrigues began against the illustrious commander, which resulted in a delay in the supply of food and fodder.
In August, the commander receives a new order, according to which all Russian troops had to leave Italy and concentrate in Switzerland to attack France. So ended the Italian campaign of Suvorov.
Reasons for the transfer of Russian troops to Switzerland
In this country there was a hundred thousandth army of the French. She was commanded by General Massena. He was opposed by Russian-Austrian units, commanded by Lieutenant General A. M. Rimsky-Korsakov and Field Marshal F. von Gotze. Each member of the coalition pursued its own goals, trying to take the maximum possible from Russia and squeeze it out under a favorable pretext. In principle, Russia had one goal in this campaign - the restoration of the French monarchy.
All of Italy was practically freed from the French, only Genoa remained, in which the remains of the Moreau army were concentrated. The logical step was to complete the operation and free Italy completely. But the Austrian government sends Russian troops to Switzerland. The campaign of Suvorov through the Alps was coming.
Going to Switzerland
Field Marshal was instructed to make a dangerous passage through the Alps to connect with the army of Rimsky-Korsakov and the troops of von Gozzi. The start of the campaign was postponed for ten days. The Russians ceased to interest the Austrians. There was no food, fodder, you can not talk about clothes and shoes at all.
Suvorov chose the shortest and most difficult path, intending to go through Reims to join with the Russian troops. The Russians went through the pass and overcame the "Devil's Bridge", which the French did not mine, suggesting that it was impossible to go through the army. Alexander Vasilievich was planning to strike the rear of the French, but the Austrians were no limit to treachery, they recalled their units and sent to Holland, where the British landed. Rimsky-Korsakov’s army, inferior in number, was defeated and retreated.
Suvorov was surrounded by the French, from which the exhausted passage through the Alps, the units of the Russian army managed to get out only thanks to the great talent of the commander. This was another betrayal of the Austrians, who, with the help of the Russians, defeated the French in Italy, then sent them without food and clothing for certain death to an enemy outnumbering.
The results of the campaigns of Suvorov
This is a real mystery for military historians, how the army of the commander was able to cover 300 kilometers of mountainous terrain in 16 days, cross 7 mountain passes with battles, without having suffered a single defeat, save the army and get out of encirclement, capturing 1,500 French soldiers.
There are no analogues in world military history. Suvorov for these campaigns received the title of Generalissimo. The goal - to defeat the French troops - could not be achieved. But not because of the Russians, but because of the betrayal of the Austrian elite. Most historians agree on this point of view.