Napoleon's Italian Campaign 1796-1797 interesting in that it was he who allowed Bonaparte to prove himself for the first time. This was the first, but not the last military company of the future French emperor. He was admired, hated. Even today, his personality leaves few indifferent. The commander left many secrets behind him. The significant date of the Italian campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte is considered to be April 12, 1796. On this day, the battle of Montenota took place. As the great conqueror himself later admitted: "My nobility begins from Montenota." However, first things first.
Napoleon Bonaparte's family
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island of Corsica on August 15, 1769. His father Carlo Maria Buonaparte came from a seedy aristocratic family. Nevertheless, Carlo was educated as a lawyer at the University of Pisa. When his family considered that the young man was ripe for the creation of a family, they made a fuss and arranged his marriage to Liticia Romolino, who had a good dowry.
Letizia was a brave, determined woman. She even happened to take part in hostilities, fighting for the independence of Corsica and to see the horrors of war, caring for the wounded. She and her husband were real Corsicans. Above all, they valued honor, independence.
The biography of the parents of Napoleon Bonaparte is not distinguished by particularly striking events during their stay in Corsica. The father of the family did not refuse anything to himself: huge card debts, dubious operations, transactions, banquets and many other things of this kind, destroying the family budget. True, he made sure that his sons Napoleon and Joseph received a scholarship from the French government during training.
The Buonaparte family was large: 12 children, of whom 8 survived to maturity. His father died, leaving the large family penniless. Only the courage of the mother, her pressure, energy did not allow them all to die.
In the home circle of Napoleon, they called Nabulio. He was a very impulsive child who easily fell into anger. For him there were no authorities. He endured any punishment steadily. Once he even bit his teacher, who decided to call the boy to order.
A photo of the family of Napoleon Bonaparte does not exist, but many paintings have come up, where he, surrounded by relatives and friends, is captured by a loving, caring man. He cannot be called an open person. From childhood he was accustomed to proud loneliness. It did not bother him, but there were books. The young man loved to read, carried away by the exact sciences, but he felt a strong aversion to the humanitarian sciences. He wrote all his life with grammatical errors, which did not prevent him from doing great things.
On the eve of Napoleon's first Italian campaign
French society was becoming more and more radical. Any attacks by European states that condemned the revolution enraged the National Convention. It was for France now that the question of a future military confrontation did not exist. Her opponents did not want to go so far, but the spark that they caused with their assessments, judgments was able to ignite the fire of war.
Everyone in France longed for this war. Political parties only did the will of the people. Thousands and thousands of volunteers joined the army with the desire to get even as quickly as possible with the offenders of their fatherland and liberate all the other peoples of Europe. The diplomat Kolenkur, who left invaluable memoirs about Napoleon’s campaign in Russia, saw in him the liberator and destroyer of the prevailing system of oppression of the common man. The French emperor, in his opinion, carried progress, freedom for the whole of Europe, thereby expressing the will of his people.
The attempt of the Prussian-Austrian invaders to crush the revolution in the bud failed thanks to the competent coordinated actions of the French artillery in the battle of Valmie in 1792. This slap in the face so stunned the invaders that they had no choice but to retreat. But there was another important event that predetermined the further course of historical events. The governments of many states began to take France more seriously and unite, seeing in it the main threat to their power.
A few years later, many military theorists believed that the main front should pass in western and southwestern Germany. Only Napoleon Bonaparte considered the Italian campaign, as the main direction, which will turn the tide of the war.
Appointment as Commander-in-Chief
For the most part, the invasion of northern Italy was of little interest. By then, the ambitious French officer of Corsican descent was noticed. The Viscount de Barras entrusted him to suppress the rebellion of the supporters of the monarchy, which they organized on October 3 - 5, 1795 against the National Convention. The Corsican did not stand on ceremony: volleys darted buckshot rioters. The ambitious upstart proved that for the sake of power he was ready for anything.
Viscount de Barras made a gift for his protege, which can be estimated very ambiguously. If you characterize those resources and opportunities for the Italian campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte briefly, it turns out that it was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, despite the fact that this 106,000th group was assigned a secondary role to distract the Coalition, and the brilliant French general Moro was supposed to take the main blow, Napoleon was given a chance. Inspired, he arrived in Nice on March 27, 1796. There he received an unpleasant surprise.
"Dead Souls"
It would seem that fate favors the ambitious commander. Napoleon’s grand Italian campaign - the project that he has been preparing for the last two years, is about to become a reality. Moreover, Bonaparte was in Italy, he knew this area. Only the commander-in-chief of the French troops in Italy Scherer, who was to be replaced by the protégé of Viscount de Barras, lowered his successor to the ground.
The first unpleasant surprise consisted in the fact that it was just over a hundred people who were registered on papers, but in fact there weren’t forty, and eight thousand of them were the garrison of Nice. You can’t take it off for a hike. Taking into account the sick, the dead, deserted, prisoners of war, no more than 30,000 people can be taken on a campaign.
The second problem: personnel on the verge. Supply does not spoil them. These hungry raggers are that “indestructible fist” of the strike force allocated by the Directory for the offensive in Italy. From such news, anyone could fall into despair, lay down their hands.
Putting in order
If to describe the preparation of the Italian campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte briefly, the new commander in chief did not stand on ceremony. To begin with, to the delight of many soldiers, he shot several stealing commissaries. This strengthened discipline, but did not solve supply issues. The young 27-year-old general decided it according to the principle: “The motherland gave you a rifle. And then be smart, just do not overdo it. " This initiative was very popular with experienced war veterans - the general won their hearts.
But there was another problem, much more significant. His senior officers were not taken seriously. Then he showed will, inflexibility, rigidity. He made him reckon. The order has been restored. Now it was possible to begin the campaign.
Company start
The success of the French could only be achieved if they could defeat the Austrians and the Piedmontese army separately. And for this it was necessary to have good maneuverability. Appear where the enemy probably is not waiting for them. Therefore, the French command relied on the route along the coastal edge of the Alps because of the audacity of the plan. They could well get caught in the fire of the English fleet.
The date of the Italian campaign of Napoleon, its beginning - April 5, 1796. In a few days, a dangerous section of the Alps was covered. The French army safely invaded Italy.
Bonaparte strictly followed the strategy. These are the few points that allowed him to win bright victories:
- the defeat of the enemy took place in parts;
- the concentration of forces for the main attack was carried out quickly and covertly;
- war is a continuation of state policy.
In short: Napoleon’s Italian campaigns demonstrated his skill as a commander who could secretly concentrate troops, mislead the enemy, and then break into his rear with a small group, sowing horror and panic.
Montenot battle
On April 12, 1796, the battle of Montenot takes place, which was the first serious victory of Napoleon as commander in chief. Initially, he decided to remove Sardinia from the game as soon as possible. For this purpose, he needed to capture Turin and Milan. The French team of 2,000 men, under the command of Chervoni, advanced to Genoa.
In order to discard the advancing, the Austrians allocated 4.5 thousand people. They had to deal with the Chervoni brigade, and then, regrouping, strike at the main forces of the French. The fighting began on April 11th. Being in the minority, the French managed to repel three powerful enemy attacks, and then retreat and join the Lagarpe division.
But that was not all. At night, another 2 additional Napoleon divisions were transferred across the Kadibonsky pass. In the morning, the Austrians were already in the minority. They did not have time to react in any way to the changing conditions. The French lost only 500 people, and the enemy division under the command of Argentine was destroyed.
The Battle of Arkola November 15-17, 1796
There was a situation when active offensive actions were necessary to keep the initiative. Delay, on the contrary, could nullify all the successes that were achieved during the Italian campaign of Napoleon. The problem was that Bonaparte was clearly not strong enough. He was in the minority: 13,000 of his fighters against 40,000 enemy troops. And they had to fight on the plain with a well-trained enemy, whose fighting spirit was very high.
Therefore, attacking Coldiero, where the main forces of the Austrians were located, was a futile undertaking. But Napoleon could try to get around him through Arkole, being in the rear of Alvizi’s troops. This area was surrounded by swamps, which made it difficult to deploy battle formations. The Austrians did not believe that the main forces of the French would climb into these impenetrable swamps, expecting that their path would lie through Verona. Nevertheless, 2 divisions were set up in order to counterattack this “small" detachment of the French.
That was a big mistake. As soon as the soldiers of Alvizi crossed the bridge, losing the fire support of their comrades from the other side, they were immediately met by soldiers of the Napoleonic army. With a bayonet attack, they dropped the enemy into the swamps. Despite the huge losses, the Austrians continued to be a formidable force.
The only bridge guarded their 2 battalions. One of the attacks on him was headed by Napoleon Bonaparte personally.
Battle of the bridge over the Alpone River
To develop decisive success, it was necessary to capture the bridge. Alvizi, realizing its importance, sent additional forces to protect an important site. All the attacks of the French fought back. Throughout the history of Napoleon’s Italian campaign, maneuver was of exceptional importance, stamping on the spot meant losing initiative. Understanding this made Bonaparte grab the banner and personally lead the assault.
This desperate attempt ended in the death of many glorious soldiers of France. Wheezing with rage, Napoleon did not want to give up. His fighters had to forcibly pull out their restless commander, taking him away from this dangerous place.
The defeat of the Austrians at Arkola
At this time, Alvici realized the danger of being in Coldiero. He hurriedly left him, crossing the convoy, reserves across the bridge. Meanwhile, the Augereau division, having crossed over to the left bank of the Alpone River, was in a hurry to go to Arcole. There was a threat to the communications of the Austrian troops. Without tempting fate, they retreated behind Vincenza. The victory went to the French, who lost about 4-4.5 thousand people. For the Austrians it was a rout. In stubborn bloody battles, they lost about 18,000 soldiers. This was made possible thanks to the weak interaction of their troops. While Napoleon, not being afraid of risk, was transferring his troops to the main strike point, leaving weak barriers as his guard, his opponents were inactive, which he took advantage of.
Battle of Rivoli January 14 - 15, 1797
On the eve of this significant battle, Napoleon Bonaparte was in a very difficult situation. Despite the fact that the course of the company in 1796 evolved successfully for him, Piedmont capitulated. The Austrians were left alone, but they posed a serious threat. The fortress of Mantova, which was considered impregnable, was in their hands, and Napoleon controlled most of northern Italy. Reinforcements, which the French so urgently needed, could not appear before spring. Robberies of the local population turned him against the French invaders.
And most importantly, the famous Austrian commander Alvinci was about to release Mantua. The main blow of his troops will be held in the Rivoli area. The first who grappled with the Austrians was the French commander Joubert. On January 13, 1797 he almost gave the order for the retreat, the fate of Napoleon's Italian campaign was decided these days. Arriving at the position, the commander-in-chief forbade retreat. Bonaparte, on the contrary, ordered that Joubert's troops go on the offensive against the Austrians in the early morning.
Bloodshed has resumed. The French troops would have been very tight if General Massena hadn’t come to their aid. A radical change occurred in the battle. Napoleon took advantage of this and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Austrians. With 28,000 bayonets under his command, he stood and defeated the 42,000th enemy group.
With this decisive victory, he did not just crush the Austrians. The Pope soon begged for mercy and surrendered. The most dangerous enemies of Napoleon - the French government (Directory) - powerlessly watched the rise of the national hero, but could not do anything.
Egypt
There was also the inglorious Egyptian campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte, which refers to adventurous undertakings. It was undertaken by Napoleon in order to further rise in the eyes of his own nation. The directory supported the campaign and reluctantly sent the Italian army and navy to the country of the pyramids only because of its victory in the First Italian Company from 1796 - 1797. This commander has already filled many teeth.
Egypt did not submit, and France lost its fleet and many killed. Kleber left behind to disrupt the results of his adventure, which was begun mainly because of vanity. The commander in chief, accompanied by the most devoted officers, retired. He understood the severity of the position of the army. Not wanting to participate in this anymore, he simply fled.
The second Italian company
Another touch to the portrait of the "virtuoso of war" is Napoleon’s Second Italian Campaign of 1800. It was undertaken to prevent the intervention of the Austrians, who had significant forces. 230 thousand people who joined the ranks of the French army improved the situation, but Napoleon was waiting. He needed to decide where to send this army.
The position of the French in Italy was much more dangerous, so there was yet another crossing through the Alps. Skilfully maneuvering, he, using knowledge of the area, was able to go to the rear of the Austrians and take a famous position with Stradella. Thus, he cut off his escape routes. They had excellent cavalry and artillery, but it was not possible to use this advantage against the French, seated and holding Stradella.
And then Napoleon made a mistake that still does not fit into the head of historians.
The Battle of Marengo on June 14, 1800
He leaves on June 12 his magnificent position in Stradella, setting off in search of the enemy. There are two main versions of why he did this:
- succumbed to impatience, wanting to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible;
- his rivalry with another great French commander, General Moreau, spurred Bonaparte to prove to everyone that only he was the greatest strategist.
Nevertheless, this happened: advantageous positions were abandoned, and the enemy’s locations were not found due to poor intelligence. The Austrian army, which had superior forces (40,000), decided to fight at Marengo, where there were no more than 15,000 Frenchmen. Having hastily crossed over Bramida, the Austrians attacked. The French stood open. They had some fortifications only on the left flank.
A fierce battle broke out. When Napoleon found out that the enemy had suddenly appeared at Marengo and was now crowding his few troops, he hastened to the place of battle. He had nothing but a shallow reserve. Despite heroic resistance, the French were forced to retreat. Their opponent believed that victory was already in their pocket.
Feat of the general
The situation was saved by General Dese, who took the initiative. Hearing the sounds of shooting, he sent his troops to this rumble, finding that the Austrians were chasing retreats. The position of the French units was critical. Dese ordered to hit the enemy with buckshot and rushed into a bayonet attack. Confident of their victory, the enemies were taken aback. Desperate's fierce pressure and the competent actions of Kalermann's cavalry sowed panic among the pursuers. The hunters themselves became victims and now fled. Austrian General Tsach, who was entrusted with the prosecution of the defeated troops of Napoleon, surrendered.
As for the main character of that battle, General Dese died.
The battle of Marengo, won by the French, did not decide the outcome of the war. A truce was signed, and Napoleon returned to Paris. Only the battle of Hohenlinden on December 3, under the leadership of the great General Moreau, gave the long-awaited victory in the Second Italian Campaign of Napoleon in 1800 and the signing of the Luneville Peace.