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60-634: In the spring of 1796, Bonaparte planned to launch an offensive against the combined armies of Sardinia and the Habsburg Monarchy. However, the Habsburg army moved first, attacking the French right flank at Voltri , near Genoa . In response, Bonaparte counterattacked the center of the enemy array, striking the boundary between the armies of his adversaries. Beating the Austrians at Montenotte ,

120-523: A day too late. At dawn on 15 April, Vukassovich surprised Meynier's troops in the act of looting the town and routed the French. Masséna hastily recalled Laharpe to retake Dego. Several hours later, the heavily reinforced French retook the town after a tough fight, with Bonaparte supervising the assault. Vukassovich retreated to Acqui. After a clash between Augereau and Colli at Montezemolo, the Sardinians pulled back to Ceva. On 16 April, Augereau attacked

180-515: A divide near the hamlet of Montezemolo , the highway descends into the Tanaro River valley at the small fortress of Ceva. From Millesimo to Ceva is about 21 kilometres (13 mi). From Ceva to Mondovì is a distance of 22 kilometres (14 mi). Once past Mondovì, the road exits the mountains and enters the plains around the fortress of Cuneo (Coni) . Cuneo is 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Mondovì. The battle site at Montenotte Superiore

240-406: A force of dragoons in pursuit. After forcing Mondovì's municipal authorities to hand over a large quantity of provisions, Bonaparte launched his pursuit. On the morning of 23 April, the French army commander received a letter from Colli requesting an armistice. Ruthlessly, Bonaparte urged his men forward to conquer as much territory as possible. The arrival of the ragged and hungry French soldiers in

300-626: A safer route via Imperia and Ormea. Bonaparte called up Masséna to make a three division attack on the San Michele position. Laharpe guarded the army's rear against an Austrian attack. Faced with a heavy French concentration, Colli abandoned the Corsaglia River line on the night of 20/21 April. But the vigorous French pursuit soon overran the Sardinian rearguard. Colli barely had time to arrange his troops before Sérurier attacked him in

360-428: A wide area and separated by poor roads. There were four battalions near Sassello , two battalions at Mioglia , and one battalion each at Cairo , Dego , Malvicino , Pareto , and Acqui . The left wing was commanded by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl Philipp Sebottendorf . Of the 19,500 troops of the left wing, only half were available for use in the field while the rest was dispersed in garrisons. Against these forces,

420-537: Is a village and comune (municipality) of c. 250 inhabitants in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont , located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southeast of Turin and about 45 kilometres (28 mi) east of Cuneo . Montezemolo borders the following municipalities: Camerana , Castelnuovo di Ceva , Cengio , Priero , Roccavignale , Sale delle Langhe , and Saliceto . This article on

480-639: Is located on a side road 15 kilometres (9 mi) northeast of Carcare. Dego is 12 kilometres (7 mi) north of Carcare. Acqui , lies about 41 kilometres (25 mi) to the north of Dego. Beaulieu planned for Karl Philipp Sebottendorf 's Left Wing to attack the exposed French right flank. After smashing the French right, Sebottendorf would join Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau 's 9,000-man Right Wing in crushing Bonaparte's main body near Savona. Beaulieu ordered Argenteau, based at Acqui, to attack Savona by way of Montenotte and Sassello. Though

540-600: The Battle of Millesimo . To cover the retreat, Provera and 1,000 picked troops occupied a ruined hilltop castle. Instead of bypassing this obstacle, Bonaparte ordered Cosseria castle to be stormed. For the rest of the day, the Austro-Sardinians repelled several assaults with heavy French casualties. Provera surrendered the following morning when his defenders ran out of food, water, and ammunition. On 14 April, Bonaparte directed Masséna and Laharpe to attack Argenteau in

600-417: The Battle of Mondovì . The French general formed his least experienced troops into three columns and covered them with his veterans in open order. Then, leading his central column, Sérurier launched a charge with Masséna's division in support. Brushing aside spotty resistance, the French broke the Sardinian lines and forced them to abandon Mondovì. Dichat was killed. Stengel received a mortal wound while leading

660-720: The First Coalition . To achieve this aim, the French Army of Italy first had to defeat Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi 's 21,000-man Sardinian army (including 4,000 Austrians) and Johann Peter Beaulieu 's 28,000-strong Habsburg army. Several passes and river valleys crossed the Ligurian Alps mountain chain between the Italian Riviera and Piedmont . From west to east, they were the Col de Tende which

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720-510: The French Army of Italy counted 63,000 men. Of these, only 37,000 soldiers and 60 artillery pieces were available for the field army. Another 7,000 troops in two small divisions guarded the Col de Tende on the direct road from Nice to Cuneo . In March 1796, the representative-on-mission with the Army of Italy , Antoine Christophe Saliceti tried without success to secure a loan from

780-401: The Italian Riviera . On 24 March, General of Brigade Jean Joseph Magdeleine Pijon left Savona and marched toward Genoa with two demi-brigades. Three days later, Austrian General-major Philipp Pittoni von Dannenfeld reported to Beaulieu that the French had occupied Voltri. About this time, General of Division Napoleon Bonaparte replaced Schérer and ordered the movement suspended on

840-517: The Kingdom of Naples and Sicily . The Austrian soldiers had suffered severely that winter. The new army commander notified his government that a shocking total of 927 soldiers had died of sickness in February. Altogether, the allied armies counted 17,000 Sardinians and 32,000 Austrians. Of this total, Colli's army included 4,000 Austrians under Feldmarschall-Leutnant Giovanni Marchese di Provera in

900-691: The Po valley were rich in resources. The theater of operations stretched from the Col de Tende on the west to Voltri on the east. The town of Savona lies on the coast, 56 kilometres (35 mi) west of Genoa . Going northwest from Savona, a road crosses the Colle di Cadibona and reaches Carcare on the Bormida River , 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Savona. Continuing west from Carcare, the road passes through Millesimo after another 8 kilometres (5 mi). Crossing

960-474: The Second Battle of Dego . After inflicting 1,500 French casualties, most of the outnumbered Austrians were killed, wounded or captured. Argenteau led the remnant of his force back to Acqui. Bonaparte left Masséna and one of Meynier's brigades to hold Dego and ordered Laharpe back to Carcare. Beaulieu ordered Vukassovich's brigade to Dego on the 14th but a poorly written order caused his subordinate to be

1020-740: The Wenzel Colloredo Infantry Regiment Nr. 56, the 2nd Battalion of the Carlstädter Grenz Infantry Regiment, and single battalions of the Alvinczi Infantry Regiment Nr. 19 and Lattermann Infantry Regiment Nr. 45. Accompanied by Beaulieu, Sebottendorf's column was directed to cross the Turchino Pass north of Voltri. Cervoni's defenders included approximately 2,000 soldiers in two battalions of

1080-566: The 28th. At first he wanted to withdraw the exposed unit, but later decided to hold the position at Voltri. Beaulieu was alarmed at the French move. To put a stop to this threat, he ordered Pittoni on 31 March to invade the Republic of Genoa and cross the Bocchetta Pass . Brushing aside Genoese protests, Pittoni occupied Novi Ligure and sent his men on the road up the pass. One battalion was left to guard Novi. Beaulieu, who accompanied

1140-426: The 51st Line Infantry Regiment, 3,181 men of the 75th Line Infantry Demi-Brigade, and three companies of grenadiers of the 51st led by Chef de brigade Jean Lannes . The French army had undergone an amalgame in early March and received new regiment numbers. For example, the 51st was formerly the 99th and the 75th was the 70th. Another source put French numbers at 3,500 and Austrian strength at 10,000. On 9 April,

1200-521: The 75th Line was engaged in skirmishing all day. Cervoni disposed his troops from Pegli to Bric Ghigermasso, a height that dominated the road from Turchino Pass. French outposts extended into the mountains. Pittoni detached 250 volunteers to cover his right flank by moving through the Shrine of Nostra Signora della Guardia . While the flank guard moved out at 8:00 AM, Pittoni's main body did not march from Campomorone until 11:00 AM. The force moved down to

1260-491: The Austrians had chosen to concentrate closer to the Piedmontese positions, as Colli had wanted, it would have been less easy for Bonaparte to effect their separation. The defeat of the Piedmontese became almost inevitable from the moment Bonaparte managed to drive a wedge between the allies and obliged the Piedmontese to draw ever further from their only source of help by threatening to outflank them. It would be easy to heap

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1320-493: The Auxiliary Corps. The paper strength of Beaulieu's army was 32,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 148 artillery pieces, but these were not the actual numbers. Beaulieu's army was deployed in two wings. His right wing was led by Field-Marshal-Lieutenant Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau and included 9,000 infantry and 340 cavalry in 11 battalions and two squadrons. As late as 10 April, these troops were thinly deployed across

1380-617: The Bocchetta Pass on 8 April, but reported to Beaulieu that it would take six hours of marching over bad roads to contact Colonel Josef Philipp Vukassovich 's command near Masone . For his part, Vukassovich sent a communication to his army commander that he was isolated from Argenteau on his right and Pittoni on his left. One of Argenteau's brigadiers, General-major Mathias Rukavina von Boynograd reported from his position at Sassello that it would take eight hours of hard marching to reach Dego to his west. Being isolated from one another,

1440-473: The Corsaglia position. On 19 April, Bonaparte ordered Sérurier to attack San Michele while Augereau flanked the river line from the north. Augereau's effort failed due to high water. Sérurier's soldiers fought their way across the river, but then dispersed in search of food and plunder. Colli counterattacked and threw the French back. That day, Bonaparte switched his supply line from the exposed Cadibona Pass to

1500-701: The First Coalition in 1792, the Army of Italy was raised by the First French Republic with 106,000 men. Due to a combination of desertion, sickness, and military action this had dwindled to a nominal force of 63,000 men by the time Napoleon Bonaparte took command in March 1796, and of that number only 37,600 men and 60 field guns were available for immediate action. The government of the First French Republic wished to drive Sardinia-Piedmont out of

1560-590: The French were free to direct their attentions on their major enemy, Austria. Soon Bonaparte launched a new offensive, which resulted in victories over Beaulieu at the battles of Fombio and Lodi in May. Historian Martin Boycott-Brown listed the reasons for Bonaparte's victory: ...not just the disastrous separation between Beaulieu and Argenteau, but also to that between the Austrian and Piedmontese armies. If

1620-569: The Habsburg field army numbered 32,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 148 cannon, four battalions guarded Lombardy , others were marching to the front from their winter quarters in the Po River valley, and thousands were sick. Available strength may have been as low as 25,000 soldiers. The Austrian government feared that Piedmont wanted to drop out of the alliance and even change sides. Therefore, Beaulieu received secret instructions not to fully trust his ally. Consequently, he neglected to fully inform

1680-463: The Ormea route as too difficult and the Col de Tende route as too distant for his planned offensive. After a meticulous study of maps he determined to lunge across the Colle di Cadibona from Savona to seize Carcare. This town was the vital point linking the Habsburg army to the east with the Sardinian army to the west. Bonaparte planned to commit André Masséna 's corps (Laharpe and Meynier) and Augereau to

1740-645: The Pegli area until around 6:00 PM when they withdrew to avoid being cut off. Four companies were briefly surrounded but they were able to break out. By 7:00 PM the bulk of the 75th Line was able to shake off Austrian pursuit and fall back along the coast. In the sector facing the Turchino Pass, the French defenders fell back to a fortification at Mele around 5:00 PM. Cervoni evacuated Mele when Vukassovich threatened to turn his left flank. Pittoni occupied Voltri that evening with three battalions and his cavalry. He

1800-456: The Sardinian government signed an armistice and withdrew from the War of the First Coalition . In two and a half weeks, Bonaparte had overcome one of France's enemies, leaving the crippled Habsburg army as his remaining opponent in northern Italy. See Montenotte 1796 campaign order of battle for a list of French, Habsburg, and Sardinian units and organizations. The morale of the army was not of

1860-656: The Sardinians and was repulsed in the Battle of Ceva . Fearing that Sérurier, who was approaching from Ormea, might attack him in the rear, Colli withdrew to the Corsaglia River at San Michele Mondovi . He left a battalion behind to hold Ceva's small fortress. Bonaparte ordered Laharpe to scout Sassello to determine Beaulieu's whereabouts. Meynier reported sick, so Masséna took direct command of his division, which remained near Dego. Laharpe returned to Dego, reporting no enemy activity. Meanwhile, Beaulieu reassembled his battered army near Acqui and Colli directed Jean-Gaspard Dichat de Toisinge with 8,000 soldiers and 15 cannon to defend

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1920-519: The Sardinians of his plans. Colli deployed his army between Dego and Cuneo, with his main weight to the west guarding the Col de Tende. He posted two battalions at Dego and part of Giovanni Marchese di Provera 's Austrian brigade at Millesimo. Meanwhile, François Christophe de Kellermann 's French Army of the Alps and the Prince of Corrigan's Sardinian army, each about 20,000 strong, glared at each other in

1980-403: The [...] practically bankrupt French Government. Every type of equipment was in short supply. Whole battalions were without shoes—many men even without muskets and bayonets; the entire transport facilities of the army amounted to 200 mules. [...] Part of the army was in a mutinous frame of mind, and it was common knowledge that royalist agents were at work in the ranks. At the outset of the War of

2040-474: The action, the Austrian commander found himself in a position in which it was difficult to march to the support of his right wing. Seizing this opening, Bonaparte counterattacked the Austrian right flank in the Battle of Montenotte on 12 April. See the Montenotte 1796 Campaign Order of Battle for units and organizations of the French, Austrian, and Sardinian armies. In mid-March, Johann Peter Beaulieu

2100-430: The allied Sardinian army. Unfortunately for Beaulieu, his government warned him of the possibility that Sardinia might make peace with France or even switch sides. This ruined any chance of a cooperative relationship between the two allies. The situation was further aggravated by the fact that the lines of communications of the two armies ran in divergent paths. Beaulieu also had at his disposal 1,500 allied cavalry from

2160-428: The armistice and the signing of a formal treaty was left to the French government. Bonaparte dispatched Joachim Murat to Paris with the details. Succeeding where earlier armies had failed, Bonaparte and his soldiers knocked Sardinia out of the war in a single brief campaign. The French suffered 6,000 casualties during the campaign. Total Austrian and Sardinian losses stood around 25,000. With Sardinia-Piedmont pacified,

2220-601: The blame for this on Beaulieu, but as we have said before, he was given a difficult hand to play, and if he came off second best in a contest with one of the greatest strategists in the history of war, it is not surprising. Battle of Voltri The Battle of Voltri was an engagement occurring on 10 April 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars and taking place in Voltri, a suburb of Genoa , Italy. The battle saw two Habsburg Austrian columns under

2280-419: The budding military genius strove to drive the Piedmontese west and the Austrians northeast. Victories at Millesimo over the Sardinians and at Second Battle of Dego over the Austrians began to drive a deep wedge between them. Leaving a division to observe the stunned Austrians, Bonaparte's army chased the Piedmontese west after a second clash at Ceva . A week after the French drubbed the Sardinians at Mondovì

2340-552: The coast near Genoa put a mountain range between the left wing and Argenteau's vulnerable right wing. Beaulieu would have been better advised to apply an indirect strategy than the direct move that he made. On 12 April, Bonaparte scored a victory over Argenteau in the Battle of Montenotte . This action drove a wedge between the Austrian and Sardinian armies. 44°25′40″N 8°45′10″E  /  44.42778°N 8.75278°E  / 44.42778; 8.75278 Montezemolo, Piedmont Montezemolo ( Piedmontese : Monzemo )

2400-518: The coast, turned west to cross the Polcevera stream, and entered the village of Sestri di Polente. On the other flank, Sebottendorf's column cleared a French outpost from Masone village about 2:00 PM and began crossing the Turchino Pass. Leading the column, Vukassovich directed three companies of Grenzers to bear left and attack the hamlet of Acquasanta, while three more advanced on their right. The Alvinczi battalion supported these efforts. Lannes led

2460-738: The components of Beaulieu's army were not in a good position to launch an offensive. On the morning of 10 April, Pittoni's column consisted of four squadrons of the Mészáros Uhlans , two battalions of the Reisky Infantry Regiment Nr. 13, and one battalion each of the Terzi Infantry Regiment Nr. 16, Nádasdy Infantry Regiment Nr. 39, and Szluiner Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr. 63. Pittoni's force numbered 3,350 infantry and 624 cavalry. Sebottendorf's 3,200-man division included two battalions of

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2520-517: The day. Bonaparte ordered Laharpe to attack Argenteau the next day with two brigades while Masséna enveloped the Austrian flank with the third brigade. He also directed Augereau and Meynier to concentrate at Carcare. On 12 April, Bonaparte's French army defeated Argenteau's soldiers at the Battle of Montenotte . While Laharpe mounted a frontal attack with 7,000 troops from Monte Negino, Masséna moved north with 4,000 men to turn Argenteau's weak right flank. Meanwhile, 11,000 more troops were moved up behind

2580-491: The defense in this sector and he carried out a fighting withdrawal with few casualties. Led by four companies of Grenzers under Beaulieu's son-in-law Captain Gustave Maelcamp and the 250 volunteers, Pittoni's column began pressing the 75th Line near Pegli at 3:00 PM. They captured two hills near Pegli in a bayonet attack. Under Chef de brigade Jacques-Antoine de Chambarlhac de Laubespin , the 75th Line held out in

2640-412: The highest order; the units were strung out in numerous small detachments[...], their communications exposed [...] For their meager rations they were dependent on the whim of fraudulent army contractors, who were amassing private fortunes at the expense of the soldiers [...] officers and men alike [...] quitted their units every day in search of food [...] their pay, already months in arrears [...] relied on

2700-454: The hills to Sassello by a difficult road. The bulk of his troops were ordered back to Acqui. A day late, Argenteau and Mathias Rukavina von Boynograd assembled 4,000 soldiers near Montenotte on the morning of the 11th. This force advanced southeast toward 2,000 French soldiers at Monte Negino (Monte Legino). Meanwhile, a second Austrian brigade occupied Sassello. Antoine-Guillaume Rampon repulsed several Austrian attacks at Monte Negino during

2760-401: The main attack, while Sérurier threatened Ceva. He ordered Macquard and Garnier to make a feint in the Col di Tende area. The French offensive was set to begin on 15 April. In the event, Beaulieu moved first. On 10 April, the Habsburg army commander accompanied Sebottendorf and 3,200 men as they advanced across the Turchino Pass to attack Cervoni's 5,000 Frenchmen in the Battle of Voltri . At

2820-493: The mountains west of Cuneo and Turin . The French government found it useful to keep Jean-Baptiste Cervoni 's brigade at Voltri in order to secure supplies from the nearby Republic of Genoa , which was neutral. Amedee Emmanuel Francois Laharpe stationed one brigade each on the Sassello and Carcare roads. Bonaparte posted Jean-Baptiste Meynier 's division at Savona and Pierre Augereau 's division farther west, with troops in

2880-490: The mountains. Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier 's division held Ormea , while Francois Macquard and Pierre Dominique Garnier 's small divisions covered the Col de Tende. About half of Henri Christian Michel de Stengel 's cavalry was with the army, while the rest were en route from France. On 5 April Bonaparte received intelligence that Austrian troops were advancing on Voltri, Sassello and Dego. He placed his army on alert, but did not make any other changes. Bonaparte rejected

2940-418: The move, noted that the weather was bitterly cold and that Pittoni was sick, though the general persevered in his duty. The Austrian commander-in-chief sent four artillery pieces with Pittoni's force, one 12-pound cannon, one 6-pound cannon, and two 7-pound howitzers. Pijon also became ill and was replaced in command of the Voltri force by General of Brigade Jean-Baptiste Cervoni . Pittoni was in possession of

3000-454: The neutral Republic of Genoa . Saliceti decided to threaten the Genoese authorities into agreeing to the loan. The French army commander General of Division Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer acceded to Saliceti's request and ordered 6,000 men to prepare for the movement. Strategically the idea was risky because it extended the French position an additional 28 miles (45 km) eastward along

3060-484: The overall direction of Johann Peter Beaulieu attack a reinforced French brigade under Jean-Baptiste Cervoni . After a skirmish lasting several hours, the Austrians forced Cervoni to withdraw west along the coast to Savona . Voltri is now part of the western suburbs of the major Italian port of Genoa . Voltri was the opening action of the Montenotte Campaign , part of the War of the First Coalition . It

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3120-433: The rank and file were 16 killed, 45 wounded, and 148 captured. These figures give a total of 217. Admitted losses in the 51st Line were two killed, six wounded, and two missing. Historian David G. Chandler wrote that Cervoni executed a "masterly retreat" to avoid being trapped. As Martin Boycott-Brown pointed out, Beaulieu committed a serious blunder by moving his left wing over the Bocchetta Pass. The Austrian advance to

3180-459: The relatively wealthy plains prompted an outbreak of looting and Bonaparte had several men shot to discourage the practice. By 25 April, Sérurier was in Fossano on the left flank, Masséna held Cherasco in the center and Augereau occupied Alba on the right, while Laharpe brought up the rear. Macquard and Garnier were instructed to seize Cuneo. Bonaparte shifted his supply line again, this time to

3240-491: The same time, Philipp Pittoni von Dannenfeld 's 4,000-strong column traversed the Bocchetta Pass . "The attack was badly organized, poorly coordinated, and used a surprisingly small number of troops." Outnumbered, Cervoni "conducted a masterly withdrawal to the west" avoiding a trap. Beaulieu declined to pursue Cervoni and began transferring his units to support his right flank. He left two battalions to hold Voltri and sent four more with Josef Philipp Vukassovich to march through

3300-600: The secure Col de Tende. By the Armistice of Cherasco, signed on 28 April, territory east of the Stura di Demonte and Tanaro Rivers passed under French control. The fortresses of Cuneo, Ceva, and Tortona acquired French garrisons. In addition, the Sardinians granted the French army permission to cross its territory if it wished. A secret clause allowed Bonaparte to cross the Po River at the city of Valenza . Ratification of

3360-408: The striking forces. Masséna's flanking movement broke through and Argenteau's efforts to plug the gap failed. The Austrian pulled back and the French mauled his outnumbered force. Argenteau withdrew his battered force to Dego, complaining that he could rally only 700 men to the colors. Bonaparte turned west against Colli's army on 13 April. Augereau's division easily pushed back Provera's weak force in

3420-707: Was appointed commander of the Austrian Army of Italy and promoted to Feldzeugmeister . Despite his 70 years, the veteran of the War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War was regarded with favor by the Austrian Foreign Minister Johann Amadeus Francis de Paula, Baron of Thugut , who liked his energy. In addition, Beaulieu shared a personal friendship with Feldmarschall-Leutnant Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi an Austrian subject who led

3480-459: Was guarded on the north by the fortress city of Cuneo , the Tanaro River which passed through Ceva , the Colle di Cadibona between Savona and Carcare , the Col di Giovo near Sassello , the Turchino Pass north of Voltri and the Bocchetta Pass north of Genoa . The coastal strip to the south was not sufficient to support an army unless it was well supplied. However, to the north, Piedmont and

3540-458: Was joined by Beaulieu around midnight. The Austrians captured two French officers and some soldiers in the town, as well as 200 sacks of flour. Total Austrian losses were probably no more than 50 casualties. Of these, the Carlstädter battalion lost only nine wounded. One authority estimated 250 French casualties. The 75th Line reported one officer killed and seven wounded or missing. Losses in

3600-636: Was the opening engagement of the Italian Campaign of 1796-1797 which would ultimately end the war a year later. In the spring of 1796, Beaulieu was installed as the new commander of the combined armies of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont in northwest Italy. His opposite number was also new to the job of army commander. Napoleon Bonaparte arrived from Paris to direct the French Army of Italy . Bonaparte immediately began planning an offensive, but Beaulieu struck first by launching an attack against Cervoni's somewhat overextended force. After

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