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80-673: André Masséna, Prince of Essling , Duke of Rivoli ( French pronunciation: [ɑ̃dʁe massena] ; born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817), was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars . He was one of the original 18 Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon I . He was nicknamed l'Enfant chéri de la Victoire (the Dear Child of Victory). He

160-763: A French army under the command of Jean Moreau crushed the Austrians at the Battle of Hohenlinden in Germany. Later that month on 25-6 December, a French army under the command of Guillaume Brune defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Pozzolo on the Mincio River in northern Italy. Brune then continued to press the Austrian forces and eventually pushed them back to Treviso in Veneto. In Treviso on 16 January 1801,

240-399: A category previously reserved for Bonaparte alone. By forcing the Austrians to deploy vast forces against him at Genoa, Masséna made it possible for Bonaparte to cross Great St Bernard Pass, surprise the Austrians, and ultimately defeat General Michael von Melas 's Austrian army at Marengo before sufficient reinforcements could be transferred from the siege site. Less than three weeks after

320-522: A ceasefire ( Armistice of Treviso ) was signed between the French and the Austrians. Under the terms, Austria agreed to surrender multiple strongholds in northern Italy including Peschiera, Verona, Legnago, Ancona and Ferrara. Ultimately, a peace treaty ( Treaty of Lunéville ) was negotiated in Paris. The final terms of the peace treaty included the surrender of the critical Austrian fortress at Mantua along with

400-901: A counter-invasion of Savoy by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia (a member of the First Coalition ). After the revolt in Lyon had been suppressed, the French under General Kellermann managed to push back the Piedmontese with just 12,000 troops, winning engagements at Argentines and St Maurice in September and October 1793. The conflict soon escalated with Austrian and Neapolitan forces being mobilised for an invasion of southern France to recover Nice and strike into Provence . The Allied forces were bolstered by some 45,000 Austrians, Piedmontese, and Neapolitans, with additional support from

480-590: A further victory at Mondovì . Sardinia was forced to accept the Armistice of Cherasco on 28 April, knocking it out of the war and the First Coalition. It had taken Bonaparte just a month to defeat Sardinia (between his arrival and the armistice), a country which had resisted the French armies for over three years. Total losses during the lightning campaign were 6,000 French troops and over 25,000 Allied. Bonaparte reorganised his newly enthused army following

560-417: A heavy defeat on the Austrians and was then well-placed to strike at the rear of Wurmser's army. Reacting slowly to this new threat, the Austrians were again defeated at the Battle of Bassano , where their army was reduced to just 12,000. The remaining troops marched rapidly towards Mantua, but became trapped there by General Masséna 's advance party. Additional Austrian forces arrived whilst Bonaparte's army

640-406: A local commander at Marseille . Masséna retained briefly his command after the restoration of King Louis XVIII until he was removed for his background. When Napoleon returned from exile the following year, Masséna took Napoleon's side once again, and was awarded as a Peer of France but remained as a local commander. The day after Napoleon's second abdication on 22 June 1815, he was named head of

720-488: A number of French garrisons and continued his relentless advance. Macdonald engaged Suvorov in the Battle of the Trebbia and was crushed. Macdonald retreated with the remnant of his army to Genoa whilst Suvorov reached Novi. The Austrian high command ordered a halt to Allied offensives whilst the French garrisons of Mantua and Alessandria were overrun (see siege of Mantua and siege of Alessandria ). Soon after this Moreau

800-540: A significant role in the battles of Montenotte and Dego in the spring, and took a leading role at the battles of Lonato , Castiglione , Bassano , Caldiero and Arcola in the summer and fall, as well as the Battle of Rivoli and the fall of Mantua that winter. When an Austrian relief army was sent to aid Mantua in January 1797, the French forces were overrun near Rivoli, while other enemy columns advanced on Verona and Mantua. At 5:00 P.M. on 13 January, Masséna

880-593: A small army of 9,000 troops on 19 November, and the Battles of Ferentino , Otricoli , and Civita Castellana , together with an affair at Calvi Risorta and Capua pushed King Ferdinand IV into Castel Sant'Elmo , and led to the declaration of the Parthenopean Republic at Naples , incurring some 8,000 Neapolitan casualties and 1,000 French. In April, Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo marched into Calabria with an army of 17,000 soldiers and reinstated

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960-554: A timely arrival with reinforcements and drove back Melas, thus turning a French rout into a French victory. In this counter-attack Desaix was killed, but Bonaparte later honoured him with monuments commemorating his bravery and his name has the place of honour on the face of the Arc de Triomphe , which was erected to celebrate Napoleon's victories. Immediately after their victory at Marengo, the French pressured Austrian General Melas to sign an armistice ( Convention of Alessandria ) which led to

1040-567: Is considered to be one of the greatest generals of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Masséna distinguished himself during the War of the First Coalition , being a vital commander in many of the significant French victories and was at the helm of the French advance into Austrian territory, compelling them to open peace negotiations. Although many of Napoleon's generals were trained at the finest French and European military academies, Masséna

1120-501: Is the location of Place Masséna , also named after him. The palatial Museé Masséna in Nice houses memorabilia of Masséna's life but was constructed by his grandson and is named for him. Masséna had a French battleship named after him. The ship was built as part of the 1890 French naval construction program. It was the fourth of five ships, and was designed by naval architect Louis de Bussy . It did not see major combat, and its final service

1200-830: Is the namesake of one of the Boulevards of the Marshals that circle Paris, having also a bridge named after him. The village of Massena in New York was settled by French lumbermen in the early 19th century and named in Masséna's honor. Massena, Iowa , also in the United States and in turn named for the community in New York, honors Masséna with a portrait of him in Centennial Park . His birthplace, Nice ,

1280-837: The National Guard in Paris by the Provisional Government , but was soon replaced upon the return of the Bourbons . He was disinclined to prove his royalist loyalties after the defeat of Napoleon, and was also a member of the court-martial that refused to try Marshal Michel Ney . Masséna died in Paris in 1817 and was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery , in a tomb he shares with his son-in-law Honoré Charles Reille . Masséna's wife stayed at their home in Antibes during his campaigns. Their first child, Marie Anne Elisabeth,

1360-707: The Rhine , seized the initiative and led the survivors back to Genoa and began preparing a defence of the city. However at that time the Allied high command in Vienna ordered Suvorov to move out of Italy and concentrate on breaking through the Swiss front. The respite thus given the reeling Army of Italy led to a turning point in the war. Melas, who resumed command of Coalition forces in Italy, now almost exclusively Austrian, paused

1440-636: The Second Coalition . In 1800, Masséna was besieged at Genoa in Italy by the Austrians, while Bonaparte marched with the Army of the Reserve to Milan . By the end of May, plague had spread throughout Genoa and the civilian population was in revolt. Negotiations were begun for the exchange of prisoners early in June, but the citizens and some of the garrison clamored for capitulation. Unknown to Masséna,

1520-526: The Tiberina Republic were recognized as sister republics. In Rome, Berthier declared the establishment of a Roman Republic , overthrowing the previous Elective monarchy . However, shortly after, coalition forces intervened, causing internal struggles within the so-called " Roman Council ", which lasted until the Neapolitan invasion in 1799. Governor Jacques Macdonald defended the city with

1600-569: The 30,000-man garrison at Mantua surrendered. With his final victory complete, Napoleon praised Masséna with the name l'enfant chéri de la victoire . The president of the Directory in Paris, Jean-François Rewbell , was also congratulatory: "The Executive Directory congratulates you, citizen general, for the new success that you have obtained against the enemies of the Republic. The brave division that you command has covered itself with glory in

1680-572: The Alps, which was faced by a further 20,000 Allied troops. Bonaparte had no chance of gaining reinforcements as the Republican war effort was being concentrated on the massive offensives planned on the Rhine. At the Battle of Montenotte Bonaparte defeated the Austrians and fought a second engagement around Dego soon after. Following these battles he launched an all-out invasion of Piedmont and won

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1760-532: The Army of Portugal in 1810. Masséna captured Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida after successful sieges, but suffered a first setback at the hands of the Duke of Wellington 's Anglo-Portuguese army at Buçaco on 27 September. He followed the retreating allies to the Lines of Torres Vedras , a scorched earth trap prepared by Wellington in absolute secrecy. After losing 21.000 men of 61.000 in several months of hunger, Masséna

1840-460: The Austrian general Peter Ott had been ordered to raise the siege because Bonaparte had crossed Great St Bernard Pass and was now threatening the main Austrian army. Describing the situation at Genoa, Ott requested and received permission to continue the siege. On 4 June, with one day's rations remaining, Masséna's negotiator finally agreed to evacuate the French Army from Genoa. However, "if

1920-636: The Austrians at Verona and later, on 30 October 1805, Caldiero . Masséna was given control of operations against the Kingdom of Naples , and commanded the right wing of the Grand Army in Poland in 1807. He was granted his first ducal victory title as Duke of Rivoli on 24 August 1808. In 1804, he participated in the reorganization of French Freemasonry and became, in November, "grand representative of

2000-415: The Austrians launched an attack against the depleted and poorly supplied Army of Italy. Nominally 107,000-strong, the Army of Italy could only manage to field an effective force of about 30,000. Kellermann, who had resumed command, appealed to Carnot for reinforcements. Instead, General Bonaparte was appointed to the general staff where he devised a third plan for an attack towards Vado and Ceva . Kellermann

2080-501: The Brenta river, but his counter-offensive was seriously hampered by Vaubois ’ defeat over five days in the villages of Cembra and Calliano under Alvinczy's lieutenant, Paul Davidovitch and he was forced to retreat to Verona. Alvinczy, following Bonaparte, held off a French attack at Caldiero on 12 November and Bonaparte was forced to withdraw. In the following three-day Battle of Arcole , Bonaparte, fighting outnumbered and faced with

2160-673: The British Royal Navy . Before the Allies could launch this assault the French, under tactical command of André Masséna , launched the Saorgio Offensive (April, 1794), which was planned by the army's artillery commander, General Napoleon Bonaparte . This two-pronged French offensive drove back the Allied force, despite their strong positions, and firmly captured the mountain passes that led into Piedmont. A further offensive, also designed by General Bonaparte to exploit

2240-514: The First Coalition broke out in autumn 1792, when several European powers formed an alliance against Republican France . The first major operation was the annexation of the County of Nice and the Duchy of Savoy (both states of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia ) by 30,000 French troops. This was reversed in mid-1793, when the Republican forces were withdrawn to deal with a revolt in Lyon , triggering

2320-492: The French Republic . Josephine's letters claim Barras had promised the command to Bonaparte, before she'd consented to marry him. Barras is cited by his colleagues as saying of Bonaparte, "Advance this man or he will advance himself without you." Bonaparte had shown himself to be highly ambitious and had made a name for himself following 13 Vendémiaire in 1795. By placing him in command of the Army of Italy, Bonaparte

2400-590: The French Revolutionary Wars French victory First Coalition: [REDACTED]   French Republic Second Coalition: [REDACTED]   French Republic First Coalition: [REDACTED]   Habsburg Monarchy [REDACTED] Kingdom of Sardinia (until 1796) [REDACTED]   Naples (until 1796) Other Italian states : [REDACTED]   Republic of Venice (1796) [REDACTED] Papal States (1796) The Italian campaigns of

2480-682: The French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1801) were a series of conflicts fought principally in Northern Italy between the French Revolutionary Army and a Coalition of Austria , Russia , Piedmont-Sardinia , and a number of other Italian states . The campaign of 1796-1797 brought prominence to Napoleon Bonaparte , a young, largely unknown commander, who led French forces to victory over numerically superior Austrian and Sardinian armies. The War of

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2560-474: The French armies under Masséna's command. With a force totaling approximately 90,000 men, Masséna was ordered to defend the entire frontier. He was defeated by Archduke Charles at the First Battle of Zurich over 4-6 June. After the Austrian night attack over 4/5 June, both sides rested on 5 June, but when the Austrians resumed their attack on 6 June, Masséna had abandoned the city and taken up positions in

2640-491: The French army, the Allies launched an assault on Savona . Ignoring Carnot's orders, the commander of the French Army of Italy , André Masséna , launched a counter-offensive and secured supply routes to Genoa following victory at the First Battle of Dego . Following this the French consolidated the front and awaited further opportunities. The main focus of the war then shifted north to the Rhine, until 29 June 1795, when

2720-563: The French marshals of the time served under his command at some point. He was given the title Prince of Essling in 1809. Masséna however would go on to have a terrible performance during the Peninsular War in defeat, hampering the French war efforts in Iberia . After suffering crushing defeats at the battles of Sabugal and Fuentes de Oñoro, Napoleon sacked and replaced Masséna with Marshal Auguste de Marmont , and Masséna did not serve

2800-456: The French military again, instead becoming the local commander at Marseille, ending his military career in disgrace and obscurity. André Masséna was born in Nice , then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia , on 6 May 1758. He was the son of shopkeeper Jules Masséna (Giulio Massena), who became a wine merchant, and his wife Marguerite Fabre. André's father died in 1764, and after his mother remarried, he

2880-616: The French, making it possible for the French to continue their advance eastwards towards Austria. After a brief campaign during which the Austrian army was commanded by the Emperor's brother, the Archduke Charles , the French advanced to within 100 miles of Vienna, and the Austrians sued for peace . Bonaparte's campaign, by threatening Vienna directly, was the trigger that led to Austria sending negotiators to Leoben to ask Bonaparte for peace with France. The peace treaty that resulted,

2960-671: The Italian border. Masséna prepared his battalion for battle in the hope that it would be incorporated into the regular army. That October, a month after the occupation of Nice, the battalion was one of four volunteer battalions that became part of the French Armée d'Italie . Masséna distinguished himself in battle and was quickly promoted, attaining the rank of général de brigade ( brigadier general ) in August 1793 and général de division ( divisional general ) that December. He

3040-748: The Monarchy, initiating a siege of Naples in June. With British assistance, the Parthenopeans collapsed soon after. A Neapolitan invasion in September led to the dissolution of the Roman Republic which was subsequently replaced by the Papacy until the Napoleonic Wars . The second phase of the war in Italy began in 1799 as part of the War of the Second Coalition and was different from the first in that Russian forces participated in

3120-525: The Po failed on 11 May. Moreau's army was in tatters with just 9,000 men remaining. An attempted counter-attack was beaten back by Russian General Petr Bagration . Suvorov soon occupied Turin and proclaimed the restoration of Piedmont to its king . The Army of the Alps engaged the Austro-Russian forces in a series of minor skirmishes, but did not come to the rescue of the Army of Italy. Suvorov overran

3200-475: The Princes d'Essling, Ducs de Rivoli comprises the following: "Or, the winged Victoria , holding in one hand a palm and in the other an olive crown, the whole Vert, accompanied in a point of a dog lying Sable; all beneath the chief of Princes of the Empire (azure with the golden eagle, the flight extended, head rounded, encroaching a thunderbolt with two lightning bolts, on either side). The shield surrounded by

3280-645: The Republic soon after. Napoleon then declared war on the Papal States for a second time, sending 9,000 troops under General Louis-Alexandre Berthier to occupy Rome and dissolve the state. Refusing to renounce his temporal authority, Pius VI was exiled from Rome, and later died in Valence, France . Napoleon officially dissolved the Papal States in February 1798, at which the Anconine Republic and

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3360-680: The Rhine, much further north. Melas moved forward slowly, laying siege to Genoa and halting his advance elsewhere. It was at this time that the First Consul of France, Napoleon Bonaparte (who had seized French power in the Brumaire Coup of 9 November 1799) led his Reserve Army through the Great St Bernard pass with the aim of relieving Masséna in the Siege of Genoa , who was threatened by severe food shortages resulting from

3440-503: The battles of Lonato and Castiglione . The Austrian commander was forced back into the Alps . Wurmser was reinforced once again to compensate for some 20,000 losses sustained in the past two months and made an attempt to relieve the siege of Mantua. Some 45,000 Austrian troops were left behind to guard against any new French offensive whilst the main body of the Austrian army moved on Mantua. At Rovereto on 4 September, Bonaparte inflicted

3520-401: The campaign. However, at the beginning of the conflict the Russians were yet to arrive. Bonaparte, meanwhile, was away from the continent, as from May, 1798 to September, 1799 he was leading the Egyptian Campaign . Some 60,000 French troops under Schérer faced off against an equal number of Austrians. An additional 50,000 Russians were expected to arrive shortly. The French were occupied with

3600-416: The collar of the Legion of Honour , with its pointed decoration; the whole set in the mantle of Princes of the Empire (azure, lined with ermine, adorned with gold) and crowned with the crown of Princes of the Empire (gold, cap azure, surmounted by a globe, circled, crisscross, gold)." This heraldry -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Italian campaigns of

3680-424: The combination of encirclement on land and naval blockade by the British. Genoa fell before the First Consul could reach it. He concentrated his army and struck at the Austrians in an attempt to beat them before they too concentrated their forces again. The Reserve Army fought a battle at Montebello on 9 June before the main confrontation at Marengo . The consul was almost defeated here until General Desaix made

3760-424: The evacuation of northwestern Italy west of the Ticino River and the suspension of all Austrian military operations in Italy. Austria and its ally Great Britain then sought to negotiate a join peace treaty with France, but Napoleon insisted on separate treaties with each nation and the negotiations failed to come to fruition. As a result, conflict with Austria and Great Britain resumed in late 1800. On 3 December,

3840-449: The evacuation, Bonaparte wrote to Masséna, "I am not able to give you a greater mark of the confidence I have in you than by giving you command of the first army of the Republic Army of Italy ." Even the Austrians recognized the significance of Masséna's defense; the Austrian chief of staff declared firmly, "You won the battle, not in front of Alessandria but in front of Genoa." Masséna was made commander of French forces in Italy, though he

3920-436: The failure of his repeated efforts to capture a pivotal bridge at Arcole, won an important and hard-fought victory against Alvinczy. Both sides were reinforced before Alvinczy launched another attack in January. Bonaparte defeated this renewed assault at the Battle of Rivoli , inflicting some 14,000 casualties. Then he surrounded and captured a second Austrian relief column near Mantua. Soon after, Mantua finally surrendered to

4000-473: The grand master of the Supreme Council"; in this capacity, he was one of the negotiators of the concordat established between the Grand Orient de France and the Supreme Council. Under the Empire, he was a member of the Sainte Caroline lodge in Paris. He is also "worshipful of honor" in various Masonic lodges, such as "Les Frères Réunis" in Paris, "La Parfaite Amitié" in Toulon , "L'Étroite Union" in Thouars or "Les Vrais Amis Réunis" in Nice . In 1808, Masséna

4080-407: The newly founded Cisalpine Republic , and recognize Joseph Bonaparte as the ambassador to Rome . Following the dissolution of the First Coalition , a Republican Revolt staged by General Bonaparte and Brigadier General Mathurin-Leonard Duphot led to the killing of Duphot at Joseph's palace by Papal State troops. An apology was issued by the Pope on December 29, 1797, however it was rejected by

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4160-430: The offensive and consolidated his forces, now that the Russians had been removed from Italy. By the spring of 1800 Russia had withdrawn entirely from the Coalition. The situation in Italy, however, was still very much on the side of the Coalition. Melas had some 100,000 men under his command, opposed by just 50,000 French troops who were thoroughly dispersed. The Allies prepared for a thrust into southern France and across

4240-493: The offensive, striking at Austrian forces mobilising in the vicinity of the fortress of Mantua . A series of minor Coalition defeats resulted in the garrison at Mantua being reinforced to 12,000. Placing Mantua under siege , Bonaparte then led a French division south to invade and occupy the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Papal States , defeating Papal forces at Fort Urban . Next he turned north and with 20,000 men defeated some 50,000 Austrians under Field Marshal Wurmser at

4320-465: The pacification of Naples and this halved their effective strength to face the Austrians. In order to avoid a completely untenable situation arising, Schérer attacked as soon as possible in an attempt to preempt Austrian attacks. Austrian commander Pál Kray defeated the French at Verona and Magnano in late March and early April. Schérer retreated back and left a small detachment of 8,000 in several forts. The Austrian commander, Michael von Melas ,

4400-485: The rank of warrant officer , the highest rank a non-nobleman could achieve. On 10 August that year, he married Anne Marie Rosalie Lamare, daughter of a surgeon in Antibes ; they lived together in her home town. After a brief stint as a smuggler in Northern Italy, he rejoined the army in 1791 and was made an officer, rising to the rank of colonel by 1792. When the French Revolutionary Wars broke out in April 1792, Masséna and his battalion were deployed to Piedmont along

4480-425: The recognition of the sovereignty and independence of the French client republics of Cisalpine, Ligurian, Batavian and Helvetic. In addition, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was ceded to France. Those Italian princes who lost territory, including the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Duke of Modena, were to be compensated with territory in Germany east of the Rhine. In return, the Austrian territorial acquisitions stipulated in

4560-455: The route at Altdorf and then took the Teufelsbrücke in the Schöllenen Gorge . The same day, 25 September, Masséna defeated the Austro-Russian force under General Alexander Korsakov at the Second Battle of Zurich , arguably the greatest French victory of 1799–1800. Unable to break through the French lines and aware of Korsakov's disastrous defeat, the Russian general turned east through the high and difficult Pragel Pass to Glarus . Despite

4640-439: The short let-up in operations that followed Sardinia's defeat. Following this he manoeuvred his army into more opportune positions along the Po River . A small French victory at Codogno led to a retreat by Coalition forces across the Adda River. At the river, the Austrian army of General Beaulieu was defeated in the Battle of Lodi on 10 May. The Army of Italy was now reinforced to almost 50,000 men and Bonaparte continued on

4720-502: The superiority of the French forces, Masséna was ultimately defeated, as he suffered defeat in the simultaneous battles of Klöntal and Muottental . So, Suvorov decided that to evade the French forces awaiting him, he would march into the 9,000 foot high mountains of the Panikh range. After a difficult march, the Russian army reached Ilanz on 8 October and then crossed the treacherous Panix Pass , abandoning his baggage and artillery. This, among other events, led to Russia's withdrawal from

4800-437: The surrounding mountains. Becoming aware of the advance of Russian Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov toward St. Gotthard in September, Masséna had used his troops in the south of Switzerland: General Claude Jacques Lecourbe 's division took the Gotthard Pass , which required Suvorov to retake it on 24 September, delaying his advance north towards Zurich. Suvorov then faced General Jean-de-Dieu Soult 's French division blocking

4880-411: The three consecutive days that forced Mantua to capitulate, and the Directory is obliged to regard you among the most capable and useful generals of the Republic." In 1799, Masséna was granted an important command in Switzerland, replacing General Charles Edward Jennings . As Russian reinforcements marched to support the Austrian armies in Italy and Switzerland, the Directory consolidated the remnants of

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4960-412: The treaty of Campo Formio , also effectively ended the War of the First Coalition , as Austria was the main combatant remaining in continental Europe still fighting the French at that time. On 5 December 1797 Napoleon arrived in Paris. Napoleon 's invasion of Northern Italy caused disorder in the Papal States . Under the Treaty of Tolentino , Pope Pius VI was forced to cede the Romagna region to

5040-400: The victory at Saorgio, was called off under orders from war minister Carnot , who was concerned about supply lines being cut by rebels behind the front. The commanders in the field were unhappy about this decision, but appeals were interrupted by the overthrow of the Committee of Public Safety and its leader, Maximilien de Robespierre (28 July 1794). During the political chaos that ensued in

5120-422: The victory. The next day, with very little rest, Masséna and his troops marched 39 miles in 24 hours to intercept a second Austrian army advancing to relieve Mantua. At Villa La Favorita , he closed the pincer on the Austrian army, forcing their surrender. In the space of five days, Masséna's division played a major role in an operation that left over 35,000 Austrian soldiers either dead or captured. Two weeks later,

5200-419: The war, when Napoleon tried to cross to the north bank of the Danube at the Battle of Aspern-Essling , Masséna's troops hung onto the village of Aspern through two days of savage fighting. He was rewarded on 31 January 1810 with a second, now princely, victory title, Prince of Essling , for his efforts there and in the Battle of Wagram . During the Peninsular War , Napoleon appointed Masséna as Commander of

5280-494: The word capitulation was mentioned or written", Masséna threatened to end all negotiations. Two days later, a few of the French left the city by sea, but the bulk of Masséna's starving and exhausted troops marched out of the city with all their equipment and followed the road along the coast toward France, ending the siege of almost 60 days. The siege was an astonishing demonstration of tenacity, ingenuity, courage, and daring that garnered additional laurels for Masséna and placed him in

5360-448: Was accidentally shot during a hunting expedition with the imperial suite. It is unclear as to whether he was shot by Napoleon himself or by Marshal Louis-Alexandre Berthier , but he lost the use of one eye as a result. It was not until 1809 that he returned to active service, this time against the forces of the Fifth Coalition . At the beginning of the campaign, Masséna led the IV Corps at the battles of Eckmühl and Ebersberg . Later in

5440-405: Was among those who achieved greatness without the benefit of formal education. While those of noble rank acquired their education and promotions as a matter of privilege, Masséna rose from humble origins to such prominence that Napoleon referred to him as "the greatest name of my military empire". In addition to his battlefield successes, Masséna's leadership aided the careers of many. A majority of

5520-455: Was as a breakwater in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. Prince of Essling Both titles are hereditary by primogeniture and have been united since Marshal Masséna received them. As of 2021, Prince d'Essling is the only princely title created by Napoleon still in existence, without having become merged with titles created by other rulers. Between 1810 and today, there have been the following titleholders: The heraldic achievement of

5600-421: Was being assigned to an obscure front: of the Republic's thirteen principal field armies, the Italian force was the most neglected and was in terrible condition when Bonaparte arrived. Bonaparte launched attacks almost immediately after he arrived on the front on 27 March. His 38,000 men and 60 guns were facing more than 50,000 Allied troops in the theatre. His only chance of support came from Kellermann's Army of

5680-422: Was born on 8 July 1790, but died only four years later. Their first son Jacques Prosper, born 25 June 1793, inherited his father's title as 2nd Prince of Essling on 3 July 1818. Victoire Thècle was born on 28 September 1794 and married Honoré Charles Reille on 12 September 1814. François Victor, born on 2 April 1799, became 2nd Duke of Rivoli, 3rd Prince of Essling, and married Anne Debelle on 19 April 1823. Masséna

5760-467: Was dispatched to the Rhine and Joubert was sent to command the Army of Italy. Suvorov, acting under orders from the Coalition high command, paused to gather his strength for an offensive in autumn. On 9 August, the French launched offensive of 38,000 men called the Battle of Novi . The offensive was thoroughly defeated by Suvorov, and resulted in the death of Joubert. Moreau, who had yet to depart for

5840-455: Was forced to retreat due to lack of food and supplies, an example of attrition warfare against Napoleon . Masséna withdrew to the Spanish frontier, allegedly prompting Napoleon to comment, "So, Prince of Essling, you are no longer Masséna." After suffering defeats at the battles of Sabugal and Fuentes de Oñoro , he was replaced by Marshal Auguste de Marmont and did not serve again, becoming

5920-585: Was later dismissed by Napoleon. Despite the praise, Napoleon also criticized Masséna for capitulating too early in his memoirs, contrasting his actions with those of the Gauls under Vercingetorix when besieged by Julius Caesar in the Battle of Alesia . Not until 1804 did Masséna regain Napoleon's trust. That year, he was made a Marshal of the Empire in May. He led an independent army that captured Verona and fought

6000-405: Was ordered to march from Verona to Rivoli , fifteen miles away. Following a forced night march across the snow-covered roads, the first of his troops reached the battlefield at 6:00 A.M. Bonaparte deployed them on the left flank when the battle began. They were shifted to strengthen the sagging center and then deployed to crush an Austrian flanking maneuver. Masséna's troops played a decisive role in

6080-538: Was prominent in every campaign on the Italian Riviera over the next two years, including the attack on Saorgio in 1794 and the battles of Settepani and Loano in 1795. When Napoleon Bonaparte took command in March 1796, Masséna was commanding the two divisions of the army's advance guard. During the campaign in Italy from 1796 to 1797 , Masséna became one of Bonaparte's most important subordinates. He played

6160-421: Was replaced by General Schérer soon after and he carried out the attacks, gaining victory at Loano . Bonaparte was appointed commander-in-chief on 2 March 1796. The motives for Bonaparte's appointment were most likely political. On 9 March, Bonaparte had married Joséphine de Beauharnais , who had shared her imprisonment (under Robespierre ) with Thérésa Tallien , wife to Tallien , one of the then Directors of

6240-620: Was sent to live with his father's relatives. At the age of thirteen, Masséna became a cabin boy aboard a merchant ship . He sailed in the Mediterranean Sea and on two extended voyages to French Guiana . In 1775, after four years at sea, he returned to Nice and enlisted in the French Royal Army as a private in the Royal Italian Regiment. By the time he left the service in 1789, Masséna had risen to

6320-506: Was slow to pursue the retreating French and was soon replaced as overall Coalition commander in the theatre by the brilliant Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov . Schérer too was soon replaced by General Moreau , a man of greater fame and prestige. The French defeats at Lecco and Cassano on 26–28 April were followed by withdrawal from Lombardy and an overall unfavourable situation for the French. General Macdonald's army returned from Naples to support Moreau. An initial Allied attack across

6400-633: Was weakened by disease and his supply lines threatened by rebellion. Government political commissars, especially Cristoforo Saliceti , brutally put down the uprisings, but the French position was weakened. To stabilise the situation Bonaparte created the client states of the Transpadane Republic and the Cispadane Republic . Following this a new Austrian commander, Joseph Alvinczy , arrived and made another attempt to relieve Mantua. Bonaparte halted and drove Alvinczy back across

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