In 1792, the First Coalition War broke out when some European powers joined against the French Republic after the Revolution broke out. The Italian campaign in 1796 was part of the war and also one of the most important military campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte's career, bringing him to the ranks of outstanding command and paving the way for the French victory series before Napoleon ascended the throne.
In this campaign, the correlation between the French and the Austrian opponent did not change compared to the fights before the time of the French Revolution. The only difference is Napoleon's leadership. With his agility, assertiveness, and flexibility on the battlefield, he sent the army to march quickly to Italy, giving the opponent almost no time to manage.
Battle at Lodi Bridge in 1796
At that time, Italy was not a unified country; there were many different states. The army imposed direct rule or control over state governments through political influence.
When arriving in northern Italy in March 1796, Napoleon held 60 cannons and 37,000 soldiers, most of them sick and undisciplined, and there were no reinforcements because the French were putting force behind the large attack on the Rhine.
On the other side of the battle line, the Austrian army and allies overwhelm the army with more than 50,000 people. Napoleon's talent, on the other hand, transformed the French troops from bad soldiers into a powerful force full of pride.
The first important battle in the Italian campaign took place in Montenotte on April 12. Napoleon deployed troops on the pass and then enticed a portion of the Austrian force to enter. After that, France attacked with overwhelming troops, dividing the Austrian army with allies in Piedmont, northwestern Italy.
Applying the tactic of strike first and strike fast, Napoleon's army defeated the Piedmont troops in Millesumo and Vico, and the Austrian army in Dego and Ceva, forcing the opponent to have a defensive cluster. After these battles, Napoleon continued to launch a total war against the Piedmont force and won Mondovi.
The Piedmont troops had to surrender and accept the Cherasco Communist Party on April 28. Napoleon only needed a month to defeat the Piedmont troops, who had been fighting the French for more than three years. The French lost 6,000 soldiers, while the loss of the Austrian army and allies was more than 25,000.
After this victory, Napoleon's troops continued towards Milan, where they confronted the Austrian force at the Lodi Bridge. The bridge is nearly 4 meters wide and 61 meters long, and there is always an Austrian cannon battery guarding it.
Napoleon ordered the infantry to cross the bridge and launch an attack, aiming to hold the opponent, while the cavalry went around the side to find a way to cross the river. Due to the impact of Austrian artillery shells, the French infantry suffered significant damage as a result of this tactic. Some soldiers jumped into the river to avoid bullets and survive, but they were attacked by Austrian cavalry when swimming on the other side.
However, the French cavalry was crossing the river at the time and suddenly launched a flanking maneuver, causing the Austrian army to fail. The defeat of Austria at Lodi Bridge helped Napoleon capture Milan.
Receiving orders from the French government, Napoleon continued to march to central Italy, where he was given many masterpieces of art so as not to attack the Pope's territories. An Austrian army was sent here but was defeated by the French army in Lonato.
After defeating the French army in the Rhine region, the Austrians added Italy to their territory to deal with the Napoleonic army. On October 12, Napoleon got his first defeat on the outskirts of Verona.
A few days later, he retrieves the joy of winning the battle in Arcole. Initially, he ordered the army to cross the bridge in the hope of winning, as he had done in Lodi. When the plan failed, Napoleon let troops circle the south, build a floating bridge on the swamp, and hit the Austrian army's flank. Although both sides suffered great casualties, the French army was the winner in Arcole.
The war lasted throughout the winter, with many small fights. The two sides suffered casualties, but the Austrians could not recapture the lost territory. Napoleon's troops defeated the opponent in Mantua in January 1797, forcing 30,000 troops to surrender.
Despite the failure, Austria still refused to negotiate peace until April 1797. Napoleon stood up to negotiate personally, instead of leaving his job for diplomats and politics.
Austria has significantly given up territory in Italy and its colonies in Northern Europe. Belgium, the Netherlands, and the west banks of the Rhine became the territory of France, the Napoleon areas captured in northern Italy also gained independence and became the Cisalpine Republic.
Napoleon then tried to spread the news of his greatness. He asked the two newspapers to successfully praise him both in the army and at home to increase his reputation, paving the way for the throne of the Emperor later.
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