Battle of Marengo

 The Battle of Marengo took place on June 14, 1800, in the city of Alessandria in Piedmont, modern-day Italy, between French forces led by Napoleon Bonaparte and Habsburg troops. Although the Austrians were initially triumphant, the French repulsed the Austrian raid near the end of the day, pushing the Austrians out of Italy and solidifying Napoleon Bonaparte's political power in Paris, the French First Consul after staging a coup in November of last year. The Battle of Marengo became one of First Consul Bonaparte's most important wins, providing him with a respite from the wars.

Surprised by the Austrian advance through Genoa in mid-April 1800, Bonaparte quickly crossed the Alps in mid-May and reached Milan on June 2, 1800. Germany's supply source was cut off. The French pushed closer to the Austrians by crossing the Po River and defeating Vice-Marshal Peter Karl Ott von Bárkéz at the Battle of Montebello on June 9. Bonaparte divided his force north and south after being duped by a local double agent, but the Austrians launched a raid on September 14 against the main French army commanded by General Louis Alexandre Berthier. 

Two Austrian attacks across the Fontanone Lake near Marengo were repulsed, and Major General Jean Lannes reinforced the French right wing. When Bonaparte realized the true situation, he ordered the army under Major General Louis Desaix into battle at 11 a.m., while he himself led his reserves forward. Ott's line formation secured Castel Ceriolo on the Austrian left flank, and his midfielder advanced south to assault the Lannes' flanks.

The battle began; two Austrian attacks across the Fontanone lagoon near the village of Marengo were repelled, and Major General Jean Lannes reinforced the French right wing. Bonaparte understood the true position, and at 11 a.m. he ordered the army under Major General Louis Desaix into battle, while he himself pulled his reserves forward. On the Austrian left flank, Ott's line formation captured Castel Ceriolo, and his midfielder moved south to attack the flanks of the Lannes.

Melas reformed the offensive, and the Austrians broke through the French central bastion. The French retreated at about 2:30 p.m., and Austrian Dragoon Cavalry soldiers took control of the Marengo farm. By this moment, Bonaparte had taken command of the Reserves, but Berthier's army had already begun to retire to the rows of vines. Knowing that General Desaix was drawing soldiers in, Bonaparte anticipated that a line of Vice Marshal Ott would assault from the north, so he deployed the Infantry of the General's Guards to hold the army back. Ott. The French then retreated quickly eastward, through San Giuliano Vecchio, while the Austrians established a line to follow them, aligning with Ott's advance to the north.

Desaix called in reinforcements that afternoon at 5:30 p.m., boosting the French holding due to the 9ème Légère (9th Light Infantry Regiment) force blocking the Austrian advance down the major road while the rest of the French Army regrouped north of Cascina Grossa. As the Austrians pursued, a hail of musket fire and French artillery overwhelmed the cavalry's cover-up, headed by Brigadier General François Étienne de Kellermann, causing chaos and panic among the Austrians. The Austrian army hurriedly retreated to Alessandria, leaving behind 9,400 dead, wounded, and even hostages.

The French army suffered far fewer casualties, but this included Desaix (who died in the midst of triumph). After his coup, Napoleon Bonaparte's status as First Consul was strengthened by the entire French line pursuing the enemy in order to score une victoire politique (a political victory). Following the victory at Marengo, the French initiated a propaganda campaign, and the fight was rewritten three times throughout Napoleon Bonaparte's rule.

This spectacular victory was considered a significant battle for Napoleon. Along with the French's tremendous win at the Battle of Hohenlinden in Germany that same year, the tight but brilliant victory at Marengo shattered the Second Coalition, prompting Austria to request another conciliatory. At the same time, this great victory cemented France's grip over Italian territory.

Why Did the Battle of Marengo Happen

On October 17, 1797, the Austrian monarchy signed the Treaty of Campo Formio with the French Republic, effectively concluding the War of the First Coalition. However, European powers perceive this as simply a temporary downtime. The French Directory regime gained more vassal republics as a result of its expansion, notably the Roman, Ligurian (Genoa), and Cisalpine (Lombardy) Republics. France also annexed some lands that were captured by feudal dynasties. On April 12 of that year, the Netherlands joined France as an ally. Because the first all-out war had sapped France's energy, the Directory leadership saw it as important to continue expanding France.

The Austrians felt great danger from France, and, due to disagreements with Britain in 1797, they allied with the Russian Empire. Unable to beat Britain directly, General Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt to "punish" Britain indirectly. When the Irish saw this, they raised the banner of an anti-British insurrection in favor of Napoleon, and England saw this as an opportunity to go to war. Because Egypt was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time, Napoleon's invasion prompted the Ottomans to join the Second Coalition in 1798. The Austrians assaulted the French in Rome that year but were defeated.

Recognizing the need to secure greater territory and benefits for France, the Council of Directory established an army in the spring of 1799. Austrian and Russian troops defeated the French army, forcing General Napoleon Bonaparte to leave Egypt to return to Europe and save the nation. However, by that time, the situation had stabilized. However, this Council progressively lost its influence and became unpopular with the people. On November 9 of that year, Napoleon seizes the chance to conduct a coup, becoming the First Consul of the French Republic.

The Battle of Marengo was Napoleon's decisive victory in the Italian Campaign of 1800, and it is the most famous fight of the campaign. Napoleon Bonaparte (who even crossed the Alps on a mule) jeopardized Marshal Melas' supply routes in Northern Italy with a daring crossing of the Alps with his Reserve Army (really led by General Louis Alexandre Berthier) in mid-May 1800, nearly before the canyons were opened.

On June 2, 1800, the French army captured Milan, followed by the falls of Pavia, Piacenza, and Stradella, all in Lombardy, cutting off the main Austrian supply line to the east along the southern bank of the Po River. Napoleon Bonaparte thought that Melas would be distracted by General André Masséna's siege of Genoa, preventing the Austrians from opposing his onslaught. However, on June 4, 1800, Genoa fell, allowing a large number of Austrian troops to prepare for a war against France.

General Jean Lannes defeated Deputy Feldmarschallleutnant Peter Ott in the Battle of Montebello on June 9, 1800. Napoleon Bonaparte was ecstatic about this triumph. He grew persuaded that Melas would not strike, and he even concluded that the Austrians were ready to retreat. As further French forces came from the west and south, the Austrian commander retreated the majority of his troops from fortresses around Nice and Genoa to Alessandria on the key Turin-Mantua road.

Austrian Plans and Early French Advances

The Austrians planned battles to open their way to the east, but they used a local double agent, known as François Toli, to trick Consul Napoleon into thinking they would organize a move to the north, cross the Po River, and head straight for Milan while receiving reinforcements from the remaining forces advancing from Genoa. The spy would instruct Napoleon to march through Sale on the northern side of the plain in order to face the Austrian left; in the meantime, the main Austrian army would advance through the middle of Marengo, turn north, and then assault the French left flank.

Napoleon realized Ott had no other option but to flee Alessandria, but he was unaware of Melas' stronghold. Napoleon believed that the Austrian general would run after receiving advice from the double spy, so he positioned the French Army everywhere, creating an open pit. He handed orders to the General Louis Desaix and proceeded to Novi Ligure with Major General Jean Boudet Nam's Division (6 thousand soldiers), while General Jean François Cornu de La Poype's Division (3500 men) moved south to the other bank of the Po River. The Divisions under Antoine de Béthencourt and Joseph Chabran encamped far to the south, from Vercelli to Lake Maggiore, while the Divisions under Jean Thomas Guillaume Lorge held the north.