Army of Italy

The armed with Italy is a armed with the French revolution.

Its theater of operations was confined on the littoral and the back-country of the the Alpes-Maritimes until Napoleon Bonaparte takes the head and triumphs in Italy during two memorable programs.

Formation and evolution

Created by decree of the Executive council of November 1st, 1792 starting from the right wing of the Armed with the Alps, unduly called Armed with the VAr since one month by the general of Anselme. This decree, which makes the general of Anselme independent of the general of Montesquiou-Fézensac is put at execution only on November 7th.
By decree of September 4th, 1793, a new army, known as armed in front of Toulon , is created in its district by the Représentants, and is made of two strong detachments coming one from the Armée with the Alps, the other of that of Italy.
By decree of the December 25th and 28th 1793 (5 and 8 nivôse year II), at the end of the Head office of Toulon, the armed in front of Toulon dissolved and is divided between the garrisons of the South, from the Corsica , the army of Italy and that of the the Eastern Pyrenees
In September 1795, it receives 4 divisions (16 000 men) of reinforcement, coming from the Armée with the Eastern Pyrenees, victorious. With these reinforcements, the army is made up in very strong majority of battalions of volunteers of the South
By decree dated February 3rd, 1798 (15 pluviose year VI), it is divided into army of Italy and into Armée with Rome
By decree of July 5th, 1799 (17 messidor year VII), put at execution on July 21st, it is divided into Armée with the Alps and is armed with Italy.
By decree of August 29th, 1799 (12 fructidor year VII), put at execution on September 1st, the Armée with the Alps is removed and joined together with the army of Italy.
By decree of June 23rd, 1800 (4 messidor year VIII), the Italy and reserve armies are joined together into only one pennies the denomination of army of Italy
By decree of June 1st, 1801 (12 meadow year IX), executory starting from June 20th, the army of Italy is dissolved. It then takes with a new organization the denomination of body of French troops in Cisalpine .
on February 14th, 1802, it takes the denomination of French troops in the Italian Republic
By decree of February 27th, 1802 (8 ventôse year X), executory on March 22nd, it is put on the foot of peace and is reduced to 25.000 men.

Generals

from November 7th to December 25th, 1792: general of Anselme, which had neither the title, nor prerogatives of general
from December 26th, 1792 to February 9th, 1793, by interim: Brownish brigadier
from February 10th to May 4th, 1793: general Biron
from May 5th to August 8th, 1793: general Brunet; starting from June 2nd subordinately with the general Kellermann
from August 9th, 1793 to November 20th, 1794: general of Merbion
Armed in front of Toulon :

from September 5th to November 6th, 1793: general Carteaux
from November 7th to 12th, by interim: general Poype
from November 13rd to 15th, temporarily while waiting for the arrival of the general Dugommier: general Doppet
from November 16th to December 28th: general Dugommier with the title of general-in-chief of the army of Italy

from November 21st, 1794 to May 5th, 1795: general Schérer
from May 6th to September 28th, 1795: general Kellermann (*), ordering the two armies of the Alps and joined together Italy, immediately that of Italy
from September 29th, 1795 to March 26th, 1796: general Schérer, resigner
from March 27th, 1796 to November 16th, 1797: general Bonaparte (**)
from November 17th to December 21st, 1797, by interim: general Kilmaine
from December 22nd, 1797 to April 3rd, 1798: general Berthier
from April 4th to July 27th, 1798: general Brown
from July 28th to August 18th, 1798, by interim: general Gaultier
from August 19th to October 31st, 1798: general Brown
from November 1st, 1798 to January 31st, 1799: general Joubert, with the higher command on the Armed with Rome. From December 11th to 25th, the general Moreau ordering of fact the army.
from February 1st to March 6th: general Delmas
from March 7th to 11th 1799, temporarily: general Bruneteau Holy-Suzanne
from March 12th to April 26th, 1799: general Schérer, with the command higher on the Armed with Naples
from April 27th to August 4th, 1799: general Moreau, with the higher command on the Armed with Naples
from August 5th to 15th 1799: general Joubert, armies of Italy and the Alps, killed with the Battle of Novi
from August 15th to September 20th, 1799: general Moreau
from September 21st to December 30th, 1799: general Championnet
from December 31st, 1799 to January 5th, 1800: general Suchet (*)
from January 6th to 15th 1800, by interim: general Marbot
from January 16th to June 16th, 1800: general Masséna (*)
from June 17th to 24th 1800, by interim: general Suchet
from June 25th to August 21st, 1800, general Masséna
from August 22nd, 1800 to March 7th, 1801: general Brown (*)
from March 8th to August 27th, 1801, by interim: general Moncey (*)

Les general-in-chief whose name is followed of a star (*) is or was thereafter Maréchal of Empire
Les general-in-chief whose name is followed from two stars (**) were thereafter Empereur of the French

List campaigns, battles

September 21st 1794: first combat of Dego (victory carried thanks to the chief of artillery, Bonaparte)
November 24th 1795: Battle of Loano (not-exploited victory)
1796-97: First countryside of Italy
1800: Second countryside of Italy

Principal feats of arms

Manpower

See Battle order of the army of Italy in March 1796, Battle order of the army of Italy in January 1800

Resumption in hand of the army by the Bonaparte general

Badly supplied, balances it arriving irregularly, the army of Italy in is often reduced to the petty thieving to survive. The uniforms as the shoes are rare. On arrival of Bonaparte (it takes its functions on March 27th), indiscipline settled. Songs chouanes are taken again by the troop, a company of the Dolphin is made up. While improving, as far as possible, the supply, it restores the discipline. It makes consider officers having shouted Vive the king! , lays off the 13th regiment of hussards for indiscipline. A whole regiment, mutiné at the end of March, east dissolves. Thus purified, the army of Italy is more jacobine of all the French Armies.

The first victories, bringing better supply and making it possible to pay balances it thanks to the contributions of war raised on the conquered country, improve the situation, but up to 1797, of the individual or collective “failures” are announced in memories (but kill in the official communications).

Internal bonds

List of the armies of the Revolution
List of the generals of the Revolution and the First Empire

Source

C. Clerget: Tables of the French Armies during the wars of the Revolution (Bookstore soldier 1905);

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