Battle of Castiglione

The battles of Castiglione (with Castiglione delle Stiviere ) is held the August 5th 1796. She opposes the French ordered by the generals Bonaparte, Masséna and Augereau with three Austrian armies ordered by the generals Quasdanovich and Wurmser.

Context

The April 11th 1796, Bonaparte is victorious with the Bataille of Montenotte. The 21, the Sardinia is separated from the Austria and is concluded a separate peace. The French pass the Po the May 7th, the 10 they beat the army of Beaulieu to the Bataille of the bridge of Lodi on the Adda. The May 31st the Austrians are rejected behind the Adige. June 1st Masséna occupies Vérone. In one month and half, the French Army is made main from Italy, the Austrian army is expelled beyond the Tyrol.

Bonaparte has with him 40.000 more men including one certain number is retained with the blockade of Mantoue. Towards the July 10th, it receives the reinforcement of 4 000 men of the general Despinoy who came to end from the castle from Milan the June 25th.

Austria does not acknowledge itself therefore not overcome. The army of Beaulieu account still 18 000 men, and the garrison of Mantoue 8 000. 10 000 Tyroleans and 31 000 Austrians walk towards Italy. What makes 67 000 men, ready to avenge the Empire. The shock is again inevitable.

The battle

Going down from the the Tyrol in two columns, the Austrians encircle the Lake Garda and the French Army, but thus separated, they are lower of number. The French Army with faculty to gather quickly. The blockade of Mantoue is raised, evacuated Vérone. All the French Army is concentrated between Chièse and the Mincio. Leaving only 1 800 men under the orders of the general Valette with Castiglionne to possibly block Wurmser which descends left bank from the Lake Garda and to prevent it from thus taking its army with reverse, the July 31st, Bonaparte sink on the 15 000 Austrians who go down by Right Bank.

While division Sauret receives order to deliver the general Guieu encircled with Salò, which it succeeded, the division Dallemagne which with for mission of taking Lonato, has evil to come to end from the enemy, ended up beating it, but does not manage to take the city. , Augereau enters to Brescia. The 2, Masséna gives an opinion with Laying-di-San-Marco. At the evening, under the pressure of his men, the Valette general gives up Castiglione precipitately. In this disordered escape much of soldiers prisoners are made.

The August 3rd in the morning, the French Army changed face. On the left, Guieu from there will be recovered Salò abandoned the hurdy-gurdy at the evening by Sauret, in the center, Masséna attacks Lonato while on right-hand side, Augereau attacks Castiglione, that it takes, loses and finally begins again, in spite of the arrival of Austrian reinforcements. At the evening, the Austrian division descended by Right Bank from the Lake Garda is partially destroyed and completely dispersed. The 4, while the remainders of this division which flee by the valley of Chièse are beaten and made captive with Gavardo and Salò, Wurmser gathers the remains of its army, and the forces available of Mantoue. On the whole 25.000 men line up and face, between Chièse on the left and Solférino on the right.

In the morning of the August 5th, the face of the French Army, which makes now vis-a-vis the Po and with Mantoue, moves back to attract the enemy and to give time to division Sérurier to arrive in reinforcement of Marcaria. As of the arrival of Sérurier, the attack is launched with such a violence that the Austrians fold and withdraw themselves in disorder.

Consequences

The August 6th, the army Austrian beats a retreat in the the Tyrol. The 7, Sérurier enters to Vérone, and Masséna takes again the abandoned positions the July 29th. The seat of Mantoue is taken again, the September 2nd the French Army starts to go up towards the the Tyrol to try to make its junction with the Armée with the Rhine.

The battle of Castiglione is in fact a succession of combat which will have lasted five days, during which Wurmser loses approximately 21.000 men: 6 000 dead wounded and 15 000 prisoners like 70 guns and their boxes. The name of the battle is engraved on the triumphal arch to Paris.

In reward of its bravery, Bonaparte indicates Augereau to bring to the Directoire the flags taken to the enemy, and the Duc fact of Castiglione.

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