Battle of Calcinato
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Calcinato was a battle in the War of the Spanish Succession
fought on 19 April 1706 near Calcinato
, Italy between the forces of Bourbon France and Spain and the forces of the Austrian Habsburgs. It ended in a victory for Marshal Vendôme's
French and Spanish army.
and the contest between the French forces in Lombardy
and the Austrian second army that sought to join Victor Amadeus and Starhemberg
in Piedmont.
The latter, repulsed by Vendôme at Cassano
, had retired to Brescia
and Lake Garda
, Vendôme following up and wintering about Castiglione
and Mantua
.
could intervene. His onset broke up the defence completely and he hustled the fragments of the Imperialist army back into the mountains, where Eugene had the greatest difficulty in rallying them.
. As a result of the disastrous Siege of Turin the French position in Italy deteriorated drastically, and by the end of the year, all French forces had been chased from Italy.
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
fought on 19 April 1706 near Calcinato
Calcinato
Calcinato is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is bounded by other communes of Mazzano, Lonato and Bedizzole....
, Italy between the forces of Bourbon France and Spain and the forces of the Austrian Habsburgs. It ended in a victory for Marshal Vendôme's
Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme
Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme was a French military commander during the War of the Grand Alliance and War of the Spanish Succession, Marshal of France.-Biography:...
French and Spanish army.
Prelude
In Italy the 1706 campaign had, as before, two branches: the contest for PiedmontPiedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
and the contest between the French forces in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
and the Austrian second army that sought to join Victor Amadeus and Starhemberg
Guido Starhemberg
Guido Wald Rüdiger, count of Starhemberg; was an Austrian military officer.He was a cousin of Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg , the famous commander of Vienna during the Turkish siege of 1683, and acted as his ADC during the siege...
in Piedmont.
The latter, repulsed by Vendôme at Cassano
Battle of Cassano (1705)
The Battle of Cassano, fought on 16 August 1705, was a hard fought battle in the Italian theatre of the War of the Spanish Succession.Both sides suffered serious casualties, but the French were victorious.-The battle:...
, had retired to Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
and Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
, Vendôme following up and wintering about Castiglione
Castiglione delle Stiviere
Castiglione delle Stiviere is a town and comune in the province of Mantua, in Lombardy, Italy, 30 km northwest of Mantua by road.-History:During the War of the Spanish Succession, the French under the duc de Vendôme occupied it....
and Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
.
The battle
In April 1706, profiting by Eugene's temporary absence, Vendôme attacked the Imperialist's camp of Montechiaro–Calcinato. His intention was by a night march to surprise the post of Ponte San Marco on their extreme left, but when day came he noticed that he could give battle to the enemy's left wing at Calcinato before their right from MontichiariMontichiari
Montichiari is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on December 27, 1991....
could intervene. His onset broke up the defence completely and he hustled the fragments of the Imperialist army back into the mountains, where Eugene had the greatest difficulty in rallying them.
Aftermath
Vendôme was sent to Flanders after the crushing defeat there in the Battle of RamilliesBattle of Ramillies
The Battle of Ramillies , fought on 23 May 1706, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of King Louis XIV of France in 1705...
. As a result of the disastrous Siege of Turin the French position in Italy deteriorated drastically, and by the end of the year, all French forces had been chased from Italy.