Battle of Caldiero
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Caldiero took place on October 30, 1805, pitching the French Armée d'Italie (Army of Italy) under Marshal André Masséna
against an Austrian
army under the command of Archduke Charles of Austria. The French engaged only a part of their forces, around 33,000 men, whilst Archduke Charles engaged the bulk of his army, 49,000 men, leaving out Davidovich's
corps to defend the lower Adige
and Rosenberg's corps to cover the Austrian right against any flanking maneuvers. The fighting took place took place at Caldiero
, 15 kilometres east of Verona
, in the War of the Third Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars
.
Masséna, a seasoned French general, who had fought the Austrians in Lombardia before during the campaign of 1796-1797, was waiting for developments on the main theatre of operations in Bavaria
. On 18 October, Masséna won a bridgehead on the east bank of the Adige River in the Battle of Verona
. At dawn, the French launched their attack from Verona against Vukassovich's
division. After heavy fighting, the divisions of Duhesme and Gardanne cleared the town of San Giorgio and part of the heights of Veronetta. The French lost 77 dead and 246 wounded, while the Austrians suffered 246 killed and 906 wounded. Archduke Charles was so unhappy with Vukassovich's performance that he replaced him with Rosenberg.
News that Napoleon I
succeeded in defeating the main Austrian army at Battle of Ulm
finally reached Masséna on 28 October and he issued orders for an immediate offensive against the Austrian army in northern Italy. Crossing the Adige
river with three of his divisions (Duhesme
, Gardanne
, Molitor
) and leaving behind Seras' division to cover Verona, Masséna planned to move forward into Austrian-controlled territory.
The fighting on 29 October is considered by one historian to be part of the Battle of Caldiero. On that day, the divisions of Duhesme and Gardanne advanced on the left against Rosenberg, while Molitor's and Partouneaux's divisions moved forward against the town of Veronetta. Seeing a mass of French troops approaching, the Austrians abandoned Veronetta and fell back to San Michele. The French mauled Rosenberg's division and forced Frimont
out of San Michele after street fighting. By the end of the day, Masséna's troops closed up to the main defense line of Archduke Charles. The French counted losses of 527 killed and wounded, plus 157 captured. Again, Austrian casualties were heavier, numbering 1,926 killed and wounded, with 1,114 prisoners.
Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen, himself acutely aware of the dire consequences of the fall of Ulm, was planning to move towards Vienna, in order to reinforce the remains of the Austrian army and link up with the Russians. However, in order to avoid having Masséna's men on his heels, he decided to suddenly turn and face the French, hoping that by defeating them he would ensure the success of his march towards inner Austria.
Upon reconnoitering the Austrian position, Masséna drew up his plan. General Gardanne was to form the apex of the army, deploying his forces on both sides of the Verona road, supported by Partouneaux's reserve, d'Espagne's cavalry and a part of Mermet's
dragoons; to the left Molitor's division would deploy close to Ca dell'Ara and would set out to take the heights of Colognola; to the right, Duhesme would march on Gombione in order to fall upon Caldiero, but he was ordered to make his move towards midday; finally general Verdier
would cross the Adige at Perzacco and turn the enemy left, with the support of Pully's cavalry while the rest of Mermet's cavalry would ensure contact with Verdier.
Masséna was planning to wait for Verdier's flanking maneuver before committing to a frontal attack, but Archduke Charles took the initiative, attacking on both flanks of the French army. Taking with him the cavalry he had available, Simbschen made the first move against Molitor, descending the slope of the Colognola heights and approaching Ca dell'Ara. On the other side of the battlefield, Nordmann moved forward too, following the river line of the Adige. Molitor moved forward himself and his forces clashed with Simbschen's, forcing the latter back up the slopes of the Colognola Alta. Just as the French were coming up the slope in order to assault that position, the Austrians were reinforced by troops sent by Bellegarde and thus could repulse the French attack, pushing them into the ravine. A second French assault would also fail and the fighting would continue throughout much of the day, with the Austrians remaining masters of the heights.
In the centre, general Gardanne belatedly formed his men and painstakingly fought his way up towards Caldiero against a determined Bellegarde. Gardanne's first attempt failed and he was forced to fall back on Rotta, where he was immediately reinforced by Partounneaux and d'Espagne. With his force thus augmented, Gardanne moved forward again and this time the French managed to take the vital position of Caldiero. A furious Austrian counterattack regained the position only to see Gardanne receive further reinforcements, one of Duhesme's brigades, which helped retake Caldiero. Bellegarde reformed his men for another counterattack, which he led in cooperation with Reuss-Plauen's forces, which had just come up as reinforcements. It took a considerable effort from the combined forces of Bellegarde and Reuss-Plauen to drive the French out of Caldiero, but Gardanne sounded the charge and regained control of the village after fierce hand-to-hand combat. The Austrians finally evacuated the position and the exhausted French drove them out and then fell back to the relative safety of the village.
On the French right, general Duhesme moved early against the forces of prince Reuss-Plauen and moved his first brigade (Goullus
) against the Austrians at Gombione. However, Duhesme saw the situation on his left rapidly deteriorating and was thus forced to send Herbin's brigade in support of Gardanne's assault of Caldiero. While Herbin's brigade would be in the thick of the fighting until nightfall, Goullus' would spend the day covering the position at Gombione.
To the extreme right, general Verdier was operating the flanking maneuver as ordered, when he learned that Davidovich had crossed the Adige at Bonavigo and was on the right bank with a part of his troops. Verdier promptly abandoned his initial plan of crossing at Perzacco and instead decided to cross the river right away at Zevio
. However, instead of striking at the back of Nordmann's force, as he had hoped Verdier found himself facing the bulk of Nordmann's troops, which soon forced the French back across the river.
As night fell, combat ceased, with the Austrians already disengaged in most sectors of the battlefield. Archduke Charles decided against renewing battle the next day and began pulling out during the night.
On the 30th of October, as a result of the defeat at Caldiero, the Austrians also lost a further 5,000 men and 70 officers (among which there were three superior officers) with their weapons and effects. These men were stationed at Cara Albertini under the command of general Hillinger and were forced to surrender. Although the French had agreed to release the prisoners, the 5,000 men would not be released. Two authorities put Hillinger's disaster on 2 November and give Austrian losses as 400 killed and wounded and 1,800 captured. Another source gives no casualties or date for the action but writes that Hillinger was "annihilated".
to delay the French. Frimont's mixed brigade, consisting of four battalions and 12 squadrons, was only lightly engaged in the battle. Reinforced by infantry and an additional cavalry regiment, the rear guard put up a lively fight when pressed by d'Espagne's cavalry and the 22nd Light Infantry Regiment.
Bellegarde, Rosenberg, and Reuss fell back to Vicenza
while Davidovich's corps withdrew to Padua
. Hoping to create trouble in Massena's rear, Charles ordered Davidiovich to reinforce the Venice
garrison with 12 battalions. Unknown to Charles, Gouvion Saint-Cyr's 8,700-man Italian division was marching northeast from central Italy. When it arrived near Venice, Saint-Cyr had sufficient strength to blockade the port and prevent the Austrian garrison from harassing Massena's communications.
Archduke Charles steadily retreated, fighting a rear guard action at San Pietro in Gu
near the Brenta River
on 4 November in which one battalion of the Kreutzer Grenz infantry
Regiment # 5 was destroyed by Molitor's division. Another clash occurred at Valvasone
, east of the Tagliamento River
on 11 November, where Charles fended off the French pursuit. During the withdrawal, d'Espagne trailed the Austrians with his own light cavalry division, Digonet's brigade of Verdier's division, Seras' infantry division, and Pully's cuirassiers. D'Espagne managed the pursuit effectively, making Charles believe that he was being closely followed. In fact, Massena's main body was a three day march behind the Austrians. Charles crossed the Isonzo River on 13 November. Vincent
held off Molitor's attempt to cross the Isonzo River at Gradisca d'Isonzo on 16 November.
At the beginning of the war, Archduke John of Austria was assigned to command the army in the Tyrol
and the Voralberg. He was directed to detach forces under Jellacic
and Auffenberg to the Danube army. Auffenberg's division was mauled at the Battle of Wertingen
and later surrendered at the Battle of Ulm
. Jellacic was required to guard the south flank of the Danube army near Lake Constance
. Marshal Augereau's VII Corps ran him to earth at Dornbirn
where Jellacic surrendered with his infantry on 14 November, his cavalry having gotten away. Another brigade of the Tyrol army under Prince Rohan became separated in the retreat and slipped away to the south where it made a dash for Venice. On 24 November Rohan's 4,400 troops were caught by Reynier's
division at Castelfranco Veneto
and forced to surrender. John managed to escape to the east with about 20,000 soldiers and fought a successful rear guard action against Guiot de Lacour's dragoons near the upper Isonzo at Bovec
on 19 November 1805.
Charles hoped to march northeast to Villach
for an early junction with his brother, Archduke John. However, he heard that some of Napoleon's troops were moving in his direction from the Danube valley. Marshal Ney's
VI Corps was repulsed at Scharnitz
on 4 November with 800 casualties. However, that day, another brigade broke through a pass farther west at Leutasch
, capturing about 600 Austrian line infantry. At Weyer
on 7 November, Marmont overtook and captured two battalions belonging to Merveldt's
corps. The following day, farther east at Mariazell
, Davout's III Corps advance guard crushed Merveldt's column. Ney occupied Innsbruck on 7 November and Marmont's
II Corps was heading for Leoben
in Styria. Armed with this new information, Charles instead directed his troops' march on a more easterly path toward Ljubljana
(Laibach). Massena suspended his pursuit of Charles on 16 November.
Archdukes Charles and John joined forces near Maribor
(Marburg an der Drau) on 26 November. Though he now had an army numbering 85,000, Charles elected not to make a thrust at Vienna
by attacking Marmont. Instead, he "moved rather slowly" according to historian Gunther E. Rothenberg
. Charles pitched camp on the Mur River until 2 December when he withdrew into Hungary. By the time he reached Körmend
on 6 December, the Battle of Austerlitz
had been fought, ending in a decisive French victory.
Even after his great victory, Emperor Napoleon considered Archduke Charles' large army a threat. Accordingly, he directed Massena to reorganize his army as the VIII Corps, sweep east, and send Mermet's and Pully's heavy cavalry to Graz
. Marmont massed at Graz with the II Corps while Ney reached Klagenfurt
with his VI Corps. Napoleon stationed Marshal Davout's III Corps at Bratislava
(Pressburg) and Marshal Soult's IV Corps south of Vienna. Charles' army was completely boxed in. On 26 December, the Treaty of Pressburg was signed, ending the conflict.
Historians disagree on whether Caldiero was a French tactical victory, an Austrian tactical victory, or a draw. Alain Pigeard, whose work is a major source for this article, rates the engagement as a French victory. Digby Smith
calls the battle a "drawn match" while Frederick C. Schneid says it was "indecisive". Gunther E. Rothenberg
writes that Caldiero was, "Austria's solitary military success in this war", although he was aware that the French historian Adolphe Thiers
considered the battle to be a French victory.
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
against an Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
army under the command of Archduke Charles of Austria. The French engaged only a part of their forces, around 33,000 men, whilst Archduke Charles engaged the bulk of his army, 49,000 men, leaving out Davidovich's
Paul Davidovich
Baron Paul Davidovich or Pavle Davidović became a general of the Austrian Empire and a Knight of the Military Order of Maria Theresa. He played a major role in the 1796 Italian campaign during the French Revolutionary Wars, leading corps-sized commands in the fighting against the French army led...
corps to defend the lower Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....
and Rosenberg's corps to cover the Austrian right against any flanking maneuvers. The fighting took place took place at Caldiero
Caldiero
Caldiero is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 90 km west of Venice and about 15 km east of Verona....
, 15 kilometres east of Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, in the War of the Third Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Preliminaries
By mid October, MarshalMarshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Masséna, a seasoned French general, who had fought the Austrians in Lombardia before during the campaign of 1796-1797, was waiting for developments on the main theatre of operations in Bavaria
Ulm Campaign
The Ulm Campaign consisted of a series of French and Bavarian military maneuvers and battles to outflank and capture an Austrian army in 1805 during the War of the Third Coalition. It took place in the vicinity of and inside the Swabian city of Ulm...
. On 18 October, Masséna won a bridgehead on the east bank of the Adige River in the Battle of Verona
Battle of Verona (1805)
The Battle of Verona was fought on 18 October 1805 between the French Army of Italy under the command of André Masséna and an Austrian army led by Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. By the end of the day, Massena seized a bridgehead on the east bank of the Adige River, driving back the defending...
. At dawn, the French launched their attack from Verona against Vukassovich's
Josef Philipp Vukassovich
Josef Philipp von Vukassovich , also Josef Wukassovitch, was a Croatian soldier who joined the army of Habsburg Monarchy and fought against both Ottoman Empire and the First French Republic. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he commanded a brigade in the 1796–1797 Italian campaign against...
division. After heavy fighting, the divisions of Duhesme and Gardanne cleared the town of San Giorgio and part of the heights of Veronetta. The French lost 77 dead and 246 wounded, while the Austrians suffered 246 killed and 906 wounded. Archduke Charles was so unhappy with Vukassovich's performance that he replaced him with Rosenberg.
News that Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
succeeded in defeating the main Austrian army at Battle of Ulm
Battle of Ulm
The Battle of Ulm was a series of minor skirmishes at the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's Ulm Campaign, culminating in the surrender of an entire Austrian army near Ulm in Württemberg....
finally reached Masséna on 28 October and he issued orders for an immediate offensive against the Austrian army in northern Italy. Crossing the Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....
river with three of his divisions (Duhesme
Guillaume Philibert Duhesme
Guillaume Philibert, 1st Count Duhesme was a French general during the Napoleonic Wars.-Revolution:...
, Gardanne
Gaspard Amédée Gardanne
Gaspard Amédée Gardanne was a French general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.-Biography:Born at at Solliès-Pont, he joined the French royal army in 1779. After the French Revolution he joined a volunteer unit as an officer. He fought under Napoleon Bonaparte during the 1796-1797 and 1800...
, Molitor
Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
Gabriel-Jean-Joseph, comte Molitor , was a Marshal of France, born in Hayingen in Lorraine.Upon the outbreak of the French Revolution, Molitor joined the French revolutionary armies as a captain in a battalion of militia. In 1793 he was given command of a brigade and served under Hoche under whom...
) and leaving behind Seras' division to cover Verona, Masséna planned to move forward into Austrian-controlled territory.
The fighting on 29 October is considered by one historian to be part of the Battle of Caldiero. On that day, the divisions of Duhesme and Gardanne advanced on the left against Rosenberg, while Molitor's and Partouneaux's divisions moved forward against the town of Veronetta. Seeing a mass of French troops approaching, the Austrians abandoned Veronetta and fell back to San Michele. The French mauled Rosenberg's division and forced Frimont
Johann Maria Philipp Frimont
Johann Maria Philipp Frimont, Count of Palota, Prince of Antrodoco was an Austrian general.Frimont was born at Fénétrange, in what is now French Lorraine...
out of San Michele after street fighting. By the end of the day, Masséna's troops closed up to the main defense line of Archduke Charles. The French counted losses of 527 killed and wounded, plus 157 captured. Again, Austrian casualties were heavier, numbering 1,926 killed and wounded, with 1,114 prisoners.
Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen, himself acutely aware of the dire consequences of the fall of Ulm, was planning to move towards Vienna, in order to reinforce the remains of the Austrian army and link up with the Russians. However, in order to avoid having Masséna's men on his heels, he decided to suddenly turn and face the French, hoping that by defeating them he would ensure the success of his march towards inner Austria.
Battle plans
Archduke Charles had already made preparations for a French attack, occupying the strategic village of Caldiero, through which passed the main Lombardian road ('the Verona road') and deploying no less than 58 cannons and 24 mortars. The Austrian forces were divided into three main groups: to the right, Simbschen occupied the heights of Colognola and the ravine of San Zeno, where his cavalry was massed; in the centre, General Bellegarde covered the Verona road, holding the entrenchments north of the road as well as Monte Rocca and Ponterotta, to the south of the road; the left was formed by Prince Reuss-Plauen's forces, which extended the Austrian line to Chiavighette and had the detached division of General Nordmann cover the Adige in front of Chiavica del Christo.Upon reconnoitering the Austrian position, Masséna drew up his plan. General Gardanne was to form the apex of the army, deploying his forces on both sides of the Verona road, supported by Partouneaux's reserve, d'Espagne's cavalry and a part of Mermet's
Julien Augustin Joseph Mermet
General Julien Augustin Joseph Mermet fought in the Napoleonic Wars as a division commander in Italy and in the Peninsular War.-Empire:...
dragoons; to the left Molitor's division would deploy close to Ca dell'Ara and would set out to take the heights of Colognola; to the right, Duhesme would march on Gombione in order to fall upon Caldiero, but he was ordered to make his move towards midday; finally general Verdier
Jean-Antoine Verdier
Jean-Antoine Verdier was a French General during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.Born in Toulouse, he enlisted into the Régiment de la Fère on 18 February 1785...
would cross the Adige at Perzacco and turn the enemy left, with the support of Pully's cavalry while the rest of Mermet's cavalry would ensure contact with Verdier.
Battle
In the centre, general Gardanne belatedly formed his men and painstakingly fought his way up towards Caldiero against a determined Bellegarde. Gardanne's first attempt failed and he was forced to fall back on Rotta, where he was immediately reinforced by Partounneaux and d'Espagne. With his force thus augmented, Gardanne moved forward again and this time the French managed to take the vital position of Caldiero. A furious Austrian counterattack regained the position only to see Gardanne receive further reinforcements, one of Duhesme's brigades, which helped retake Caldiero. Bellegarde reformed his men for another counterattack, which he led in cooperation with Reuss-Plauen's forces, which had just come up as reinforcements. It took a considerable effort from the combined forces of Bellegarde and Reuss-Plauen to drive the French out of Caldiero, but Gardanne sounded the charge and regained control of the village after fierce hand-to-hand combat. The Austrians finally evacuated the position and the exhausted French drove them out and then fell back to the relative safety of the village.
On the French right, general Duhesme moved early against the forces of prince Reuss-Plauen and moved his first brigade (Goullus
François Goullus
Francois Goullus, was a brigadier general and baron of the First French Empire during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
) against the Austrians at Gombione. However, Duhesme saw the situation on his left rapidly deteriorating and was thus forced to send Herbin's brigade in support of Gardanne's assault of Caldiero. While Herbin's brigade would be in the thick of the fighting until nightfall, Goullus' would spend the day covering the position at Gombione.
To the extreme right, general Verdier was operating the flanking maneuver as ordered, when he learned that Davidovich had crossed the Adige at Bonavigo and was on the right bank with a part of his troops. Verdier promptly abandoned his initial plan of crossing at Perzacco and instead decided to cross the river right away at Zevio
Zevio
Zevio is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 90 km west of Venice and about 14 km southeast of Verona...
. However, instead of striking at the back of Nordmann's force, as he had hoped Verdier found himself facing the bulk of Nordmann's troops, which soon forced the French back across the river.
As night fell, combat ceased, with the Austrians already disengaged in most sectors of the battlefield. Archduke Charles decided against renewing battle the next day and began pulling out during the night.
Casualties
Both sides took heavy casualties, with the French losing only slightly fewer men than the Austrians, around 3,700 to 4,200. The French also lost colonel Julliac de Manelle of the 2nd foot artillery regiment, who was mortally wounded during the battle. Some vicious fighting involved the French 5th line regiment, which almost lost two of its eagles. A second source gives Austrian losses as 5,700 and notes that Charles claimed to have inflicted 8,000 casualties on the French. A third source puts Austrian losses higher than 5,500 and says that the French under-reported their casualties as 2,000 when they must have been at least 5,000.On the 30th of October, as a result of the defeat at Caldiero, the Austrians also lost a further 5,000 men and 70 officers (among which there were three superior officers) with their weapons and effects. These men were stationed at Cara Albertini under the command of general Hillinger and were forced to surrender. Although the French had agreed to release the prisoners, the 5,000 men would not be released. Two authorities put Hillinger's disaster on 2 November and give Austrian losses as 400 killed and wounded and 1,800 captured. Another source gives no casualties or date for the action but writes that Hillinger was "annihilated".
Strategic aftermath
Archduke Charles began his retreat on the morning of 1 November, leaving a rearguard under FrimontJohann Maria Philipp Frimont
Johann Maria Philipp Frimont, Count of Palota, Prince of Antrodoco was an Austrian general.Frimont was born at Fénétrange, in what is now French Lorraine...
to delay the French. Frimont's mixed brigade, consisting of four battalions and 12 squadrons, was only lightly engaged in the battle. Reinforced by infantry and an additional cavalry regiment, the rear guard put up a lively fight when pressed by d'Espagne's cavalry and the 22nd Light Infantry Regiment.
Bellegarde, Rosenberg, and Reuss fell back to Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
while Davidovich's corps withdrew to Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
. Hoping to create trouble in Massena's rear, Charles ordered Davidiovich to reinforce the Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
garrison with 12 battalions. Unknown to Charles, Gouvion Saint-Cyr's 8,700-man Italian division was marching northeast from central Italy. When it arrived near Venice, Saint-Cyr had sufficient strength to blockade the port and prevent the Austrian garrison from harassing Massena's communications.
Archduke Charles steadily retreated, fighting a rear guard action at San Pietro in Gu
San Pietro in Gu
San Pietro in Gu is a comune in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about 50 km northwest of Venice and about 25 km northwest of Padua....
near the Brenta River
Brenta River
The Brenta is an Italian river that runs from Trentino to the Adriatic Sea just south of the Venetian lagoon in the Veneto region.During Roman era, it was called Medoacus and near Padua it divided in two branches, Medoacus Maior and Medoacus Minor ; the river changed its course in early Middle...
on 4 November in which one battalion of the Kreutzer Grenz infantry
Grenz infantry
Grenz infantry or Grenzers were light infantry troops who came from the Croatian and Transylvanian Military Frontier in Habsburg Monarchy . This borderland formed a buffer zone between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire, and the troops were originally raised to defend Austria against the...
Regiment # 5 was destroyed by Molitor's division. Another clash occurred at Valvasone
Valvasone
Valvasone is a comune in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 15 km east of Pordenone...
, east of the Tagliamento River
Tagliamento River
The Tagliamento is a braided river in north-east Italy, flowing from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea at a point between Trieste and Venice. The source is in the Mauria Pass, on the border between the regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In the upper section, it flows through the historic...
on 11 November, where Charles fended off the French pursuit. During the withdrawal, d'Espagne trailed the Austrians with his own light cavalry division, Digonet's brigade of Verdier's division, Seras' infantry division, and Pully's cuirassiers. D'Espagne managed the pursuit effectively, making Charles believe that he was being closely followed. In fact, Massena's main body was a three day march behind the Austrians. Charles crossed the Isonzo River on 13 November. Vincent
Karl von Vincent
Karl Freiherr von Vincent, born 11 August 1757 – died 7 October 1834, fought in the army of Habsburg Austria during the French Revolutionary Wars. He first served as a staff officer then later as a combat commander. During the Napoleonic Wars, he was given important commands in two campaigns...
held off Molitor's attempt to cross the Isonzo River at Gradisca d'Isonzo on 16 November.
At the beginning of the war, Archduke John of Austria was assigned to command the army in the Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
and the Voralberg. He was directed to detach forces under Jellacic
Franz Jellacic
Baron Franjo Jelačić Bužimski , born 14 April 1746 – died 4 February 1810, was a Croatian nobleman, a member of the House of Jelačić...
and Auffenberg to the Danube army. Auffenberg's division was mauled at the Battle of Wertingen
Battle of Wertingen
In the Battle of Wertingen on October 8, 1805, French forces led by Marshals Joachim Murat and Jean Lannes mauled a small Austrian corps commanded by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Franz Auffenberg. This was the opening battle of the Ulm Campaign.-Background:...
and later surrendered at the Battle of Ulm
Battle of Ulm
The Battle of Ulm was a series of minor skirmishes at the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's Ulm Campaign, culminating in the surrender of an entire Austrian army near Ulm in Württemberg....
. Jellacic was required to guard the south flank of the Danube army near Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
. Marshal Augereau's VII Corps ran him to earth at Dornbirn
Dornbirn
Dornbirn is a city in Vorarlberg, Austria. It is the administrative center of the district Dornbirn, which also includes the city of Hohenems, and the market town Lustenau....
where Jellacic surrendered with his infantry on 14 November, his cavalry having gotten away. Another brigade of the Tyrol army under Prince Rohan became separated in the retreat and slipped away to the south where it made a dash for Venice. On 24 November Rohan's 4,400 troops were caught by Reynier's
Jean Reynier
Jean Louis Ebénézer Reynier rose in rank to become a French army general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. He led a division under Napoleon Bonaparte in the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria...
division at Castelfranco Veneto
Castelfranco Veneto
Castelfranco Veneto is a town and comune of Veneto, northern Italy, in the province of Treviso, 30 km by rail from the town of Treviso. It is approximately 40 km inland from Venice.-History:...
and forced to surrender. John managed to escape to the east with about 20,000 soldiers and fought a successful rear guard action against Guiot de Lacour's dragoons near the upper Isonzo at Bovec
Bovec
Bovec is a small city and municipality in northwestern Slovenia. The city of Bovec lies in the Bovec Basin in the Soča Valley below the Kanin mountain in the Julian Alps.-Geographical location:...
on 19 November 1805.
Charles hoped to march northeast to Villach
Villach
Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:...
for an early junction with his brother, Archduke John. However, he heard that some of Napoleon's troops were moving in his direction from the Danube valley. Marshal Ney's
Michel Ney
Michel Ney , 1st Duc d'Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon I...
VI Corps was repulsed at Scharnitz
Scharnitz
Scharnitz is a municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located 16,40 km north of Innsbruck as well as 9 km above Seefeld in Tirol at the border to Germany. It has one of the biggest area size and possesses 12 parts. The village was founded in the early middle age and was once an...
on 4 November with 800 casualties. However, that day, another brigade broke through a pass farther west at Leutasch
Leutasch
Leutasch is a municipality in the northern part of the district Innsbruck-Land and is located approximately 30 km northwest of Innsbruck. The beautiful valley lies within a 16 km long high-lying valley and possesses 2073 inhabitants and 26 hamlets....
, capturing about 600 Austrian line infantry. At Weyer
Weyer, Austria
Weyer is a municipality in the district of Steyr-Land in Upper Austria, Austria.-References:...
on 7 November, Marmont overtook and captured two battalions belonging to Merveldt's
Maximilian, Count of Merveldt
Maximilian, Count von Merveldt , among the most famous of an illustrious old Westphalian family, entered Austrian military service, rose to the rank of General of Cavalry, served as Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor's ambassador to Russia, and became special envoy extraordinaire to the Court of St....
corps. The following day, farther east at Mariazell
Mariazell
Mariazell is a small city in Austria, in Styria, well known for winter sports, 143 km N. of Graz. It is picturesquely situated in the valley of the Salza, amid the north Styrian Alps....
, Davout's III Corps advance guard crushed Merveldt's column. Ney occupied Innsbruck on 7 November and Marmont's
Auguste Marmont
Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont, 1st Duke of Ragusa was a French General, nobleman and Marshal of France.-Biography:...
II Corps was heading for Leoben
Leoben
Leoben is a Styrian city in central Austria, located by the Mur river. With a population of about 25,000 it is a local industrial center and hosts the University of Leoben which specialises in mining...
in Styria. Armed with this new information, Charles instead directed his troops' march on a more easterly path toward Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
(Laibach). Massena suspended his pursuit of Charles on 16 November.
Archdukes Charles and John joined forces near Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
(Marburg an der Drau) on 26 November. Though he now had an army numbering 85,000, Charles elected not to make a thrust at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
by attacking Marmont. Instead, he "moved rather slowly" according to historian Gunther E. Rothenberg
Gunther E. Rothenberg
Gunther E. Rothenberg was an internationally known military historian. Although widely known for his books and journal articles on the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, Rothenberg also had a fifteen-year military career, serving in the British Army, the Haganah, and the United...
. Charles pitched camp on the Mur River until 2 December when he withdrew into Hungary. By the time he reached Körmend
Körmend
-Places of interest:The town is especially well known for its castle which used to belong to the Batthyany family, one of the most important aristocrat families of Hungary. Blessed Ladislaus Batthyány-Strattmann , a famous ophthalmologist who was beatified by the Catholic Church, lived in the...
on 6 December, the Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
had been fought, ending in a decisive French victory.
Even after his great victory, Emperor Napoleon considered Archduke Charles' large army a threat. Accordingly, he directed Massena to reorganize his army as the VIII Corps, sweep east, and send Mermet's and Pully's heavy cavalry to Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
. Marmont massed at Graz with the II Corps while Ney reached Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
with his VI Corps. Napoleon stationed Marshal Davout's III Corps at Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
(Pressburg) and Marshal Soult's IV Corps south of Vienna. Charles' army was completely boxed in. On 26 December, the Treaty of Pressburg was signed, ending the conflict.
Commentary
The battle of Caldiero was thus a significant strategical victory for the French because it allowed them to closely follow the Austrian army, continually harassing it in a number of skirmishes, as it was falling back towards inner Austria. Masséna would thus delay Charles, preventing him from joining the army of the Danube, which would greatly influence the outcome of the war.Historians disagree on whether Caldiero was a French tactical victory, an Austrian tactical victory, or a draw. Alain Pigeard, whose work is a major source for this article, rates the engagement as a French victory. Digby Smith
Digby Smith
Digby Smith is a British military historian. The son of a British career soldier, he was born in Hampshire, England, but spent several years in India and Pakistan as a child and youth. As a "boy soldier," he entered training in the British Army at the age of 16...
calls the battle a "drawn match" while Frederick C. Schneid says it was "indecisive". Gunther E. Rothenberg
Gunther E. Rothenberg
Gunther E. Rothenberg was an internationally known military historian. Although widely known for his books and journal articles on the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, Rothenberg also had a fifteen-year military career, serving in the British Army, the Haganah, and the United...
writes that Caldiero was, "Austria's solitary military success in this war", although he was aware that the French historian Adolphe Thiers
Adolphe Thiers
Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers was a French politician and historian. was a prime minister under King Louis-Philippe of France. Following the overthrow of the Second Empire he again came to prominence as the French leader who suppressed the revolutionary Paris Commune of 1871...
considered the battle to be a French victory.