Battle of Chiari
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Chiari was fought on 1 September 1701 during the War of the Spanish Succession
. The engagement was part of Prince Eugene of Savoy
's campaign to seize the Spanish controlled Duchy of Milan
in the Italian peninsula, and had followed his victory over Marshal Catinat
at the Battle of Carpi
in July. Marshal Villeroi
replaced Catinat as commander of the Franco–Spanish–Savoyard forces in the theatre, carrying with him orders from King Louis XIV
to push the Imperialists out of Italy. Foreseeing Villeroi's intention of attacking at any price, Eugene entrenched himself in front of the small fortress of Chiari
, and waited for the attack. In a battle that lasted several hours the Austrians inflicted heavy casualties on Villeroi's forces, gaining an overwhelming victory. The campaign established Eugene in Lombardy
, and helped to persuade the Maritime Powers to come to the aid of the Emperor. Within a week of the battle England, the Dutch Republic, and Leopold I, had signed the second treaty of the Grand Alliance.
on 9 July 1701 the French commander, Nicolas Catinat
, precipitously retired behind the river Mincio
, leaving Prince Eugene
in command of the whole country between that river and the Adige
. Eugene now effected the passage of the Mincio at Peschiera del Garda
, driving the French farther back across the Oglio
. (See map).
The failure of Catinat to withstand the advance of a much smaller Imperial army evoked indignation at Versailles
, leading King Louis XIV
to replace Catinat with the ageing duc de Villeroi
. Villeroi – with orders to risk a battle – arrived in theatre in late August. Louis XIV needed a victory to assure the continued loyalty of Italy to his grandson
's regime. On 7 September, not knowing the battle had already been fought, the French King wrote to his commander, "I cannot tell you how pleased I am to have you in command … I have reason to believe that you will finish the campaign gloriously". Villeroi joined the army, and his generals – the Duke of Savoy
, Catinat, and the Prince of Vaudémont
– and marched to find the enemy, confident he would drive them from Italy.
. Streams protected his position on three sides: as there was not enough room for a cavalry engagement, Eugene could count on a frontal attack by the French infantry.
Villeroi ignored Catinat's warning that Eugene was in a strong position, remarking that the King, "had not sent so many brave men just to look at the enemy through their spy glasses." On 1 September the Franco-Spanish infantry advanced. Deceived by the report of spies that the Imperialists were retiring, Villeroi crossed the Oglio and pushed on to Chiari expecting to attack their rear guard
; but instead, the French commander encountered the whole Imperial army securely entrenched in their positions. Firing from point-blank range the Austrians drove back the French with a withering fire, imposing a heavy toll in a contest as destructive as any battle during the war in Italy. With only minor losses the Imperial army had inflicted over 3,000 casualties in the ranks, and over 250 officers. This number would grow rapidly as fever attacked the wounded.
Villeroi lost personal control during the battle, and Catinat, despite being wounded, had to organise a retreat. The French dug themselves in only a mile or so away from the Austrians on the same side of the Oglio. Here, the two opposing sides remained for the next two months: the French were too much discouraged by their repulse to resume the assault, and Eugene was unwilling to risk the advantages he had gained by attacking the French in their strong defensive position. However, as autumn advanced, conditions deteriorated in both camps: fodder was so short that Eugene's horses were forced to eat fallen leaves. But the French, whose camp was built on marshy ground, suffered most, and they moved out first in mid-November, crossing the Oglio before entering winter quarters in the Duchy of Milan
.
for soldiers' pay and lodgings, and two million for fodder, had soon been imposed on the local population, most of which had to be taken by force. For his winter quarters Eugene proceeded to reduce the whole Duchy of Mantua
, except the capital and Goito
, which he closely blockaded; shortly after he occupied Mirandola
and Guastalla
. Eugene's relationship with the local population had been good and he had kept a tight control: he had executed 48 of his men for looting, telling the Emperor that he had 'imposed more severe discipline than has possibly ever been seen in an army'. Eugene had received little cash from the Emperor, far less than he expected, but he had secured a sound footing in northern Italy and, as hoped, his success helped to encourage the Maritime Powers to come to the aid of Leopold I. Since the beginning of the year Count Wratislaw
had been in London as Imperial minister, pressing for assistance. With Eugene's two victories (Carpi and Chiari), Leopold I had proved he would fight to protect his interests, giving Wratislaw the arguments he needed to push through the alliance with the Maritime Powers. On 7 September 1701 – within a week of the battle – England and the Dutch Republic signed the second treaty of the Grand Alliance, backing the Emperor's claims to the Spanish possessions in Italy.
The French were still in Milan, but their position was weak: morale was poor and desertion was high. Louis XIV wrote to Villeroi urging him to work closely with Catinat and, "not again to attack the enemy without advantage." "If you do … the King, my grandson, will lose Italy." By October French optimism for the campaign was gone, but Louis XIV hoped to send reinforcements for next year's campaign, believing the Emperor would not be able to make a comparable increase in Eugene's strength. However, the campaign season was not yet over. As Villeroi settled down for the winter, Eugene was preparing to attack him
at his headquarters in Cremona
.
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...
. The engagement was part of Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...
's campaign to seize the Spanish controlled Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
in the Italian peninsula, and had followed his victory over Marshal Catinat
Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. The son of a magistrate, Catinat was born in Paris on 1 September 1637...
at the Battle of Carpi
Battle of Carpi
The Battle of Carpi was a series of manoeuvres in the summer of 1701, and the first battle of the War of the Spanish Succession that took place on July 9, 1701 between France and Austria.- Prelude :...
in July. Marshal Villeroi
François de Neufville, duc de Villeroi
François de Neufville, 2ème duc de Villeroy was a French soldier.-Biography:Villeroy was born in Lyon into noble family which had risen into prominence in the reign of Charles IX....
replaced Catinat as commander of the Franco–Spanish–Savoyard forces in the theatre, carrying with him orders from King Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
to push the Imperialists out of Italy. Foreseeing Villeroi's intention of attacking at any price, Eugene entrenched himself in front of the small fortress of Chiari
Chiari
Chiari is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, northern Italy....
, and waited for the attack. In a battle that lasted several hours the Austrians inflicted heavy casualties on Villeroi's forces, gaining an overwhelming victory. The campaign established Eugene 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 helped to persuade the Maritime Powers to come to the aid of the Emperor. Within a week of the battle England, the Dutch Republic, and Leopold I, had signed the second treaty of the Grand Alliance.
Prelude
After his defeat at the Battle of CarpiBattle of Carpi
The Battle of Carpi was a series of manoeuvres in the summer of 1701, and the first battle of the War of the Spanish Succession that took place on July 9, 1701 between France and Austria.- Prelude :...
on 9 July 1701 the French commander, Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. The son of a magistrate, Catinat was born in Paris on 1 September 1637...
, precipitously retired behind the river Mincio
Mincio
Mincio is a river in the Lombardy region of northern Italy.Called the Sarca River before entering Lake Garda, it flows from there about 65 km past Mantua into the Po River....
, leaving Prince Eugene
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...
in command of the whole country between that river and 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 ....
. Eugene now effected the passage of the Mincio at Peschiera del Garda
Peschiera del Garda
Peschiera del Garda , is a town and comune in the province of Verona, in Veneto, Italy. When Lombardy-Venetia was under Austrian rule, Peschiera was the northwest anchor of the four fortified towns constituting the so-called Quadrilatero...
, driving the French farther back across the Oglio
Oglio
The Oglio is a left-side tributary of the Po River in Lombardy, Italy. It is 280 km long....
. (See map).
The failure of Catinat to withstand the advance of a much smaller Imperial army evoked indignation at Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
, leading King Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
to replace Catinat with the ageing duc de Villeroi
François de Neufville, duc de Villeroi
François de Neufville, 2ème duc de Villeroy was a French soldier.-Biography:Villeroy was born in Lyon into noble family which had risen into prominence in the reign of Charles IX....
. Villeroi – with orders to risk a battle – arrived in theatre in late August. Louis XIV needed a victory to assure the continued loyalty of Italy to his grandson
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
's regime. On 7 September, not knowing the battle had already been fought, the French King wrote to his commander, "I cannot tell you how pleased I am to have you in command … I have reason to believe that you will finish the campaign gloriously". Villeroi joined the army, and his generals – the Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus II was Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He also held the titles of marquis of Saluzzo, duke of Montferrat, prince of Piedmont, count of Aosta, Moriana and Nizza. Louis XIV organised his marriage in order to maintain French influence in the Duchy but Victor Amadeus soon broke away...
, Catinat, and the Prince of Vaudémont
Prince Charles Henry de Lorraine-Vaudemont
Charles Henri of Lorraine was the legitimated son of Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, and Béatrix de Cusance. His was given the Principality of Commercy in 1708 by his cousin Leopold, Duke of Lorraine...
– and marched to find the enemy, confident he would drive them from Italy.
Battle
Eugene welcomed the prospect of a decisive battle, and waited on the eastern side of the Oglio to be attacked. The Imperial commander had chosen his ground carefully, entrenching his troops and guns in front of the small fortress of ChiariChiari
Chiari is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, northern Italy....
. Streams protected his position on three sides: as there was not enough room for a cavalry engagement, Eugene could count on a frontal attack by the French infantry.
Rear guard
A rear guard or rearguard is that part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal...
; but instead, the French commander encountered the whole Imperial army securely entrenched in their positions. Firing from point-blank range the Austrians drove back the French with a withering fire, imposing a heavy toll in a contest as destructive as any battle during the war in Italy. With only minor losses the Imperial army had inflicted over 3,000 casualties in the ranks, and over 250 officers. This number would grow rapidly as fever attacked the wounded.
Villeroi lost personal control during the battle, and Catinat, despite being wounded, had to organise a retreat. The French dug themselves in only a mile or so away from the Austrians on the same side of the Oglio. Here, the two opposing sides remained for the next two months: the French were too much discouraged by their repulse to resume the assault, and Eugene was unwilling to risk the advantages he had gained by attacking the French in their strong defensive position. However, as autumn advanced, conditions deteriorated in both camps: fodder was so short that Eugene's horses were forced to eat fallen leaves. But the French, whose camp was built on marshy ground, suffered most, and they moved out first in mid-November, crossing the Oglio before entering winter quarters in the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
.
Aftermath
In Milan the French presence proved increasingly unpopular: five million livresFrench livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
for soldiers' pay and lodgings, and two million for fodder, had soon been imposed on the local population, most of which had to be taken by force. For his winter quarters Eugene proceeded to reduce the whole Duchy of Mantua
Duchy of Mantua
The Duchy of Mantua was a duchy in Lombardy, Northern Italy, subject to the Holy Roman Empire.-History:After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Mantua was invaded by Byzantines, Longobards and Franks. In the 11th century it became a possession of Boniface of Canossa, marquis of Toscana...
, except the capital and Goito
Goito
Goito is a comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the Province of Mantua, from which it is some 20 km, on the road to Brescia. It is situated on the right bank of the Mincio River near the bridge.-History:...
, which he closely blockaded; shortly after he occupied Mirandola
Mirandola
Mirandola is a city and comune of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, in the Province of Modena, 31 km northeast of the provincial capital by railway.- History :Mirandola originated as a Renaissance city-fortress...
and Guastalla
Guastalla
Guastalla is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.-Geography:Guastalla is situated in the Po Valley, and lies on the banks of the Po River...
. Eugene's relationship with the local population had been good and he had kept a tight control: he had executed 48 of his men for looting, telling the Emperor that he had 'imposed more severe discipline than has possibly ever been seen in an army'. Eugene had received little cash from the Emperor, far less than he expected, but he had secured a sound footing in northern Italy and, as hoped, his success helped to encourage the Maritime Powers to come to the aid of Leopold I. Since the beginning of the year Count Wratislaw
John Wenceslau Wratislaw von Mitrowitz
Count Johann Wenzel Wratislaw von Mitrowitz was the High Chancellor of Bohemia .- Biography :Count Johann Wenzel Wratislaw von Mitrowitz was born into a noble family of Bohemia. In his early years he was a lawyer and travelled through Europe. With the support of his uncle Count Count Franz Ulrich...
had been in London as Imperial minister, pressing for assistance. With Eugene's two victories (Carpi and Chiari), Leopold I had proved he would fight to protect his interests, giving Wratislaw the arguments he needed to push through the alliance with the Maritime Powers. On 7 September 1701 – within a week of the battle – England and the Dutch Republic signed the second treaty of the Grand Alliance, backing the Emperor's claims to the Spanish possessions in Italy.
The French were still in Milan, but their position was weak: morale was poor and desertion was high. Louis XIV wrote to Villeroi urging him to work closely with Catinat and, "not again to attack the enemy without advantage." "If you do … the King, my grandson, will lose Italy." By October French optimism for the campaign was gone, but Louis XIV hoped to send reinforcements for next year's campaign, believing the Emperor would not be able to make a comparable increase in Eugene's strength. However, the campaign season was not yet over. As Villeroi settled down for the winter, Eugene was preparing to attack him
Battle of Cremona
The Battle of Cremona was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession that took place on February 1, 1702 between France and Austria.Five months after repulsing the French at the Battle of Chieri in Lombardy, Prince Eugene of Savoy retook the offensive, moving westward with the Austrian army of...
at his headquarters in Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
.