Battle of Millesimo
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Millesimo, fought on 13 and 14 April 1796, was the name that Napoleon Bonaparte gave in his correspondence to one of a series of small battle
s that were fought in Piedmont
, Northern Italy between the armies of France
and the allied armies of Austria
and of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont.
on 10 April by the left wing of the Austrian army, under Feldzeugmeister
Johann Beaulieu
, Bonaparte initiated the Montenotte Campaign
. The French advanced through the Cadibona Pass to defeat the isolated right wing of the Austrian army, commanded by Feldmarschal-Leutnant
(FML) Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau
, at the Battle of Montenotte
on 12 April. The French then moved further inland, intending to capture Dego
and increase the separation between the Austrian army and that of its ally, Piedmont-Sardinia.
's 21,000-strong Sardinian army. To keep Beaulieu's Austrian army from interfering, the French commander sent André Masséna
's division to seize Dego to the north. On 13 April, General of Division Pierre Augereau attacked FML Giovanni di Provera
's weak Austrian Auxiliary Corps east of Millesimo and defeated him.
To cover the withdrawal of his command, Provera retreated to Cosseria Castle with part of the Austrian Gyulai Freikorps
and two grenadier companies of the Austrian Strassoldo Infantry Regiment # 27. Colonel Filippo Del Carretto's newly arrived Sardinian 3rd Grenadier battalion soon joined Provera. Bonaparte ordered the partly ruined hilltop castle to be taken. Augereau and General of Division Meynier's divisions mounted repeated assaults, but the allied garrison resisted stoutly. After leading the last attack of the day, Colonel Barthélemy Joubert
wrote,
That evening, Augereau invested the castle while Bonaparte regrouped his forces. Early the next morning Augereau summoned the castle to surrender, whereupon Provera capitulated. By that time his men were out of food, ammunition, and water.
The report that Bonaparte wrote to the French government regarding the actions that took place around Millesimo, and which he called "The Battle of Millesimo" is confusing, and perhaps even deliberately misleading, as it is probable that Bonaparte did not want to reveal at the time how serious French casualties had been, and how close he had been to having his plans seriously compromised. There was, in fact, no real battle at Millesimo itself, but rather a confused action on 13 April, in which a number of small enemy units were driven back, followed by a short but very costly siege of the castle of Cosseria, which was defended by only about a thousand Austrians and Piedmontese under Provera and Del Carretto. It was only after the defenders had been forced to surrender the castle on 14 April, due to lack of ammunition, food and water, that the French advance inland could continue in safety. Bonaparte later admitted to the Piedmontese chief-of-staff, Colonel Joseph Costa that the siege of Cosseria had been a mistake and had been due to his impatience. It was probably because he wanted to cover up this mistake that Bonaparte's report of the "Battle of Millesimo" was so misleading.
received promotion when his colonel was killed in the attack. Losses in the brief action earlier in the day are not known. The surrender of the castle allowed the French offensive to continue. On 14 April, Massena won the Second Battle of Dego
. Soon after, Bonaparte launched his army in a relentless westward drive against Colli's Austro-Sardinian forces.
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
s that were fought in Piedmont
Piedmont
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...
, Northern Italy between the armies of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the allied armies of Austria
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont.
Background
In late March 1796, General Bonaparte took command of the French Army of Italy, which consisted of around 40,000 men under arms. After being attacked near GenoaGenoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
on 10 April by the left wing of the Austrian army, under Feldzeugmeister
Feldzeugmeister
Feldzeugmeister was a military rank in various European armies , especially in the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found in the beginning of the 20th century in some European countries...
Johann Beaulieu
Johann Peter Beaulieu
Johann Peter Beaulieu de Marconnay, also Jean Pierre Beaulieu de Marconnay, born 26 October 1725 – died 22 December 1819, was an Austrian military officer. He joined the Austrian army and fought against the Prussians during the Seven Years War. A cultured man, he later battled Belgian rebels...
, Bonaparte initiated the Montenotte Campaign
Montenotte Campaign
The Montenotte Campaign began on 10 April 1796 with an action at Voltri and ended with the Armistice of Cherasco on 28 April. In his first army command, Napoleon Bonaparte's French army separated the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont under Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi from the allied...
. The French advanced through the Cadibona Pass to defeat the isolated right wing of the Austrian army, commanded by Feldmarschal-Leutnant
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
(FML) Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau
Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau
Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau, comte de Mercy or Eugen Gillis Wilhelm Graf Mercy d'Argenteau joined the Austrian army in 1760, became a general officer, and led large formations of soldiers in several actions during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-Early career:Born at Huy in...
, at the Battle of Montenotte
Battle of Montenotte
The Battle of Montenotte was fought on 12 April 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, between the French army under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian corps under Count Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau. The battle was fought near the village of Cairo Montenotte, in northwestern Italy, and...
on 12 April. The French then moved further inland, intending to capture Dego
Dego
Dego is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 50 km west of Genoa and about 20 km northwest of Savona....
and increase the separation between the Austrian army and that of its ally, Piedmont-Sardinia.
Battle
After his victory at Montenotte, Bonaparte swung the main weight of his offensive to the west against FML Michelangelo ColliMichelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi
Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi, or Michele Angelo Alessandro Colli-Marchei or Michael Colli, joined the Austrian army, became a general officer, and led the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont for three years, including its unsuccessful campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte in...
's 21,000-strong Sardinian army. To keep Beaulieu's Austrian army from interfering, the French commander sent André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
's division to seize Dego to the north. On 13 April, General of Division Pierre Augereau attacked FML Giovanni di Provera
Giovanni Marchese di Provera
Giovanni Marchese di Provera, or Johann Provera, born c. 1736 – died 5 July 1804, served in the Austrian army in Italy during the French Revolutionary Wars. Provera played a significant role in three campaigns against General Napoleon Bonaparte during the Italian Campaign of 1796.-Military...
's weak Austrian Auxiliary Corps east of Millesimo and defeated him.
To cover the withdrawal of his command, Provera retreated to Cosseria Castle with part of the Austrian Gyulai Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
and two grenadier companies of the Austrian Strassoldo Infantry Regiment # 27. Colonel Filippo Del Carretto's newly arrived Sardinian 3rd Grenadier battalion soon joined Provera. Bonaparte ordered the partly ruined hilltop castle to be taken. Augereau and General of Division Meynier's divisions mounted repeated assaults, but the allied garrison resisted stoutly. After leading the last attack of the day, Colonel Barthélemy Joubert
Barthélemy Catherine Joubert
Barthélemy Catherine Joubert was a French general. He joined the royal French army in 1784 and rose rapidly in rank during the French Revolutionary Wars. Napoleon Bonaparte recognized his talents and gave him increased responsibilities...
wrote,
Nothing more terrible could be imagined than the assault, where I was wounded passing through a loophole; my carabiniers held me up in the air, with one hand I grasped the top of the wall. I parried the stones with my saber, and my whole body was the target for two entrenchments dominating the position ten paces off.
That evening, Augereau invested the castle while Bonaparte regrouped his forces. Early the next morning Augereau summoned the castle to surrender, whereupon Provera capitulated. By that time his men were out of food, ammunition, and water.
The report that Bonaparte wrote to the French government regarding the actions that took place around Millesimo, and which he called "The Battle of Millesimo" is confusing, and perhaps even deliberately misleading, as it is probable that Bonaparte did not want to reveal at the time how serious French casualties had been, and how close he had been to having his plans seriously compromised. There was, in fact, no real battle at Millesimo itself, but rather a confused action on 13 April, in which a number of small enemy units were driven back, followed by a short but very costly siege of the castle of Cosseria, which was defended by only about a thousand Austrians and Piedmontese under Provera and Del Carretto. It was only after the defenders had been forced to surrender the castle on 14 April, due to lack of ammunition, food and water, that the French advance inland could continue in safety. Bonaparte later admitted to the Piedmontese chief-of-staff, Colonel Joseph Costa that the siege of Cosseria had been a mistake and had been due to his impatience. It was probably because he wanted to cover up this mistake that Bonaparte's report of the "Battle of Millesimo" was so misleading.
Results
The French lost 700 men in their fruitless attacks on 13 April. Provera's 988 men suffered only 96 killed and wounded, but the remainder became prisoners of war. The French Adjutant General Jean Quenin and Colonel Pierre Banel, and the Sardinian Del Carretto were killed. Louis SuchetLouis Gabriel Suchet
Louis Gabriel Suchet, 1st Duc d'Albufera was a Marshal of France and one of Napoleon's most brilliant generals.-Early career:...
received promotion when his colonel was killed in the attack. Losses in the brief action earlier in the day are not known. The surrender of the castle allowed the French offensive to continue. On 14 April, Massena won the Second Battle of Dego
Second Battle of Dego
The Second Battle of Dego was fought on 14 and 15 April 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars between French forces and Austro-Sardinian forces...
. Soon after, Bonaparte launched his army in a relentless westward drive against Colli's Austro-Sardinian forces.
See also
- Battle of MontenotteBattle of MontenotteThe Battle of Montenotte was fought on 12 April 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, between the French army under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian corps under Count Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau. The battle was fought near the village of Cairo Montenotte, in northwestern Italy, and...
12 April 1796 - Second Battle of DegoSecond Battle of DegoThe Second Battle of Dego was fought on 14 and 15 April 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars between French forces and Austro-Sardinian forces...
14–15 April 1796 - Battle of CevaBattle of CevaIn the Battle of Ceva on 16 April 1796, troops of the First French Republic under Pierre Augereau fought against part of the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont led by General Giuseppe Felice, Count Vital. Augereau assaulted the strong defensive position without success...
16 April 1796 - Battle of MondovìBattle of MondoviThe Battle of Mondovì was fought on 21 April 1796 between the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte and the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont led by Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi. The French victory meant that they had put the Ligurian Alps behind them, while the plains of Piedmont lay...
21 April 1796 - Montenotte CampaignMontenotte CampaignThe Montenotte Campaign began on 10 April 1796 with an action at Voltri and ended with the Armistice of Cherasco on 28 April. In his first army command, Napoleon Bonaparte's French army separated the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont under Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi from the allied...
Printed materials
- Birago, C., Gen. 'La difesa di Cosseria.' Antologia italiana, Giornale di scienze lettere ed arti, 2 (1847): 632-46
- Boycott-Brown, Martin. The Road to Rivoli. London: Cassell & Co., 2001. ISBN 0-304-35305-1
- Chandler, DavidDavid G. ChandlerDavid G. Chandler was a British historian whose study focused on the Napoleonic era.As a young man he served briefly in the army, reaching the rank of captain, and in later life he taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Oxford University awarded him the D. Litt. in 1991...
. The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Macmillan, 1966. - Costa de Beauregard, C. A. Un homme d'autrefois: souvenirs recueillis par son arrière-petit-fils. Paris, 1879
- Napoleon. Correspondence de Napoléon Ier publiée par ordre de l'empereur Napoléon III. Paris, 1858–69
- Schels, J. B. 'Die Gefechte in den Apenninen, bei Voltri, Montenotte, Millessimo, Cossaria und Dego, im April 1796.' Oesterreichische Militärische Zeitschrift, Bd. 2 (1822): 123-217
- Smith, DigbyDigby SmithDigby 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...
. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9