First Battle of Marengo
The First Battle of Marengo or Battle of San Giuliano (16 May 1799; Julian calendar: 5 May) saw Republican French soldiers under General of Division Jean Victor Marie Moreau launch a reconnaissance in force against a larger force of Habsburg Austrian and Imperial Russian troops led by Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov. The French enjoyed initial success, pressing back their opponents. However, large Austrian and Russian reinforcements soon arrived, causing the French to withdraw into Alessandria. This War of the Second Coalition meeting engagement occurred near the town of Spinetta Marengo, located just east of Alessandria in northwest Italy.
| First Battle of Marengo (1799) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Italian campaigns in the War of the Second Coalition | |||||||||
Habsburg Austrian grenadiers fought at First Marengo. | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
French Republic
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Russian Empire Habsburg monarchy | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Jean Moreau Claude-Victor Perrin Gaspard Gardanne Luigi Colli Ricci |
Alexander Suvorov Pyotr Bagration Franz de Lusignan Konrad von Kaim Anton Mittrowsky | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 5,000–8,000 | 11,000–16,500 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 500 to 1,500 | 150 to 720 | ||||||||
A series of Austrian and Russian victories in the spring of 1799 drove the French armies from north and northeast Italy. The commander of the combined Austro-Russian armies, Suvorov massed his forces opposite the fortress city of Alessandria. After a Russian force received a costly repulse in the Battle of Bassignana, Moreau sent General of Division Claude Perrin Victor's division to discover the Austro-Russian positions. After the action, Moreau sent half of his army into Genoa while taking the other half to the west. Meanwhile, Suvorov marched his troops up the north bank of the Po River to capture Turin.