The Battle Of Marengo

One of the great 'What Ifs' of military history, the Battle of Marengo 1800 firmly secured Napoleon's position as First Consul. Having returned from Egypt and seized power, Napoleon led the Army of the Reserve over the Alps against the Austrian Army besieging Genoa. On the morning of 14th June, Melas, the Austrian commander, launched a surprise attack. The attack initially drove the French back to Marengo village and despite committing the Consular Guard, by 3pm the French were retreating. Believing he had won, the wounded Melas made the decision to leave the field to General Zach. This book describes the run up to that fateful battle and details how the arrival of Desaix's Division led by Kellerman's cavalry threw the Austrians into confusion and turned the battle in Napoleon's favour.

This is a detailed account of the Battle of Marengo, fought between the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austrian army in June 1800. The book includes first-hand descriptions of the battle from soldiers who fought in it, as well as analysis of the tactics and strategy employed by both sides. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The situation in 1800 was not auspicious for the new born French Republic, Napoleon Bonaparte, as he then was, had with some aid from his family, fellow army officers and politicians, overthrown the venal and corrupt Directory. However France was menaced on its German borders by a vast Austrian army and a further large Austrian army bearing down on the Var and Nice in Northern Italy. Most of the gains won by Bonaparte in his first campaign ending in the triumphant battle of Rivoli had been lost, Switzerland had only just been saved by a masterful campaign by Masséna. Bonaparte attacked the problem with energy, activity and genius, although not secure on a throne he had to balance the ego of his main military rival Moreau, he embarked on a risky gamble to take an army across the Alps and shatter the Austrians in Italy. Herbert Sargent’s book follows Bonaparte’s first campaign as First Consul of the French Republic as he drives, organizes and masterminds his very own blitzkreig across the Alps. As a serving officer in the American Army, who saw active service in a number of the late 19th and early 20th Century campaigns of the United States, he is well qualified to pass his opinion on Napoleon’s brilliant campaign. It would be this campaign that would be the bedrock for the political machinations that would see Napoleon crowned as Emperor of the French some four years later. A classic account of a campaign not much covered in Napoleonic literature. Author – Herbert H. Sargent - (1858–1921)

1800-A momentous conflict between the French and Austrians The French victory at the Battle of Marengo decisively terminated Bonaparte's Italian campaign. This early battle of the Napoleonic Wars was the culmination of a campaign which demonstrated the First Consul's genius for warfare and-combined with his Hannibal-like exploit of crossing the snow closed high passes of the Alps to engage the enemy-contributed one more fabulous accolade which was to make the legend that was Napoleon. Yet it was so nearly a disaster for the French as the Austrian General von Melas began the action with a master stroke which could have spelt disaster for many generals-other than the future Emperor of the First Empire. It was only won at the cost of one of France's most talented and valued generals-Desaix. The American historian and author of this examination of Marengo- Herbert H. Sargent-explains the strategy of this famous battle succinctly and then follows the facts with clear and expert military analysis to assist the student of military history, strategy and tactics.

On 14 June 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte fought his first battle as French head of state at Marengo in northern Italy. Unexpectedly attacked, Napoleons army fought one of the most intense battles of the French Revolutionary Wars. Forced to retreat, and threatened with encirclement, Napoleon saved his reputation with a daring counterattack, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. This battle consolidated Napoleons political position and placed the crown of France within his reach.Meticulously researched using memoirs, reports and regimental histories from both armies, Marengo casts new light on this crucial battle and reveals why Napoleon came so close to defeat and why the Austrians ultimately threw their victory away. With the most detailed account of the battle ever written, the author focuses on the leading personalities in the French and Austrian camps, describing the key events leading up to the battle, and the complex armistice negotiations which followed. For the first time, the author exposes the full story of Carlo Gioelli, the enigmatic Italian double agent who misled both armies in the prelude to battle.

“A good overview of the forces, their tactics, mistakes (and lies in official reports)” of the two pivotal campaigns that cemented Napoleon’s dictatorship (Paper Wars). In a tense, crowded thirty-three days in the autumn of 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte organized a coup and made himself dictator of France. Yet his position was precarious. He knew that France would accept his rule only if he gained military victories that brought peace. James Arnold, in this detailed and compelling account, describes the extraordinary campaigns that followed. At Marengo, Bonaparte defeated the Austrians and his fellow general Jean Moreau beat the combined Austrian and Bavarian armies at Hohenlinden. These twin campaigns proved decisive. Bonaparte’s dictatorship was secure and his enemies across Europe were forced in a 15-year struggle to overthrow him.