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Battle of Marengo

Part of the War of the Second Coalition

Louis-François Lejeune: The Battle of Marengo. Scene

of the battle in which Napoleon, followed by some

generals, advances on horseback from the left towards

the centre of the image. Behind him, a regiment confront

in line the head of the Austrian pursuit column, while

Desaix is being mortally wounded at the head of his men

Further to the right, General Zach is captured by s ome

cavalrymen and General Saint-Julien tries to escape the

same fate. In the background General Kellermann

conducts his famous cavalry charge in the flank of theAus trians . Behind all the act ion lies the village of 

Spinetta, in front of the A pennines .

Date 14 June 1800

Location Spinetta Marengo, Alessandria,

Piedmont, present-day Italy

Result Decisive French victory[1][2]

Belligerents

French Republic Habsburg Monarchy

Commanders and leaders

 Napoleon Bonaparte

Louis Desaix †

Michael von Melas

Peter Ott

Strength

24,000

24 guns [3]22,000

55 guns[3]

Casualties and losses

Battle of MarengoFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Battle of Marengo was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte andAustrian forces near the city of Alessandria, in Piedmont,Italy. The French overcame General Michael von Melas's

surprise attack near the end of the day, driving the Austriansout of Italy, and enhancing Napoleon's political position inParis as First Consul of France in the wake of his coupd’état the previous November.[7]

Surprised by the Austrian advance toward Genoa in mid-April 1800, Bonaparte had hastily led his army over theAlps in mid-May and reached Milan on 2 June. After cuttingMelas’s line of communications by crossing the river Po anddefeating Feldmarschallleutnant (FML) Peter Karl Ott

von Bátorkéz at Montebello on 9 June, the French closed inon the Austrian army, which had massed in Alessandria.Deceived by a local double agent, Bonaparte dispatchedlarge forces to the north and south, but the Austrianslaunched a surprise attack on 14 June against the mainFrench army under General Louis Alexandre Berthier.[8]

Initially, their two assaults across the Fontanone stream near Mar engo village were repelled, and General Jean Lannesreinf orced the French right. Bonaparte realised the true

 position and issued orders at 11:00 am to recall thedetachment under Général de Division (GdD) LouisDesaix, while moving his reserve forward. On the Austrianleft, Ott’s column had taken Castel Ceriolo, and its advanceguard moved south to attack Lannes’s flank. Melasrenewed the main assault and the Austrians broke thecentr al French position. By 2:30 pm the French werewithdrawing and Austrian dr agoons seized the Marengofarm.[8] Bonaparte had by then arrived with the reserve, butBerthier’s troops began to fall back on the main vine belts.

Knowing Desaix was approaching, Bonaparte was anxiousabout a column of Ott’s soldiers marching from the north, sohe deployed his Consular Guard infantry to delay it. TheFrench then withdrew steadily eastward toward SanGiuliano Vecchio as the Austrians formed a column tofollow them in line with Ott’s advance in the northernsector.[8]

Coordinates: 44°53′N 8°4

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1,100 killed

3,600 wounded

900 missing or 

captured[4]

Total: 5,600[5]

1,000 killed

5,500 wounded

2,900 captured

15 guns captured

40 colours captured[4]

Total: 9,400[6]

Desaix’s arrival around 5:30 pm stabilised the French position as the 9ème Légère (9th Light Infantry) delayed theAustrian advance down the main road and the rest of thearmy re-formed north of Cascina Grossa. As the pursuingAustrian troops arrived, a mix of musketry and artillery fireconcealed the surprise attack of Général de Brigade (GdB)François Étienne de Kellermann’s cavalry, which threw theAustrian pursuit into disordered flight back into Alessandria,having lost about 9,400 killed, wounded, or captured. The French casualties were considerably fewer, but includeDesaix. The whole French line chased after them to seal une victoire politique (a political victory) that securedBonaparte’s grip on power after the coup. It would be followed by a propaganda campaign, which sought torewrite the battle three times during Napoleon’s rule.[8]

Contents

1 Background

1.1 Austrian plans and the preliminary French moves2 Battlefield3 Forces4 Austrian attack 

4.1 Stalemate in the centre around Marengo4.2 Austrian breakout across the Fontanone

5 French counter-attack 6 Consequences

6.1 Propaganda

7 Marengo museum8 Remembrance9 Cultural references10 Footnotes11 References12 External links

Background

The Battle of Marengo was the victory that sealed the success of Napoleon's Italian campaign of 1800 and is bestunderstood in the context of that campaign. By a daring crossing of the Alps[9] with his Army of the Reserve(officially commanded by Louis Alexandre Berthier) in mid-May 1800 almost before the passes were open,

 Napoleon (who crossed on a mule) had threatened Melas's lines of communications in northern Italy. The Frencharmy then seized Milan on 2 June, followed by Pavia, Piacenza and Stradella, Lombardy, cutting the main Austriansupply route eastward along the south bank of the Po river. Napoleon hoped that Melas's preoccupation with theSiege of Genoa, held by General André Masséna, would prevent the Austrians from responding to his offensive.However, Genoa surrendered on June 4, freeing a large number of Austrians for operations against the French.[8]

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 Napoleon Crossing the Alps byJacques-Louis David

On 9 June, General Jean Lannes beat Feldmarschallleutnant Peter Ott in the Battle of Montebello. This caused Napoleon to become overconfident. He became convinced that Melas would not attack, and further, that theAustrian was about to retreat. As other French forces closed from the west and south, the Austrian commander had withdrawn most of his troops from their positions near Nice and Genoa to Alessandria on the main Turin-Mantua road.[8]

Austrian plans and the preliminary French moves

The Austrians planned to fight their way out eastward but—using a localdouble agent, usually known by his cover of François Toli—attempted todeceive Bonaparte into thinking they would try to march north, cross thePo, and head for Milan, joined by the remaining troops marching up fromGenoa. The spy would advise Bonaparte to march via Sale on thenorthern side of the plain, so that he could be engaged by the Austrianleft wing; meanwhile the main force would move through Marengo villagein the centre, turn north, and fall into the French left flank. Ott arrivedfrom Montebello on 12 June, increasing the Austrian force to 30,000 fit

troops, who faced a French force about two thousand weaker under Bonaparte, which arrived at Sale on 13 June.[8] The Austrian decision tomarch east had been taken on the evening of 13 June in a war council.The senior generals of the Austrian army strongly approved this plan, asthe alternative would have meant that the Austrian army would have hadto retreat along the river Po and leave Piedmont to the enemy without afight. Nonetheless, by abandoning the San Giuliano plain, where thesuperior Austrian cavalry could have given him an edge, Melas probablymade a serious mistake.[10]

 Napoleon knew that Ott had no way out from Alessandria, but he had no idea on Melas's position. Following hismeeting with the spy and fearing that the Austrian general might try to escape, Bonaparte spread his army out in awide net by sending Louis Desaix with GdD Jean Boudet’s division (6,000 men) south to Novi Ligure and GdDJean François Cornu de La Poype (3,500 men) north on the other bank of the Po. Further north, from Vercelli toLake Maggiore, were stationed the divisions of Antoine de Béthencourt and Joseph Chabran and, further to the

 back, north of Piacenza, Jean Thomas Guillaume Lorge's division.[3] Napoleon's view was confirmed when GenerClaude Victor-Perrin, supported by GdD Joachim Murat’s cavalry, swiftly evicted FML Andreas O'Reilly vonBallinlough’s Austrian brigade from Marengo village that afternoon. Victor then deployed GdD Gaspard AmédéeGardanne and GdD Jacques-Antoine de Chambarlhac de Laubespin’s divisions along the Fontanone stream.Austrian headquarters debated building a bridge to the north to outflank the French, but the lack of pontoons and

time forced the Austrians to cross the river Bormida and then launch a single, direct assault across the Fontanone bridge.[8]

Battlefield

The battle took place to the east of Alessandria, on a plain crossed by a river forming meanders, the Bormida, ovewhich the Austrians installed a bridgehead. On the plain were spread numerous hamlets and farms whichrepresented strategic points. The three main sites of the battle formed a triangle, with Marengo in the west, CastelCeriolo in the north, and San Giuliano Vecchio in the east. A small stream, the Fontanone, passed betweenMarengo and the Bormida. The First Consul had established his headquarters at Torre Garofoli, which was furthe

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Torre Garofoli, Napoleon'sheadquarters before the battle

to the east.This headquarters nowadays visitable is situated in the street: "Strada Comunale Cerca" coordinatesGPS N44°53'37.01 E 8°48'14.12[3]

Forces

 For more details on this topic, see Marengo Order of Battle.

The 30,000 Austrians and their 100 guns were opposed by 22,000French and their 15 guns. Meanwhile, after the arrival of Desaix, 6,000men would reinforce Bonaparte's army.[3]

The 1799 campaign had exhausted the Austrian army in Italy, casualtiesand disease reducing some regiments to 300 men. The largest componentof the army was in Piedmont and the neighbouring Po valley; only a fewunits were moved to winter quarters in better-supplied areas. Longdistances from the home bases, from which the regiments drewreinforcements, meant that troop transports had to endure miserable

conditions, so only about 15 per cent reached the field army. The armyof March 1800 was scarcely larger than at the conclusion of the 1799campaign.[11] Equipment and uniforms were improved and updated.Although a simpler uniform, with a leather helmet and smaller calibremuskets, was introduced, little had reached the field armies by 1800.Efforts were made to standardise equipment, but many units used avariety of musket and sabre patterns.[12] Melas split his army into threecorps facing the Bormida, in front of Alessandria. In the north FML Ott (Friedrich Heinrich von Gottesheim'sadvance guard plus Joseph von Schellenberg and Ludwig von Vogelsang's divisions), in the south FML O'Reilly'sdivision, while himself commanded in the centre the most important formation (the divisions of Karl Joseph Hadik 

von Futak, Konrad Valentin von Kaim, Ferdinand Johann von Morzin and Anton von Elsnitz). [13]

In 1799 the 36,000 French troops in Italy were in a desperate state similar to that at the end of 1795. Supplies ofall sorts were inadequate, discipline was breaking down, desertion was increasing, and on a few occasions, wholeformations marched to the rear in search of food. The survivors would be of limited combat value. In establishingthe Army of the Reserve in France, Bonaparte's first move was to overhaul the supply system to provide the troopwith regular food and decent uniforms. Lacking the large superiority in infantry and artillery enjoyed in manyRepublican campaigns, the core of Bonaparte's reserve was 30,000 men, mostly from the Batavian Republic, whohad been used under Guillaume Marie Anne Brune to crush the rebellion in the Vendée. Additional veteran troopscame from the remains of the former Army of England.[14] The new mililary doctrine emphasised the offensive,

mobility and the bayonet, over linear firepower.[15] In front of the Austrian army were stationed, in and to the soutof Marengo, the corps of Victor (Jacques-Antoine de Chambarlhac de Laubespin and Gaspard AmédéeGardanne's divisions), supported on the left by François Étienne de Kellermann's cavalry and, further to thenortheast, by the corps of Lannes (François Watrin's division, Mainoni's brigade) together with two cavalry

 brigades. To the east of Castel Ceriolo took position Jean-Charles Monnier's division, supported by the Guard,which formed the reserve. Victor was the one who would bear the brunt of the Austrian attack. [16]

Austrian attack 

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Michael von Melas led the centre of the army during the attack, but hemistakenly believed that the battle was

over before the arrival of Desaix.

The Austrian troops advanced from Alessandria eastwards across theBormida river by two bridges debouching in a narrow bend of the river (the river being not easily crossed elsewhere). Poor Austrian staff work 

 prevented any rapid development of their attack and the entire army hadto file through a narrow bridgehead.[17] The movement began about 6 awith the first shots fired around 8 am, but the attack was not fullydeveloped until 9 am.[8]

The 1,200-man Austrian advance guard, under Colonel (Oberst ) JohanMaria Philipp Frimont and a division of 3,300 men under FML O'Reilly

 pushed the French outposts back and deployed to become the Austrianright wing, driving the enemy from Pedrabona farm, then heading south ttackle the French at La Stortiglione farm.[8] The Austrian centre (about18,000 under Melas) advanced towards Marengo until halted by GdDGardanne's French infantry deployed in front of the Fontanonestream.[18] On the Austrian left, 7,500 men under FML Peter Ott waitefor the road to clear before heading for the village of Castel Ceriolo wel

to the north of the French positions. This move threatened either anenvelopment of the French right, or a further advance to cut the Frenchline of communication with Milan.[19]

Gardanne's men gave a good account of themselves, holding up the Austrian deployment for a considerable time.When Gardanne's division was exhausted, Victor pulled it back behind the Fontanone and committed his seconddivision under GdD Chambarlhac (this officer soon lost his nerve and fled). The French held Marengo village andthe line of the Fontanone until about noon, with both flanks in the air. First, at 8 am, Melas hurled FML Karl JosepHadik von Futak's division (four battalions) at Victor's defences, supported by Frimont’s advance guard batteryalong the stream.[8] Forced into a funnel by the bad ground and Fontanone stream, Hadik’s attack came under fir

from two sides and failed, with Hadik being killed. The Austrian commander then committed FML Konrad Valentvon Kaim's division but this attack was also thwarted by 11 am. Finally, as the French position was reinforced byFrançois Étienne de Kellermann's cavalry and Jean Lannes's formation was on the way, FML Ferdinand Johannvon Morzin's elite grenadier division was sent in to attack Marengo village.[20] Melas also committed a serioustactical blunder, detaching Generalmajor (GM) Nimptsch's brigade of 2,300 hussars and two artillery batteries

 back over the Bormida bridge to block the corps of General Louis Gabriel Suchet, which was mistakenly reportearound 9 am from Acqui Terme to be approaching Alessandria from the south.[21] Besides delaying the crossing othe Austrian left wing, this also meant that, being 30 kilometers away, Nimptsch's brigade would play no part in th

 battle.[20]

Stalemate in the centre around Marengo

It took Bonaparte (5 kilometers away from Marengo) until about 10 am to recognize that the Austrian activity wasnot a diversionary attack to cover the anticipated retreat by Melas. His subordinates had brought their troops up isupport of Victor's corps. Lannes's corps had deployed on the crucial right flank. GM Friedrich Joseph Anton vonBellegarde’s part of Kaim’s division had crossed the Fontanone north of Marengo and occupied La Barbotta farmLannes directed Watrin’s infantry to drive Bellegarde back. They briefly crossed the Fontanone before Austrianreserve guns drove the French back. Kellermann's heavy cavalry brigade and the 8th Dragoons took up a coverin

 position on the left, smashing an attempt by GM Giovanni Pilatti's light dragoon brigade which attempted to crossthe steep-sided Fontanone at its southern end to envelop Victor's flank.[20] On the right, GdB Pierre Champeaux

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François Étienne de Kellermann played an important role during the battle.

Johann Frimont's troops destroyedthe Consular Guard infantry.

was killed trying to stop the progress of Ott's column. A small part of the 6ème Légère (6th Light Infantry)occupied Castel Ceriolo to the north, but soon Ott's lead units took it around 11:30 am and began putting pressuron the French right flank. Ott could not see any sign of the expected main French advance from Sale (to thenortheast), so he sent GM Friedrich Heinrich von Gottesheim’s reinforced advance guard to outflank Lannes northof Marengo.[20] By 11 am Bonaparte was on the battlefield. He sent urgent recalls to his recently detached forcesand summoned up his last reserves. As they came up, GdD Jean-Charles Monnier's division and the Consular Guard were committed to extend and shore up the French right, rather than to try to hold Marengo where Victor's

men were running short of ammunition.

[22]

Austrian breakout across the Fontanone

Toward 12:30 pm Lannes moved the rest of his force to face Gottesheimin a hook shape, while Kaim attacked again, but this time against Victor’swings. A Laufbrücke (small bridge) was thrown over the Fontanone andsupported by reserve artillery. GM Christoph von Latterman’s grenadierscrossed to engage Olivier Macoux Rivaud de la Raffinière’s twodemibrigades defending Marengo village, while Bellegarde and Frimont’s

four squadrons split Watrin off. Although Rivaud retook the village,O’Reilly had taken Stortiglione by 2:00 pm, and in the north, Ott prepared to send FML Joseph von Schellenberg’s column to supportGottesheim. After securing the Fontanone bridge, Pilatti’s cavalrycrossed but were again charged and defeated by Kellermann. However,Victor could no longer hold his positions and withdrew southeast to themain vine belt (grape vines slung among mulberry trees), Lannesmirroring the move. The Marengo farm garrison was abandoned and ataround 2:30 pm Melas led two cavalry squadrons to capture them. [20]

At about 2:00 pm the French attacked Castel Ceriolo and delayed theadvance of Schellenberg’s column by attacking its tail.[20] Aided byFrimont, Ott defeated Monnier and forced two-thirds of his command tretreat to the northeast. About the same time, Marengo had fallen to theAustrians, forcing Napoleon's men into a general retreat.[23] As Austriantroops crossed the Fontanone, their guns bombarded the French infantrin the vines. In a bid to further delay Schellenberg’s advance, Bonapartecommitted his main Guard battalion and its artillery, which moved to flanthe column. After driving off Austrian dragoons with the aid of GdBChampeaux’s remaining cavalry (under Joachim Murat), they engaged

the head of the column. After a 15-minute firefight around 4:00 pm theGuard were surprised and destroyed by Frimont’s cavalry.[20]

The French fell back c. 3 km and attempted to regroup to hold the villagof San Giuliano. With the French outnumbered and driven from their bedefensive position, the battle was as good as won by the Austrians.Melas, who was slightly wounded, and 71, handed over command to hichief-of-staff, General Anton von Zach, and Kaim. The Austrian centreformed into a massive pursuit column in order to chase the French off th

 battlefield, with the advance guard commanded by GM Franz Xaver Saint-Julien. The column formed up around

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Situation at the beginning of the French counter-attack 

Spinetta, southeast of Marengo, and advanced down the New Road. However, delays in the flanks led to theAustrian army forming a crescent shape with a thinly stretched central sector.[20] On the Austrian right wing,O'Reilly wasted time hunting down a 300-man French detachment led by Achille Dampierre (which was finallycaptured) and moved southeast. This took his troops out of supporting distance from the Austrian main body.[24]

On the Austrian left, Ott hesitated to press hard against the French because GdB Jean Rivaud's small brigade of French cavalry hovered to the north.[25]

French counter-attack 

However, Desaix, in charge of the force Bonaparte haddetached southwards, had hastened his advance andreached a small road junction north of Cascina Grossa (3kilometers west of San Giuliano).[20] Shortly before 5:00

 pm, he reported to Bonaparte in person with the news thathis force (6,000 men and 9 guns of Boudet's division) wasnot far behind. The story goes that, asked by Bonapartewhat he thought of the situation, Desaix replied: "This battle

is completely lost. However, there is time to winanother."[26]

The French were fast to bring up and deploy the freshtroops in front of San Giuliano, and the Austrians were slowto mount their attack. Boudet and the 9ème Légère werequickly moved on to the exit from the main vine belt, wherethey surprised the head of Saint-Julien’s column. As theAustrian infantry deployed on the south side of the road, the 9ème Légère conducted a steady withdrawal for 30minutes back to Desaix’s position. There he had placed GdB Louis Charles de Guénand’s brigade on the north

side while most of the remaining French army (Monnier and Lannes) were forming up north from there. TheAustrians deployed three artillery batteries on the north side of the road supported by a dragoon regiment.[20] GdAuguste de Marmont massed the remaining French cannon against the Austrians as they advanced. Boudet'sdivision advanced in line of brigades against the head of the Austrian column, defeating Saint-Julien's leadingAustrian brigade. Zach brought forward GM Latterman's grenadier brigade in line and renewed the attack. Facedwith a crisis, Napoleon sent Desaix forward again and ordered a cavalry charge requested by Desaix. The 9èmeLégère halted to face the main Austrian advance and Marmont's guns blasted the Austrians with grapeshot at closrange.[20] Further back, an Austrian ammunition limber exploded. In the temporary heightening of confusion,Lattermann's formation was charged on its left flank by Kellermann's heavy cavalry (ca. 400 men) anddisintegrated. At the decisive moment of the battle, Desaix was shot from his horse.[20] Zach and at least 2,000 ofhis men were taken prisoners.[27]

Murat and Kellermann immediately pounced on the supporting Liechtenstein Dragoons who were too slow torespond and routed them as well.[20] The fleeing Austrian horsemen crashed into the ranks of Pilatti's rattledtroopers and carried them away. As the mob of terrified cavalry stampeded past them, the exhausted Austrianinfantry of the main body lost heart, provoking a wild rush to the rear. The gun teams fled, pursued by Frenchcavalry, while their whole infantry line advanced westward.[28] The second grenadier brigade under GM KarlPhilippi von Weidenfeld and some unpanicked cavalry delayed Boudet’s advance long enough for O’Reilly’scavalry to return, and together with Frimont, they mounted a last defence around Marengo village as night fell,

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 Napoleon is presented the body of Desaix

 Rue de Marengo in Paris is named tocommemorate the battle.

allowing the Austrian centre to reach safety behind the Bormida.[29] Ott with the Austrian left failed to intervene anfound his retreat through Castel Ceriolo blocked by French troops advancing northwest from the centre, butmanaged to fight his way back to the Bormida bridgehead.[30]

The Austrians fell back into Alessandria, having lost about half the forces they had committed. The Austrians hadlost heavily in the 12 hours of fighting: 15 colours, 40 guns, almost 8,000 taken prisoner, and 6,500 dead or wounded.[31] French casualties (killed and wounded) were on the order of 4,700 and 900 missing or captured, bu

they retained the battlefield and the strategic initiative.[4]

Desaix's body was found among the slain.[32]

Consequences

Bonaparte needed to depart for Paris urgently and the next morninsent Berthier on a surprise visit to Austrian headquarters.[30] Withi24 hours of the battle, Melas entered into negotiations (theConvention of Alessandria) which led to the Austrians evacuatingnorthwestern Italy west of the Ticino river, and suspending militaryoperations in Italy.

Bonaparte's position as First Consul was strengthened by thesuccessful outcome of the battle and the preceding campaign.[30]

After this victory, Napoleon could breathe a sigh of relief. Thegenerals who had been hostile to him could see that his luck had not abandoned him. Thus, he had surpassedSchérer, Joubert, Championnet, and even Moreau, none of whom had been able to inflict a decisive blow on theCoalition. Moreau's victory at Hohenlinden, which was the one that in reality had put an end to the war, wasminimised by Bonaparte who, from then on, would pose as a saviour of the fatherland, and even of the Republic.He rejected offers from Louis XVIII, who had considered the Consulate to be a mere transition towards the

restoration of the king. Thanks to the victory at Marengo, Napoleon could finally set about reforming Franceaccording to his own vision.[33]

Propaganda

A last-gasp victory in reality, Marengo was mythologised in an army bulletin and three increasingly glamourised "Official Reports" duringBonaparte's reign. Tales were invented about the Guard and the 72èmedemibrigade, which had been under his direct control throughout.[30]

General François Kellermann distinguished himself at Marengo. Melas,trapped in Alessandria with his hopes of breaking through the eastshattered, sent the same evening to Vienna a message in which heexplained that the "charge of Kellermann had broken the soldiers and thissudden and terrible change of fortunes finished by smashing the courageof the troops. The disorder of the cavalry which had disorganised our infantry precipitated its retreat."[34] At the same time, Murat was writingto Berthier: "I especially have to tell you about Kellermann; through a

 powerful charge he managed to tilt the balance in our favour."[34] However, in the Bulletin de l'armée issued the

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The column at Marengo

following day, Napoleon sought to counterbalance Kellermann's charge with Jean-Baptiste Bessières's: "The chef

de brigade Bessières, in front of the reckless grenadiers of the guard, executed a charge with as much activity asvalour and penetrated the line of the enemy cavalry; this resulted in the entire rout of the army."[35]

Another piece of work which attempted to justify the retreat maneuver and to present it as a highly strategiccalculation was Berthier's Relation de la bataille de Marengo, published in 1804. Berthier suggests that time hadto be given to Desaix and Boudet's division to occupy their positions: "The enemy general misinterpreted thismaneuver and thought the army was in full retreat, while in reality it was only executing a movement of conversion."[34] However it is known that Desaix's arrival, while definitely expected, was not certain before theretreat. The bulletin explains that Desaix's forces were waiting in reserve with artillery pieces, which in reality wasfalse, because they arrived late in the battle. Several participants to the fighting reveal the precarious condition of tharmy throughout the day, including Marmont in his Memoirs, Captain Coignet: "We were retreating in good order 

 but all ready to start running at the earliest sign of danger", Captain Gervais: "In this battle, we were many times onthe verge of being defeated. The enemy cavalry, on a terrain favourable to this arm, charged us repeatedly. Wewere often obliged to concentrate and even to retreat", and General Thévenet: "There is no doubt that a part of theFrench army was repelled up to the Scrivia".[36]

Marengo museum

The Museum of Marengo "Museo della Battaglia di Marengo" is located in:" Via della Barbotta, SpinettaMarengo,Alessandria". This is exactly the place where there were the most of the fights between the French andAustrian armies. It is a part of Villa Delavo, with the park of the museum surrounding the Village of Marengo.

Remembrance

 Napoleon sought to ensure that his victory would not be forgotten so, besides the propaganda campaign, he entrusted General Chasseloup withthe construction of a pyramid on the site of the battle. On 5 May 1805, aceremony took place on the field of Marengo. Napoleon, dressed in theuniform he wore on 14 June 1800, together with Empress Joséphineseated on a throne placed under a tent, oversaw a military parade. Then,Chasseloup gave Napoleon the founding stone, on which was inscribed:"Napoleon, Emperor of the French and King of Italy, to the manes of thedefenders of the fatherland who perished on the day of Marengo."[37]

This pyramid was actually part of a very ambitious project meant toglorify Bonaparte's conquests in Italy. The field of Marengo was

supposed to become the site of a "city of Victories" whose boulevards,named after Italian battles, would converge to the pyramid.Unfortunately, the project was abandoned in 1815 and the stonesrecovered by the peasants. The column erected in 1801 was alsoremoved, only to be restored in 1922.[37]

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 Napoleon ordered that several ships of the French Navy be named Marengo, including Sceptre (1780), Jean-

acques Rousseau (1795), Ville de Paris (1851) and Marengo (1810). In 1802, the Marengo department wasnamed in the honour of the battle.[38] Furthermore, Napoleon's mount throughout the battle was named Marengoand further carried the Emperor in the Battle of Austerlitz, Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, Battle of Wagram, and Battleof Waterloo.[39]

After Bonaparte's fall, Marengo County, Alabama, first settled by Napoleonic refugees with their Vine and OliveColony, was named in honour of this battle. Since then, numerous settlements were named Marengo in Canada anthe United States (see Places named Marengo).[40]

Presently, a museum of the battle exists on the outskirts of Alessandria. Re-enactments are also organised everyear to commemorate the event.[41]

Cultural references

Puccini's opera Tosca is set in Rome on the day of the battle of Marengo, and the conflict between Papists andRepublicans is an important part of the plot.

Footnotes

1. ^ Brauer; William E. Wright (1 December 1990). Austria in the Age of the French Revolution: 1789-1815

(http://books.google.com/books?id=rFrOFBqeg1YC&pg=PA34). Berghahn Books. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-57181-3749. Retrieved 21 April 2013.

2. ^ Holger Afflerbach; Hew Strachan (26 July 2012). How Fighting Ends: A History of Surrender 

(http://books.google.com/books?id=gh6VIodYxNMC&pg=PA215). Oxford University Press. p. 215. ISBN 978-019-969362-7. Retrieved 17 April 2013.

3. ^a

 b

 c

 d 

 e

Benoît, p. 1174. ^ a b c Benoît, p. 1225. ^ Chandler, David G.. The Campaigns of Napoleon, New York, 1966, ISBN 0-02-523660-1, p. 296, gives: 25%

total casualties.6. ^ Chandler, David G.. The Campaigns of Napoleon, New York, 1966, ISBN 0-02-523660-1, p. 296, gives: 15

colours, 40 guns, 8,000 captured and 6,000 killed. Asprey, Robert. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, Basic Book2001, ISBN 0-465-04881-1, p. 387, gives: 6,000 killed or wounded and another 6,000 captured; 15 flags, 40cannon.

7. ^ Hollins, Encyclopedia, pp. 605–6068. ^ a b c d  e  f   g  h i   j  k Hollins, Encyclopedia, p. 6069. ^ Shosenberg, p. 63

10. ^ Pigeard, p. 52111. ^ Hollins, The Battle of Marengo 1800, p. 1612. ^ Hollins, The Battle of Marengo 1800, p. 1513. ^ Benoît, pp. 117–11814. ^ Hollins, The Battle of Marengo 1800, p. 1715. ^ Hollins, The Battle of Marengo 1800, p. 1816. ^ Benoît, p. 11817. ^ Arnold, p. 14618. ^ Arnold, p. 14919. ^ Benoît, p. 11920. ^ a b c d  e  f   g  h i   j  k  l  m Hollins, Encyclopedia, p. 607

 

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21. ^ Arnold, p. 15122. ^ Arnold, p. 15823. ^ Arnold, p. 16224. ^ Arnold, p. 16025. ^ Arnold, p. 17326. ^ Chandler, p. 26927. ^ Arnold, pp. 177–18028. ^ Hollins, Encyclopedia, pp. 607–608

29. ^ Arnold, pp. 180–18130. ^ a b c d Hollins, Encyclopedia, p. 60831. ^ Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. The French Revolutionary Wars, Routledge: New Edition, 2001, ISBN 978-1-57958

365-1, p.56, gives 6,000 casualties and 8,000 prisoners , 40 guns. Similarly, Chandler and Asprey.32. ^ Benoît, p. 13733. ^ Benoît, pp. 124–12534. ^ a b c Benoît, p. 12335. ^ Benoît, p. 12436. ^ Benoît, pp. 123–12437. ^ a b Benoît, p. 13838. ^ Vosgien, Lyon et Paris. "Les départements de l'Empire Français en 1809" (http://www.1789-

1815.com/depts_1809.htm#marengo). Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20100921071419/http://www.17891815.com/depts_1809.htm) from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.

39. ^ Hamilton, Jill. "MARENGO, the Myth of Napoleon's Horse" (http://www.jill-hamilton.com/pdf/marengo-the-myth-of-napoleons-horse.pdf). Retrieved 13 September 2010. p. 32

40. ^ "Alabama Counties: Marengo County" (http://www.archives.state.al.us/counties/marengo.html). "Alabama

 Department of Archives and History" . Retrieved 13 September 2010.41. ^ Hicks, Peter. "Marengo Museum: opening weekend"

(http://www.napoleon.org/en/reading_room/articles/files/477077.asp). Retrieved 13 September 2010.

References

Arnold, James R. (2005). Marengo & Hohenlinden: Napoleon's Rise to Power . Pen & Sword. ISBN 184415-279-0Asprey, Robert (2001). The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-04881-1(French) Benoît, Jérémie (2000). Marengo: Une victoire politique. Réunion des Musées Nationaux.ISBN 2-7118-4010-7Chandler, David (1979). Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. Macmillan. ISBN 0-02-523670-9Chandler, David (1966). Campaigns of Napoleon. Scribner. ISBN 0-02-523660-1Hollins, David (2000). The Battle of Marengo 1800. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-117-6

Hollins, David (2006). "Battle of Marengo" in The Encyclopedia of the French Revolutionary and  Napoleonic War . ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-85109-646-9Fremont-Barnes, Gregory (2001). The French Revolutionary Wars. Routledge; New edition. ISBN 9781-57958-365-1(French) Pigeard, Alain (2004). Dictionnaire des batailles de Napoléon. Tallandier, Bibliothèque

 Napoléonienne. ISBN 2-84734-073-4Shosenberg, James (June 2000). "To Marengo, Battle of 1800". Military History 17 (II).

External links

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6/14/13 Battle of Marengo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Battle of Marengo – A Bicentennial Review (http://www.wtj.com/articles/marengo/) An overview of 

the battle, including short summaries for beginning students and detailed analysis for more serious

readers.

Defeat of Bonaparte's Guard at Marengo, 1800.(http://www.napolun.com/mirror/web2.airmail.net/napoleon/Marengo_battle.htm)Battle of Marengo in the memoirs of Captain Coignet (http://www.napoleonic-literature.com/Book_13/Notebook_3.htm)

Gaspar Cugnac, Campaign of the Army of the Reserve in 1800(http://www.simmonsgames.com/research/authors/Cugnac/ArmeeReserve/index.html) French scans and 

OCR complete, English translation for vol 1 only, use French version for the battle proper.

Alex. Berthier, Relation of the Battle of Marengo(http://www.simmonsgames.com/research/authors/Berthier/RelationMarengo/index.html)(Italian) Marengo Museum (http://www.marengomuseum.it/)

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1800 in Austria 1800 in France

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