Armistice of Treviso facts for kids

The Armistice of Treviso was a temporary peace agreement, also called a ceasefire, signed on 16 January 1801. It happened in Treviso, Italy. The agreement was made between French General Guillaume Brune and the Austrian forces during the War of the Second Coalition.

General Brune had won a battle against Austrian General Heinrich von Bellegarde at Pozzolo in December 1800. This victory pushed the Austrians back. Bellegarde retreated to Treviso and got ready to defend the city. But instead of fighting, he agreed to a ceasefire.

Under the terms of this agreement, Austria gave up many towns in northern Italy. However, they kept control of Mantua, a very important city. Napoleon, the leader of France, really wanted Mantua. He was unhappy with General Brune because Brune had promised that Mantua would be part of any peace deal.

Later, after more French victories in other parts of Europe, France was able to get Mantua. This happened as part of a bigger peace agreement called the Treaty of Lunéville, signed on 9 February 1801.

What Led to the Armistice?

French Victories in Italy

The French army was fighting a war in northern Italy. They were up against Austria and its allies. This was part of a larger conflict known as the War of the Second Coalition.

French General Guillaume Brune led his troops to a tough victory over the Austrians. The Austrian forces were led by General Heinrich von Bellegarde. This battle, called the Battle of Pozzolo, took place on Christmas Day in 1800. After this win, Brune's army slowly moved forward across the Mincio River.

Brune's forces were able to cross the Adige River without a fight. General Bellegarde pulled his troops back. He wanted to join up with other Austrian generals, Josef Philipp Vukassovich and Johann Ludwig Alexius von Loudon. These generals had about 20,000 soldiers.

Bellegarde tried to hold his position at Caldiero. He hoped to give Loudon and Vukassovich time to gather their forces. But Brune's army pushed him out of that position too.

Fighting in the Mountains

A French force, led by General Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, chased General Loudon. They pushed him out of several defensive spots in the mountains. Loudon became separated from the main Austrian army.

Another French general, Jacques MacDonald, captured the town of Trent. This made Loudon's situation even worse. Loudon's only way to retreat was a very narrow mountain path. General Moncey's troops were close by and could easily get help from MacDonald.

Loudon sent a messenger to Moncey. He falsely claimed that Bellegarde had already agreed to a ceasefire with Brune. Moncey believed him and allowed Loudon to escape through the mountain pass.

Pressure on Austria

Meanwhile, in Germany, the French also won a big battle. This was the Battle of Hohenlinden on 3 December 1800. After this victory, French forces were very close to Vienna, the capital of Austria.

Because of these losses, Austria was under a lot of pressure. The Austrian foreign minister, Johann Amadeus von Thugut, started to look for a peace agreement. He told his ambassador in Paris to try and get a temporary peace, an armistice.

On 25 December, a separate ceasefire, the armistice of Steyr, was signed in Germany. But this agreement only applied to Germany. Fighting continued in Italy. Both sides wanted a full armistice, but the generals on the ground and the diplomats in Paris were working separately.

The Agreement

General Bellegarde found himself isolated. His 35,000 soldiers were outnumbered by Brune's 45,000. Bellegarde pulled his troops back to a spot near Treviso. He started to prepare for a fight.

However, before any more fighting happened, the Armistice of Treviso was signed on 16 January 1801.

Just a few days before, on 13 January, General Brune had promised Napoleon that any armistice would include handing over Mantua. Mantua was a very important city that Napoleon wanted. But Brune's army was tired from fighting in the mountains. They had also lost soldiers and had to send some away to block other towns.

Brune worried that if he didn't agree to a deal, the Austrians might get more troops from Tyrol. They could then attack his tired army on the open plains near Treviso. So, Brune agreed to a treaty that did not include Mantua.

The Armistice of Treviso gave several important towns to France. These included Peschiera, Verona, Legnago, Ancona, and Ferrara. But Austrian forces kept control of Mantua. The Austrian Emperor, Francis II, called Mantua "the bulwark of the Empire" (meaning a strong defense). The French were allowed to keep blocking the city, but Mantua would receive ten days' worth of supplies at a time.

What Happened Next?

The news of the Armistice of Treviso took some time to reach Paris. Austrian diplomats were still trying to extend the ceasefire in Germany and get one for Italy.

On 25 January, the two sides in Paris agreed to a new armistice. This one covered both Italy and Germany. This agreement said that if the generals in Italy had already signed a deal, that deal would be followed. However, there was one big exception: five important fortresses had to be given to France. These were Mantua, Peschiera, Legnano, Ferrara, and Ancona.

Giving up Mantua was a big mistake for Austria. They didn't know that Brune had already signed the Treviso armistice without getting Mantua. This showed how bad communication was for the Austrian side.

Meanwhile, another French general, Joachim Murat, defeated the Neapolitan army in Tuscany. This meant Austria was left alone in the war. Under great pressure, Austria signed the Treaty of Lunéville with France on 9 February 1801. This treaty finally gave Mantua to France. It also meant Austria left the War of the Second Coalition. This left Britain to continue fighting alone until they made peace in 1802 with the Treaty of Amiens.

Napoleon was not happy with the Armistice of Treviso. It came as a surprise to him. General Murat's troops were very close to Mantua when the armistice was signed. Because of his disappointment, Napoleon never gave General Brune another important command.

Images for kids

• 

  French General Guillaume Brune

• 

  Austrian General Heinrich von Bellegarde

See Also

• List of Napoleonic battles