Battle of Borghetto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Borghetto |
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| Part of French Revolutionary Wars | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 Austria |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Napoleon Bonaparte André Masséna |
Johann Beaulieu |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 28,000 | 19,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 500 | 572, 4 guns | ||||||
The Battle of Borghetto was a major fight near Valeggio sul Mincio in northern Italy. It happened on May 30, 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars. In this battle, a French army led by Napoleon Bonaparte crossed the Mincio River. They faced strong resistance from an Austrian army commanded by General Johann Peter Beaulieu.
The French victory forced the Austrian army to retreat north. They moved up the Adige valley towards Trento. This left the important fortress of Mantua open for the French to surround and attack.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In May 1796, Napoleon's French army was on a winning streak. They had just won battles at Fombio and Lodi. This allowed them to take over the Austrian region of Lombardy in Italy.
The Austrian commander, Beaulieu, pulled his army back. He wanted to defend the area behind the Mincio River. He also worked hard to prepare the fortress of Mantua for a possible attack.
The Mincio River and Its Bridges
The Mincio River flows south from Lake Garda. It is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) long. In May, melting snow from the Alps made the river wide and hard to cross.
There were only four bridges over the Mincio between Lake Garda and Mantua. These were at Peschiera, Borghetto, Goito, and Rivalta. The area near Peschiera and Borghetto has hills that could hide troop movements.
Who Fought Where
Napoleon's army was divided into three main groups. These were led by Generals André Masséna, Pierre Augereau, and Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier. An advance group of elite troops and cavalry was led by Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine.
The Austrians had many soldiers defending Mantua. General Beaulieu also placed troops at the Mincio River crossings. General Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud guarded Peschiera. General Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi was at Goito. In the middle, Generals Michael von Melas and Karl Philipp Sebottendorf defended the river near Valeggio.
Napoleon's Clever Plan
Napoleon decided to cross the Mincio River at the Borghetto bridge. To trick the Austrians, he pretended to attack Peschiera. He sent troops to the west side of Lake Garda to gather boats. This made the Austrians think he would cross there.
Beaulieu fell for the trick. Instead of putting all his soldiers at the bridges, he spread them out along the river. This made his army weaker at any single crossing point.
Beaulieu then became ill, and his army received confusing orders. This was good luck for Napoleon. The French attack started early on May 30. Napoleon sent Kilmaine's troops to Borghetto, with Masséna's group right behind them.
The Battle Begins
Kilmaine's soldiers quickly pushed back the Austrian cavalry. They reached the Borghetto bridge around 9 AM. As the Austrians retreated, they jammed the narrow bridge. Some soldiers left the road and crossed the river, showing the French where the river was shallow enough to walk across.
Only a few Austrian battalions were there to defend the bridge. Even though they were greatly outnumbered, they fought bravely. But the Austrian army was disorganized, and few extra troops arrived to help. Soon, French soldiers led by Gaspard Amédée Gardanne waded across the river. They pushed the Austrian defenders back towards Valeggio.
After some fighting, the French took Valeggio. However, Austrian cavalry stopped them from going further. Later that afternoon, some Austrian cavalry rode into Valeggio. They almost captured Napoleon himself! This close call made Napoleon create a special cavalry bodyguard unit. He put Jean-Baptiste Bessières in charge. This unit later became the famous Chasseurs à Cheval of the Imperial Guard.
The Austrians were slow to react to the French crossing. General Sebottendorf, nearby at Campagnola, was focused on French troops in front of him. He did not send help to Valeggio. Further north, French patrols also kept General Melas busy. From Goito, General Colli quickly marched his troops north to help, but he arrived too late. Beaulieu ordered his army to retreat north.
Sebottendorf tried to take Valeggio back but failed. He then retreated. Colli sent some of his troops back to Mantua and took his cavalry to Villafranca. Melas gathered his soldiers and fell back. The Austrians soon left Peschiera, with the French chasing them.
What Happened Next
That night, the Austrian units marched north. By the next morning, most of them were safe in the Adige valley. The Austrians reported 572 soldiers killed, wounded, or captured. The French lost about 500 soldiers.
In June, the French surrounded the fortress of Mantua. This began the Siege of Mantua. Over the next few months, the Austrian army received many new soldiers and commanders. Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser replaced Beaulieu as the army commander. From June 1796 to February 1797, all the major battles in northern Italy were about the siege of Mantua.
See also
- Siege of Mantua (1796-1797)
- Battle of Fombio 7–9 May 1796
- Battle of Lodi 10 May 1796
Images for kids
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Battle of Borghetto map, 30 May 1796
