Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo |
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| Part of the War of the Austrian Succession | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Spain Kingdom of France |
 Kingdom of Sardinia Habsburg Monarchy |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Infante Philip Marquis De La Mina Prince of Conti |
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia |
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| Strength | |||||||
| c. 26,000 | c. 25,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,700 dead or wounded | 4,400 dead, wounded or captured | ||||||
The Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo, also known as the Battle of Cuneo, was a big fight that happened near Cuneo on September 30, 1744. It was part of a larger conflict called the War of the Austrian Succession. Even though the armies of Spain and France won this battle against the Kingdom of Sardinia, their victory didn't help them much in their overall plan.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In 1744, Spain and France had different ideas about what to do next in the war. Spain wanted to move along the Italian coast. Their goal was to take over lands around Parma for Infante Philip, who was the third son of the Spanish King.
France, however, wanted to weaken Piedmont-Sardinia. They hoped to force Piedmont-Sardinia to leave the war completely. The French commander, the Prince of Conti, didn't like Spain's plan. He thought it wasn't a good military idea.
Finally, they reached a compromise. First, they would focus on weakening Piedmont-Sardinia. After that, their combined armies would march into Lombardy to secure the new lands for Infante Philip.
The Armies March to Cuneo
The main plan for invading Piedmont was created by Lt-Gen Pierre Joseph de Bourcet. He was France's top expert in fighting in mountains. The biggest challenge for any army trying to invade Piedmont was getting through the mountain passes. Even a small number of defenders could stop a large army.
De Bourcet believed that with more soldiers (33,000 versus 25,000), the best way was to split the army into several groups. These groups would attack different outposts at the same time. By sneaking around, they could surprise the Piedmontese defenders. The idea was to put pressure everywhere, hoping the Piedmontese defenses would break somewhere. Then, the groups could join up and push through.
So, in June, the French and Spanish armies gathered in the Dauphiné region. On July 5, they started marching in nine separate groups towards Piedmont. Even with some disagreements between the commanders, they had early successes. They entered the Stura valley, which had a narrow passage called the Barricades. Following De Bourcet's advice, troops went around the mountains and appeared behind the Piedmontese. The defenders left the valley without a fight.
The Franco-Spanish army won again on July 19 at the Battle of Casteldelfino. To make things even better, the town of Demonte, which was the last outpost before Cuneo, gave up to Conti on August 17, 1744.
The Siege of Cuneo Begins
King Frederick of Prussia was moving his army into Bohemia. This meant that Charles Emmanuel, the King of Sardinia, knew he would have to defend Cuneo mostly with his own soldiers. He kept his army of 25,000 men near Saluzzo, waiting to see what would happen.
To protect Cuneo, he put Major-General Leutrum in charge of the soldiers there. Leutrum had done well in a previous battle. Charles Emmanuel also called up his kingdom's militia, which were like local volunteer fighters. They were very good at guerrilla warfare, which means fighting in small groups and surprising the enemy.
The siege of Cuneo started on the night of September 12-13. Conti's plan involved three armies: one to surround the city, one to fight Charles Emmanuel's army, and one to patrol the areas around. Leutrum was very clever. He used lights to see the enemy's trenches at night and kept sending out small groups of his soldiers to attack. But by September 28, Conti's army was getting very close to the fortress. That's when the King of Sardinia decided it was time to act.
Charles Emmanuel's Smart Plan
Charles Emmanuel knew his enemies had more soldiers. He decided he needed a very clever plan to help Cuneo. He set five goals for his army:
- 1. To have a big battle with the Franco-Spanish army.
- 2. To send supplies into Cuneo and bring out the wounded.
- 3. To attack the enemy's small outposts around Cuneo.
- 4. For Leutrum to lead an attack from inside Cuneo to destroy the enemy's siege works (their digging and structures for attacking the city).
- 5. For his militia to attack the enemy's supply lines in the Stura Valley.
The brilliant part of this plan was that Charles Emmanuel didn't even need to win the big battle. As long as the first goal kept Conti and La Mina busy and unaware of the other four goals, his plan could work. With the other goals achieved and winter approaching, the French and Spanish would be forced to stop their siege and go back to France. The King of Sardinia was trying to buy time.
The Battle Begins
In late September, Charles Emmanuel moved his army from Saluzzo towards Cuneo. At the same time, Conti moved his army towards the Piedmontese. By the end of September 29, Conti's army was positioned between Caraglio and Madonna dell'Olmo. On the morning of September 30, Charles Emmanuel moved his army into position opposite Conti's.
The fighting started around noon. Some soldiers from Austria, called Croats, who were helping the Sardinian army, charged towards Madonna dell'Olmo. But the Spanish soldiers pushed them back. Even Charles Emmanuel's best soldiers couldn't get through.
On the other side, the French couldn't reach the Piedmontese because of a ditch and some barricades blocking the way. In the middle of the battle, Conti used his cannons very well. They provided cover for a French infantry attack. The fight for the center was very close. But Charles Emmanuel realized he wouldn't be able to capture Madonna dell'Olmo. He ordered his army to retreat in an organized way. By nightfall, the two armies had stopped fighting.
The King of Sardinia's army of 25,000 men lost 4,400 soldiers (killed, wounded, or captured). The French and Spanish armies lost about half that number, with 2,700 men killed or wounded. Conti's army was still strong.
What Happened Next
Even though the French and Spanish armies won the battle, it became clear that evening that Charles Emmanuel's clever plan had worked. Most of his goals were achieved. The enemy's small outposts around Cuneo were still there, but the siege works had been destroyed. The soldiers inside Cuneo had received new supplies and more troops. Also, Conti's communication lines were cut off.
More problems came when it started to rain on October 1. The trenches filled with water, and roads were washed away. On October 11, the commanders held a meeting. They decided that winter was coming, and their army was still far from its goal. They should retreat before the winter snows closed the mountain passes behind them. By November 19, the French and Spanish armies had crossed back over the Alps. On November 20, it began to snow.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Madonna del Olmo para niños
