Battle of Mondovì facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Mondovì |
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| Part of the War of the First Coalition | |||||||
 View of the Battle of Mondovi, by Giuseppe Pietro Bagetti |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Republic |
 Sardinia |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Napoleon Bonaparte |
Michelangelo Colli-Marchi |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 17,500 | 13,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 600 killed, wounded or captured | 1,600 killed, wounded or captured 8 guns lost |
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The Battle of Mondovì was a key battle fought on April 21, 1796. It took place between the French army, led by the famous Napoleon Bonaparte, and the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont. The Sardinian forces were commanded by Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi.
This battle was a big win for the French. It allowed them to move past the Ligurian Alps and into the flat lands of Piedmont. Just one week later, the King of Sardinia, Victor Amadeus III, asked for peace. This meant his kingdom left the First Coalition, a group of European countries fighting against France. The defeat of Sardinia greatly hurt the plans of the Austrian army. It also led to France taking control of northwest Italy.
Contents
The Campaign: How the Battle Happened
Napoleon's Plan
The Battle of Mondovì was the last fight in what was called the Montenotte Campaign. During this campaign, Napoleon Bonaparte's French army aimed to separate two enemy armies. One was the 21,000-man Austro-Sardinian army led by General Colli. The other was the 28,000-strong Austrian army led by General Johann Peter Beaulieu.
Napoleon first attacked Beaulieu's Austrian army, pushing them northeast. Then, he turned his main forces west to attack the Piedmontese (Sardinian) army. General Colli fought bravely in several smaller battles, like the Battle of Millesimo and the Battle of Ceva. But Napoleon kept pushing the Sardinian army westward. They were forced back towards the fortress of Cuneo and the plains of Piedmont. By April 18, Colli's army took a strong position behind the Corsaglia River.
Armies Involved
You can find more details about the armies involved on this page: Montenotte 1796 Campaign Order of Battle.
The Land Around the Battle
The Corsaglia River flows northeast until it meets the Tanaro River near Lesegno. In April, the rivers were full of water from melted snow and rain. This made them very hard to cross. On the west side of the Corsaglia River are hills that overlook the river crossings. These hills include Madonna della Cassette, La Bicocca, and Buon Gesù. The town of Mondovì and the Ellero River are about five kilometers west of the Corsaglia.
Fighting at San Michele Mondovi
General Colli placed 8,000 troops and 15 cannons at San Michele Mondovi to defend the area. Napoleon planned to attack San Michele directly with one division. Another French division would try to cross the Tanaro River to attack from the side. A third division threatened to cut off Colli's retreat to Turin.
The French tried to cross the Tanaro River but couldn't because of high water and enemy cannons. An attack on the San Michele bridge also failed. However, some French soldiers found a small, unguarded footbridge to the south. They crossed the river and began to attack the Sardinian army from the side. The defenders of San Michele quickly retreated, and French troops took over the town. General Colli himself almost got captured.
The French soldiers, who were hungry and hadn't been paid well, started to steal food and loot houses in the town. A group of Swiss soldiers fighting for Sardinia saw this and managed to take back part of the town. Colli then launched a big counterattack. This pushed the French division out of San Michele, though the French kept their small bridgehead. The French lost about 600 soldiers, while the Sardinians lost about 300.
On April 20, Napoleon brought more troops forward while others rested. That night, General Colli decided to move his army away from the Corsaglia River. He planned to retreat behind the Ellero River at Mondovì. His soldiers destroyed bridges and left campfires burning to trick the French. Napoleon found out about the retreat at midnight and quickly started chasing them.
The Main Battle
The next morning, the French advance guard met the Sardinian rearguard on the Buon Gesù hills. The French pushed them back towards the town of Vicoforte. The French general, Sérurier, led a charge against the Sardinians. Other French divisions followed closely behind.
The French attack was so fast that General Colli didn't have time to properly set up his troops. Some Sardinian units panicked and ran away, creating gaps in their defense line. French brigades quickly captured Vicoforte. The Sardinians fighting at La Bicocca held their ground until their commander, Dichat, was killed. Then, they also joined the retreat.
Napoleon's cavalry commander, Stengel, led 200 horsemen across the Ellero River. But Sardinian horsemen counterattacked and pushed the French back. Stengel was badly wounded in this fight and later died.
When the French reached Mondovì, the town's governor tried to delay them with talks. But he surrendered the town around 6 p.m. when the French started firing. Napoleon made the town leaders provide a lot of food for his hungry soldiers, so the town was not looted.
Results of the Battle
The Battle of Mondovì was a clear victory for the French. Napoleon's forces lost about 600 soldiers killed or wounded. The Piedmontese (Sardinians) lost 8 cannons and about 1,600 soldiers killed, wounded, or captured.
After the battle, Napoleon ordered his troops to chase the defeated Sardinians. On the evening of April 23, General Colli asked for a ceasefire. But Napoleon told his troops to keep advancing. Napoleon demanded that Sardinia give up important fortresses like Cuneo, Ceva, and either Alessandria or Tortona for peace.
On April 28, the Sardinian government finally signed the Armistice of Cherasco. This agreement officially took the Kingdom of Sardinia out of the First Coalition. The next big action for Napoleon's army was the Battle of Fombio in early May.
Images for kids
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View of the Battle of Mondovi, by Giuseppe Pietro Bagetti
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Mondovi para niños
