Battle of Occhiobello facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Occhiobello |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Neapolitan War | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Naples |
 Austrian Empire Prussia |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Joachim Murat |
Johann Frimont |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 25,000 | 10,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,000 killed, wounded or captured | 400 killed, wounded or captured | ||||||
The Battle of Occhiobello was a very important fight during the Neapolitan War. It happened on April 8-9, 1815. King Joachim Murat of Naples tried to cross the Po River at Occhiobello. But Austrian soldiers, led by Johann Frimont, stopped him. This battle was a big turning point. After it, the Austrians won every fight until the end of the war.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
By March 1815, King Joachim Murat was worried. He thought he might lose his crown as King of Naples. His brother-in-law, Napoleon Bonaparte, had given him the crown in 1808.
Then, Napoleon escaped from his exile on the island of Elba. He landed back in France. Murat decided to act quickly. He declared war on Austria. Austria was the biggest threat to his rule. After Napoleon's defeat in 1814, parts of Italy like Lombardy and Venetia became part of the Austrian Empire.
Murat's Call to Italians
On March 30, Murat tried to start a rebellion against the Austrians. He made a speech called the Rimini Proclamation. He asked all Italian nationalists to join him in war. Many Italians wanted independence from Austria. They were sympathetic to Murat's idea.
However, most Italians saw Murat as someone trying to save his own power. They did not see him as a leader for Italian unity. The Austrians quickly stopped any unrest. There was no big uprising while Austrian troops were in Italy.
Austrian Preparations
Even so, by early April, Murat reached the Austrian border at the Po River. He hoped to find about 40,000 Italian fighters waiting for him. These fighters were mostly veterans from the Napoleonic Wars. They were ready to join his army in Milan.
But the Austrians were also getting ready. They had gathered many troops in northern Italy. These troops were first meant to invade southern France. But after Napoleon returned, they moved south to stop Murat.
The Austrian commander, Johann Frimont, knew the danger. He moved his headquarters to Piacenza. This blocked Murat's direct path to Milan. By now, the Austrians had almost 50,000 soldiers. This was many more than Murat's Neapolitan army.
Murat's direct route was blocked. So, he had to move east towards Ferrara. On April 8, Murat tried to cross the Po River. He wanted to enter Austria with most of his army. He chose the town of Occhiobello, near Ferrara.
The Battle Begins
Murat picked Occhiobello because the bridge there was not heavily guarded. Only a small group of Austrians defended it. They were led by Johann Friedrich von Mohr [de].
Most of Murat's cannons were busy. They were being used to attack Ferrara. A large part of his army was also there. The Austrian soldiers in Ferrara were making it hard for the Neapolitans. Still, Murat had about 25,000 foot soldiers and cavalry at Occhiobello.
Fierce Austrian Defense
The Austrians had spread their forces along the border. But they had placed their cannons in good spots near the Po River bridges. On April 8, Murat launched his first attack. He tried to cross the bridge at Occhiobello.
Mohr's small group of Austrian soldiers fought bravely. They were outnumbered. But their cannons fired a lot of shots. This stopped the Neapolitan attack. Murat's soldiers were thrown back in confusion.
The Neapolitans tried to charge again and again. An entire dragoon regiment even charged. But the Austrians pushed them back every time. Slowly, the Neapolitan soldiers lost their courage. The attack failed.
Second Day of Fighting
The next day, Murat tried to force a crossing again. But by then, Frimont had sent more soldiers to Mohr. Now, the Austrian force was about 10,000 men.
On the other hand, Murat's army had gotten smaller. Many officers and soldiers were not enthusiastic. They left Murat's army. By the end of the second day, Murat had to retreat from Occhiobello. He set up a new defense position. He knew the Austrians would attack soon.
To make things worse, bad news reached Italy. The United Kingdom had declared war on Murat. They were sending warships to the Adriatic Sea.
What Happened Next
The Neapolitans lost over 2,000 soldiers in the two days of fighting. Thousands more ran away. The Austrians only lost 400 soldiers. They had now secured a position around Occhiobello. From there, they could launch attacks. They attacked places like Carpi and Casaglia.
The Neapolitan army's morale was broken. The Italian fighters in Lombardy could not join Murat. So, Murat had to retreat. By late April, he went back to his main headquarters in Ancona.
