French expedition to Sardinia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids French expedition to Sardinia |
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| Part of the naval operations during the War of the First Coalition | |||||||
 Contemporary print of the French bombardment of Cagliari, 1793 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Sardinia Spain |
 France |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Domenico Millelire Juan de Lángara |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 10,000 | 5,000 Mediterranean Fleet |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Minor | 300 killed and wounded 200 captured 2 frigates sunk |
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The French expedition to Sardinia was a military operation that happened in 1793. It took place in the Mediterranean Sea during the first year of the French Revolutionary Wars. This was the first time the new French Republic tried to attack in the Mediterranean. Their target was the island of Sardinia, which was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Even though Sardinia was neutral at first, it quickly joined the countries fighting against France. The French attack failed, with attempts to capture Cagliari in the south and La Maddalena in the north both ending in defeat.
The French Mediterranean Fleet, led by Admiral Laurent Truguet, launched the operation. The French government wanted to invade Sardinia because it was important for controlling the Mediterranean. They thought it would be an easy victory. However, getting the invasion force ready took a long time. This gave the Sardinians enough time to prepare their defenses. When the French fleet arrived near the capital city of Cagliari, the Sardinians were ready. A storm scattered the first French attack. But the second attack happened on January 22, 1793. French troops landed on February 11 but were forced back in a fight at Quartu Sant'Elena.
A later attack on the island of La Maddalena, off Sardinia's northern coast, also failed. This was partly because some Corsican troops caused problems. This event is famous because it was the first military action for Lieutenant Colonel Napoleon Bonaparte. He later became the Emperor of France. On May 25, a Spanish fleet took back the small islands of San Pietro and Sant'Antioco. These were the last places the French still held in Sardinia. The failed campaign led to several important events. These included revolts in Sardinia against their rulers, a temporary split of Corsica from France, and a rebellion at the French naval base of Toulon. This rebellion led to the capture and almost total destruction of the French Mediterranean Fleet by the British Royal Navy.
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Why Did France Attack Sardinia?
The French Revolutionary Wars started in April 1792. France declared war on the Austrian Empire and its ally, Prussia. The Kingdom of Sardinia was not part of this war at first. This kingdom included parts of mainland Europe like Savoy and Piedmont, and the large island of Sardinia. France saw Sardinia as a key target for its military plans.
The island of Sardinia had rich farmland and was very important for controlling the Mediterranean Sea. France believed that capturing it would scare the mainland parts of the Kingdom of Sardinia. It would also influence other Italian nations. France hoped to spread its ideas of republicanism beyond its own borders. People in France thought that attacking Sardinia would be easy. So, orders were given to gather an invasion force at Toulon, France's main naval base in the Mediterranean.
Admiral Laurent Truguet, who commanded the Mediterranean fleet, was put in charge. He found it hard to gather enough soldiers. France was going through big social and political changes at the time. The French navy, especially, was having many problems. It took until December to get enough troops ready for the expedition. Truguet and his fleet then sailed with the French army, carried on transport ships. They arrived off Cagliari, Sardinia's capital on the southern coast, on December 21, 1792.
Meanwhile, warnings about the French attack reached Sardinia months earlier. However, the king, Victor Amadeus III, who was in Turin, did not send many reinforcements. He thought it might make France angry. But the people of Sardinia were very religious Catholics. The French Revolution had caused problems for Catholic priests. This made many Sardinians strongly oppose the French. The local government, called the Stamenti, managed to gather over 4,000 foot soldiers and 6,000 cavalry. However, the island's defenses had very few cannons.
French Attacks and Sardinian Defense
As the French fleet of 36 ships entered the Golfo di Cagliari, a strong storm hit. It pushed Truguet's ships away from the shore. Several troop transport ships were lost. The rest of the fleet was driven to Palmas on the southwestern coast of the island. There, Truguet landed troops on the islands of San Pietro and Sant'Antioco. Both islands were taken without a fight. He also landed some groups on the Sardinian mainland. But Sardinian local fighters, called irregulars, drove them off by shooting from the hills. The Sardinians believed the storm was a miracle from St Thomas the Apostle, because it happened on his feast day.
Truguet stayed near Palmas for a month. He gathered his ships to prepare for another attack. On January 22, he entered the Golfo di Cagliari again. He sent a small boat with an officer and 20 men to demand that the Sardinians surrender. The Sardinians were gathered for the feast day of Saint Ephesius. They opened fire on the boat as it came closer. Seventeen of the French party were killed. The survivors hid behind a neutral Swedish merchant ship. Truguet was very angry. He ordered a heavy bombing of the town on January 25. By this time, Truguet had 82 ships for the invasion, including 41 transport ships. But his attack did not work well. The strong shore batteries and their use of heated shot damaged several French ships. The French ships could not seriously damage the town.
Landing at Quartu Sant'Elena
On February 11, a French group landed 1,200 soldiers at Quartu Sant'Elena. The troops moved west towards Cagliari. But Sardinian cavalry pushed them back. Attacks on the Cagliari lazaretto (a quarantine station) and a tower at Calamosca were also stopped. However, the French regrouped. They landed more forces until 5,000 French troops were camped outside Quartu Sant'Elena. The town and Calamosca were attacked again on February 15. The French fleet provided strong artillery support. But the attacks were still unsuccessful. The force sent against Quartu Sant'Elena was hit by grapeshot from makeshift defenses. They retreated in confusion. The other attack was defeated by a Sardinian counter-attack. Truguet pulled his forces back to the beach. The Sardinians captured 100 prisoners and counted 300 French dead.
On February 16 and 17, Truguet bombed Cagliari again, but it had little effect. On the second day, another storm swept through the bay. His fleet was scattered once more. Several ships were lost. The most notable was the 74-gun warship Léopard, which was driven ashore and destroyed. Truguet then gave up the entire operation. He took his soldiers back to France. He left 800 men and two frigates to guard San Pietro and Sant'Antioco.
Napoleon's First Battle: La Maddalena
While Truguet was struggling near Cagliari, a second French force was getting ready to attack Northern Sardinia. This force included many soldiers from Corsica. Corsica was a French-held island to the north. It was largely controlled by Pasquale Paoli, who wanted Corsican independence. Corsica had been taken by France in 1768. Paoli wanted more freedom for Corsica after the French Revolution. Paoli planned the northern attack as a distraction for Truguet's operation. The target was the island of La Maddalena, a small, well-defended place off the northern coast. 450 Corsican volunteers were gathered. Paoli's nephew, Colonna Cesari, was in command. His second-in-command was a Corsican artillery officer and political rival of Paoli, a young man named Napoleon Bonaparte.
The force was delayed by storms at Ajaccio. They only reached La Maddalena on February 22, 1793. They anchored in the Santo Stefano channel. Napoleon suggested a night attack, but Cesari disagreed. The next morning, French-Corsican troops attacked and captured Santo Stefano. They used the fort on the island to bomb La Maddalena on February 24. Cesari announced he planned an amphibious landing the next day. However, during the night, a mutiny was reported on a small warship with the force. Cesari immediately pulled back, abandoning the attack and Santo Stefano. Napoleon was furious. Cesari did not warn him, and Napoleon and his men were almost left behind on Santo Stefano. This would have made them vulnerable to a Sardinian counter-attack. During the retreat, Napoleon's men had to disable and leave their cannons. Not enough boats were sent to pick them up. He later accused Cesari of faking the mutiny on Paoli's orders.
What Happened Next?
The last part of the campaign happened three months after Truguet and Cesari had left. Truguet's soldiers stayed on the islands of San Pietro and Sant'Antioco until May 25. That month, a Spanish fleet of 23 ships, led by Admiral Juan de Lángara, sailed from Cartagena. They arrived near the islands. Spain had gone to war with France in March 1793. Facing such a huge force, the entire French garrison surrendered. One of the French frigates, Helène, was captured trying to escape the Spanish blockade. The other, Richmond, was set on fire and sunk by its crew to prevent capture.
Even though the operation was a complete failure, it had several important effects. In Sardinia, the strong defense of the island encouraged the Stamenti (local government) to ask for more rights from the distant central government in Turin. King Victor Amadeus had invited them to do so. A list of demands for more freedom was given to the king by a group from the island. But soon after, the king and his representative, Carlo Balbiano, refused all the demands. The Sardinian people were very angry, and unrest spread across the island. In April 1794, the representative arrested two leaders of the growing uprising. This caused a riot where the Castle of San Michele was stormed, and the prisoners were freed. After this, Victor Amadeus had to give in to some Sardinian demands. But violence continued until 1796. Two years later, the new king, Charles Emmanuel IV, had to flee to the island after the War of the Second Coalition began.
In Corsica, the problems after the failure at La Maddalena led to Napoleon's family being driven from the island. Napoleon himself barely escaped an attempt on his life. The French government tried to make Paoli responsible for his supporters' actions. This caused a breakdown in the relationship between Paoli and France. A large rebellion started in Corsica. The French soldiers there were forced into three strongholds on the Northern Coast. In early 1794, a British force invaded Corsica and defeated the French. Paoli separated Corsica from France. He agreed for Corsica to become a self-governing kingdom within the British Empire. After some political disagreements, Paoli was forced into exile in late 1795. The British stayed on Corsica until late 1796, when the island rejoined the French Republic.
In France, the defeat led to Admiral Truguet being called back to Paris to explain what happened. He was temporarily replaced by Trogoff de Kerlessy. The defeat lowered morale among the fleet and officials at Toulon. This made existing revolutionary tensions worse. There were many mutinies and public executions as the Reign of Terror began. When ordered to attack Lángara's Spanish fleet in June, Trogoff refused. He believed his crews would not go to sea. He said he would wait until Truguet returned. In July, a large British fleet arrived at the port. It was led by Vice-Admiral Lord Hood. Political control in Toulon completely fell apart. The local government, called the Girondist, declared support for the exiled French monarchy. They invited the British to occupy the town and seize the fleet on August 18. Trogoff agreed to the occupation, even though sailors under his command revolted. French Republican forces attacked the city. During the Siege of Toulon, the final attack to retake the city's high ground in December 1793 was led by Napoleon. He was wounded in the attack. He later became one of the most successful generals of the French Republic. He eventually took control of the country and declared himself Emperor of France.
