Italian and Swiss expedition of 1799 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Italian and Swiss expedition
Part of the War of the Second Coalition
Map of Suvorov's campaign in Italy and Switzerland
Date March – December 1799 Location Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria Result  • Russo-Austrian victory in Italy  • French victory in Switzerland
Belligerents
French Republic Helvetic Republic	Russian Empire Habsburg monarchy Swiss rebels
Commanders and leaders
Barthélemy Joubert  † Jean Moreau André Masséna Jean-de-Dieu Soult Étienne Macdonald Barthélemy Schérer Claude Lecourbe Jan Dąbrowski	Alexander Suvorov Alexander Korsakov Andrei Rosenberg Michael von Melas Friedrich von Hotze  † Franz Auffenberg Paul Kray Ferdinand Rovéréa
Strength
? French ? Helvetes ? Polish	65,000 Russians ? Austrians ? Swiss rebels
Casualties and losses
in Italy: Unknown killed and wounded 80,000 captured, 3,000 cannons, 200,000 guns	Unknown

The Italian and Swiss expedition of 1799 was a major military campaign. It involved an army from Austria and Russia, led by the famous Russian General Alexander Suvorov. They fought against French forces in parts of modern-day Italy and Switzerland. This expedition was a key part of the War of the Second Coalition, a big conflict during the French Revolutionary Wars.

Getting Ready for Battle

The plan for this expedition was mainly made by politicians from Great Britain and Russia. Russia would send soldiers, and Britain would help pay for them. They hoped Austria would do most of the fighting, as Austria had a very large army.

Britain and Russia didn't fully trust Austria. They worried Austria wanted to gain more land. Their goal was to get Austria to fight France to protect itself and bring back the old ways of ruling in Europe.

Even though he was almost 70 years old, Suvorov was a very skilled general. He had won many battles in his long career. He was called back to lead the combined Austrian and Russian army in Italy because the Austrians specifically asked for him.

Who Fought?

Russian Soldiers

About 65,000 Russian soldiers took part in this expedition. The Russian army was split into three main groups.

• One group, led by General Alexander Korsakov, had about 24,000 soldiers. They marched from Brest-Litovsk and entered Switzerland. Their goal was to fight a French army near Zürich and then invade France.
• The second group went to Vienna, where General Suvorov joined them and took overall command. They then marched across the Brenner Pass into Italy.
• The third group, led by Andrei Rosenberg, marched from Kamenets-Podolskiy across the Carpathian Mountains to Budapest and then into Italy.

Austrian Soldiers

Convergence of French and Austrian armies on Ostrach near the Danube in March 1799

In August 1799, the Austrian army had about 148,663 soldiers ready for battle.

French Soldiers

The French had several armies involved:

• The Army of the Danube: This army had about 25,000 soldiers in March 1799. Its commander was General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan.
• The Army of Naples and Army of Italy: These armies had many soldiers, with their numbers changing over time. They were led by several generals, including Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer, Jean Victor Marie Moreau, and Barthélemy Catherine Joubert.
• The Army of the Alps: This army was created in July 1799 with 25,000 soldiers. General Jean Étienne Vachier Championnet was its commander.
• Polish Legions: These soldiers also fought alongside the French.

The Italian Campaign

The Battle of Novi, a painting by Alexander Kotzebue

General Suvorov took command on April 19. He quickly moved his army west towards the Adda River. They marched over 300 miles in just 18 days! On April 27, he defeated the French general Jean Victor Moreau at the Battle of Cassano. Suvorov then entered Milan on April 29.

Two weeks later, he moved to Turin, after defeating Moreau again at the First Battle of Marengo. The king of Sardinia welcomed Suvorov as a hero and gave him many honors.

General MacDonald marched north from Naples to help Moreau. Suvorov decided to attack MacDonald's army with all his forces. He defeated the French at the Trebbia River on June 19.

Suvorov then chased the French Army of Italy as they retreated. He captured the strong city of Mantua on July 28.

Moreau was replaced by General Barthélemy Catherine Joubert. Joubert was defeated and killed in battle with Suvorov at Novi on August 15. Years later, Moreau, who was also at Novi, said about Suvorov: "What can you say of a general so determined, who would rather die and let his army die than retreat a single step."

The Swiss Campaign

Battles in southern Germany and northern Switzerland

In 1798, Paul I sent General Alexander Korsakov with 30,000 men to Germany to fight France. In 1799, this force was sent to drive the French out of Switzerland. Korsakov reached Stockach in 90 days. His army then marched to Zürich to meet up with Austrian General Friedrich von Hotze's army. Hotze had already defeated the French at the Battle of Winterthur on May 27, 1799.

Suvorov's army was supposed to join them from Italy by marching through the Alps. However, the difficult mountains and enemy attacks slowed Suvorov down. Meanwhile, Korsakov waited near Zürich, feeling too confident.

The French, led by André Masséna, attacked Korsakov on September 25, 1799. They won a big victory in the Second Battle of Zürich. Korsakov had to retreat quickly. Suvorov was crossing the Devil's Bridge that very day. Korsakov eventually joined Suvorov's remaining soldiers on October 18.

What Happened Next

March of Suvorov through the Alps. A famous painting by Vasily Surikov (1899).

Suvorov managed to save his army by making a very difficult but successful march across the Alps. He didn't lose a single battle himself. However, Korsakov's defeat at the Second Battle of Zürich was a major setback. It ended any hopes of invading France.

Because of this defeat and other problems with Austria, Tsar Paul I became very angry. He pulled Russia out of the Second Coalition, and the Russian troops went home. This decision surprised many Russian leaders.

Historians believe Russia's withdrawal helped the French win the war in 1802. However, some argue that Austria still had a very strong army, so the chances for the other side weren't much worse without Russia.

Even though the French army won against the Austro-Russian forces, they didn't gain much right away. By the end of 1799, the French army in Italy was in a bad state. Soldiers were hungry, lacked supplies, and many were leaving.

When Napoleon returned to France, it briefly boosted morale. But when soldiers heard he had taken power in a coup, many were unhappy. They felt it betrayed the ideals they had been fighting for. Still, Napoleon later took control of northern Italy again in 1800.

Suvorov was called back to Saint Petersburg. He was given the highest military rank in Russian history, Generalissimo. He died in May 1800. Suvorov is still remembered in the Swiss Alps where his army marched. Even though his troops took food from the countryside, he is seen as a liberator from the French. There are plaques and monuments in his honor.

Important Battles

Suvorov Crossing the St. Gotthard Pass, a painting by Alexander Kotzebue

Suvorov Crossing the Panix Pass, a painting by Alexander Kotzebue

Date	Battle	Region	French forces	Coalition forces	Result
6 March 1799	Battle of Chur	Grisons, Switzerland	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
7 March 1799	(First) Battle of Feldkirch	Vorarlberg, Austria	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
20–21 March 1799	Battle of Ostrach	Swabia, Germany	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
23 March 1799	(Second) Battle of Feldkirch	Vorarlberg, Austria	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
25 March 1799	Battle of Stockach	Swabia, Germany	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
29 March 1799	Battle of Verona	Veneto, Italy	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Draw
5 April 1799	Battle of Magnano	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
April–July 1799	Siege of Mantua	Lombardy, Italy	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
21 April 1799	Capture of Brescia	Brescia, Northern Italy	French First Republic	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
27–28 April 1799	Battle of Cassano	Lombardy, Italy	French First Republic	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
12 May 1799	Battle of Bassignana	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
16 May 1799	First Battle of Marengo (Battle of San Giuliano)	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy  Russian Empire	Coalition victory
25 May 1799	Battle of Frauenfeld	Thurgau, Switzerland	French First Republic  Helvetic Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Draw
27 May 1799	Battle of Winterthur	Zürich, Switzerland	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
4–7 June 1799	First Battle of Zurich	Zürich, Switzerland	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
12 June 1799	Battle of Modena	Romagna, Italy	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
17–20 June 1799	Battle of Trebbia	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic Polish Legion	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
20 June 1799	Second Battle of Marengo (Battle of Cascina Grossa)	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
14–15 August 1799	Battle of Schwyz	Schwyz, Switzerland	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
14–16 August 1799	Battle of Amsteg	Uri, Switzerland	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
15 August 1799	(First) Battle of Novi	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
18 September 1799	Battle of Mannheim	Palatinate, Germany	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
24 September 1799	Battle of Gotthard Pass	Ticino, Switzerland	French First Republic	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
25–26 September 1799	Second Battle of Zurich	Zürich, Switzerland	French First Republic	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy	French key victory
25–26 September 1799	Battle of Linth River	Glarus, Switzerland	French First Republic	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy Swiss rebels	French victory
30 September – 1 October 1799	Battle of Klöntal	Linth, Switzerland	French First Republic	Russian Empire  Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
30 September – 1 October 1799	Battle of Muottental	Waldstätten, Switzerland	French First Republic	Russian Empire	Coalition key victory
24 October 1799	Second Battle of Novi (Battle of Bosco)	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic Polish Legion	Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
4 November 1799	Battle of Genola (Battle of Fossano)	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory
6 November 1799	Third Battle of Novi	Piedmont, Italy	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	French victory
3 December 1799	Battle of Wiesloch	Baden, Germany	French First Republic	Habsburg Monarchy	Coalition victory

In Art

• 

  Suvorov victorious at the Battle of Trebbia. Alexander von Kotzebue, 1889.

• 

  Suvorov in Milan. Adolf Charlemagne (d. 1901).

• 

  Suvorov at the St. Gotthard Pass. Adolf Charlemagne (d. 1901).

• 

  Suvorov Crossing the Devil's Bridge. Robert Porter (d. 1842).

• 

  Suvorov's March across the Alps (1904 mosaic from the Suvorov Museum).

• 

  Suvorov Bidding Farewell to the Swiss People. Andrey Popov (d. 1896).

• 

  Monument to Alexander Suvorov and his fallen soldiers next to the Devil's Bridge, 1899.

• 

  1999 statue on the St. Gotthard Pass on 2016 postage stamp of Russia

See also

• Suvorov's Swiss campaign

Sources

• Clausewitz, Carl von (2020). Napoleon Absent, Coalition Ascendant: The 1799 Campaign in Italy and Switzerland, Volume 1. Trans and ed. Nicholas Murray and Christopher Pringle. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN: 978-0-7006-3025-7
• Clausewitz, Carl von (2021). The Coalition Crumbles, Napoleon Returns: The 1799 Campaign in Italy and Switzerland, Volume 2. Trans and ed. Nicholas Murray and Christopher Pringle. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN: 978-0-7006-3034-9
• Dmitry Milyutin. The History of the War of Russia with France during the Reign of Emperor Paul I, vol. 1–9. St. Petersburg, 1852–1853.