View source for Battle of Bassano

{{Short description|1796 battle during the War of the First Coalition}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Bassano
| partof            = the [[French Revolutionary Wars]]
| campaign          = War of the [[First Coalition]]
| image             = Bassano vernet.jpg
| image_size        = 280
| caption           = Bonaparte after the Battle of Bassano, by [[Horace Vernet]] (1848)
| date              = 8 September 1796
| place             = [[Bassano del Grappa|Bassano]], [[Venetia (region)|Venetia]], present-day [[Italy]]
| coordinates       = {{coord|45.7667|N|11.7333|E|source:wikidata}}
| map_type          = Europe
| map_relief        = 1
| map_size          = 300
| result            = French victory
| combatant1        = {{flagicon|France}} [[First French Republic]]
| combatant2        = {{flagicon|Habsburg Monarchy}} [[Habsburg monarchy]]
| commander1        = {{flagicon|First French Republic}} [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]
{{flagicon|First French Republic}} [[André Masséna]]
{{flagicon|First French Republic}} [[Jean Lannes]]
| commander2        = {{flagicon|Holy Roman Empire}} [[Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser]]
| strength1         = 20,000
| strength2         = 20,000<ref>Napoleone Bonaparte, Memorie della campagna d'Italia, Roma, Donzelli editore, 2012, {{ISBN|978-88-6036-714-3}}.</ref><ref>Rickard, J (30 January 2009), Battle of Bassano, 8 September 1796 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_bassano_1796.html</ref>
| casualties1       = 400 killed, wounded or missing
| casualties2       = 600 killed or wounded,<br>6,000 captured,<br>30 cannons, 8 standards
}}
{{Campaignbox First Coalition}}
{{Campaignbox French Revolutionary Wars:Italy}}
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| title = [[War of the First Coalition]]:<br>[[Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars|Italian Campaign]]
| caption = {{legend|black|current battle}}{{legend|navy|Napoleon as subordinate}}{{legend|maroon|Napoleon in command}}

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| label1 =
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| mark-title1 = [[Second Battle of Saorgio (1794)]] from 24 to 28 April 1794
| shape-color1 = navy
| label-color1 = navy

| label2 =
| mark-coord2 = {{coord|44.65|7.87}}
| mark-title2 = [[Montenotte campaign]] from 10 to 28 April 1796

| label3 =
| mark-coord3 = {{coord|45.15|9.7}}
| mark-title3 = [[Battle of Fombio]] from 7 to 9 May 1796

| label4 = Lodi
| mark-coord4 = {{coord|45.32|9.5}}
| mark-title4 = [[Battle of Lodi]] on 10 May 1796

| label5 =
| mark-coord5 = {{coord|45.35|10.73}}
| mark-title5 = [[Battle of Borghetto]] on 30 May 1796

| label6 =
| mark-coord6 = {{coord|45.46|10.48}}
| mark-title6 = [[Battle of Lonato]] from 3 to 4 August 1796

| label7 =
| mark-coord7 = {{coord|45.38|10.48}}
| mark-title7 = [[Battle of Castiglione]] on 5 August 1796

| label8 =
| mark-coord8 = {{coord|45.88|11.05}}
| mark-title8 = [[Battle of Rovereto]] on 4 September 1796

| label9 =
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| mark-title9 = Battle of Bassano on 8 September 1796<br>[[Second Battle of Bassano]] on 6 November 1796
| shape-color9 = black
| label-color9 = black

| label10 =
| mark-coord10 = {{coord|45.42|11.18}}
| mark-title10 = [[Battle of Caldiero (1796)]] on 12 November 1796

| label11 =
| mark-coord11 = {{coord|45.35|11.28}}
| mark-title11 = [[Battle of Arcole]] from 15 to 17 November 1796

| label12 =
| mark-coord12 = {{coord|45.57|10.82}}
| mark-title12 = [[Battle of Rivoli]] from 14 to 15 January 1797

| label13 =
| mark-coord13 = {{coord|45.16|10.8}}
| mark-title13 = [[Siege of Mantua (1796–1797)]] from 27 August 1796 to 2 February 1797

| label14 =
| mark-coord14 = {{coord|46|12.87}}
| mark-title14 = [[Battle of Valvasone (1797)]] on 16 March 1797

| label15 =
| mark-coord15 = {{coord|46.51|13.58}}
| mark-title15 = [[Battle of Tarvis (1797)]] from 21 to 23 March 1797
}}
The '''Battle of Bassano''' was fought on 8 September 1796, during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]], in the territory of the [[Republic of Venice]], between a French army under [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] and Austrian forces led by Count [[Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser|Dagobert von Wurmser]]. The engagement occurred during the second Austrian attempt to raise the [[Siege of Mantua (1796-1797)|siege of Mantua]]. It was a French victory; however, it was the last battle in Napoleon's perfect military career as two months later he would be defeated at the [[Second Battle of Bassano]], ending his victorious streak. The Austrians abandoned their artillery and baggage, losing supplies, cannons, and battle standards to the French. The victory led to Wurmser being trapped in Mantua, but Napoleon would find his army now badly overstretched, due to holding both Trento and Bassano, meaning he could not support either of those locations without being drawn too far away from the other, something that would nearly allow the Austrians to win during the third attempt to raise the siege of Mantua in November.

==Background==
===Austrian plans===
The first relief of [[Mantua]] failed at the battles of [[Battle of Lonato|Lonato]] and [[Battle of Castiglione|Castiglione]] in early August. The defeat caused Wurmser to retreat north up the [[Adige River]] valley. Meanwhile, the French reinvested the Austrian garrison of [[Mantua]].

Ordered by [[Francis II of Austria|Emperor Francis II]] to relieve Mantua at once, ''[[Feldmarschall]]'' Wurmser and his new chief-of-staff ''[[Lieutenant-General|Feldmarschal-Leutnant]]'' (FML) [[Franz von Lauer]] drew up a strategy. Leaving FML [[Paul Davidovich]] and 13,700 soldiers to defend Trento and the approaches to the [[County of Tyrol]], Wurmser directed two divisions east then south down the Brenta valley. When he joined the large division of [[Johann Meszaros von Szoboszlo|Johann Mészáros]] at Bassano, he would have 20,000 men. From Bassano, Wurmser would move on Mantua, while Davidovich probed the enemy defenses from the north, looking for a favorable opportunity to support his superior. Lauer predicted that the French, having suffered recent losses, would be unable to react in time. Unknown to the Austrians, the French government desired that General Bonaparte cross the Alps to join the army of General [[Jean Victor Marie Moreau|Jean Moreau]] in southern Germany.<ref>Boycott-Brown, p 416</ref>

===Forces===
See [[Bassano 1796 Campaign Order of Battle]] for a list of French and Austrian army units.

===Geography===
In 1796, there were only three practicable routes between [[Trento]] and the [[Po River]] basin. The first route lay west of [[Lake Garda]]. The second route was the road down the Adige valley east of Lake Garda and north of [[Verona]]. The third route went east through [[Levico Terme]] and [[Borgo Valsugana]], then followed the [[Brenta River]] valley (Valsugana) southward to [[Bassano del Grappa]]. An army that held both Trento and Bassano could move troops and supplies between the two places free from French interference.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

===Operations===
[[Image:Battle of Rovereto 4 Sept 1796.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Battle of Rovereto, 4 Sept 1796]]
Bonaparte posted [[General of Division]] [[Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois|Claude Vaubois]] with 10,000 men on the west side of [[Lake Garda]]. General of Division [[André Masséna]] defended the [[Adige River]] valley with 13,000 troops and General of Division [[Pierre Augereau]] covered [[Verona]] with 10,000 more. General of Division [[Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine|Charles Kilmaine]] maintained the blockade of Mantua with General of Division [[Jean Sahuguet]]'s division of 8,000 soldiers and held a 2,000 man reserve at Verona.<ref name="Fiebeger, p 12"/> Another source gave Vaubois 11,000, Massena 13,000, Augereau 9,000, Sahuguet 10,000, and Kilmaine 3,500 soldiers.<ref>Boycott-Brown, p 419</ref>

After Castiglione, Bonaparte had rearranged his intelligence gathering: the French representative in Venice, Lallement, was sent money to pay for spies to check out the areas between Venice and Trent <ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yw74mNxdmAwC&q=Bonaparte+Lallement+espions&pg=PA33|title=Oeuvres de Napoleon Bonaparte. Tome premier -sixieme!: 1.2|date=8 April 2018|access-date=8 April 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> and Bonaparte's station chief, Angelo Pico, based at Peschiera, sent his men forward into the [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]]. More importantly, his spy Francesco Toli had penetrated Austrian headquarters and forewarned Bonaparte that Wurmser had left Davidovich at Trento.<ref>Histoire militaire de Masséna. Le première campagne d'Italie (1795 à 1798) by E. Gachot, p.170 https://archive.org/details/histoiremilitai02gachgoog</ref> So, Bonaparte struck first, sending Masséna and Augereau north toward Trento. Meanwhile, Vaubois advanced past [[Lake Idro]] to [[Riva del Garda|Riva]] at the north end of Lake Garda. Vaubois and Masséna converged on [[Rovereto]] on the Adige. At the [[Battle of Rovereto]] on 4 September, the French routed Davidovich's outnumbered troops, inflicting 3,000 casualties at a cost of 750 killed and wounded.<ref>Smith, p 122</ref>

Finding that Wurmser had moved toward Bassano, Bonaparte abandoned the plan to link with Moreau. Leaving Vaubois to observe the fleeing Austrians in the upper Adige valley, the French army commander decided to take a bold but risky course of action. Cutting loose from his supply line, he ordered Augereau, followed by Masséna, to the east into the Brenta valley.<ref>Chandler, p 97</ref> On 7 September, Augereau's 8,200 soldiers overwhelmed the 2,800 to 4,000 Austrians of Wurmser's rear guard at Primolano (6&nbsp;km north of [[Cismon del Grappa]]), capturing 1,500 men and their commander ''[[Oberstleutnant]]'' [[Alois von Gavasini]]. The victorious French then followed the valley as it turned south toward Bassano.<ref>Smith, p 123</ref><ref>Boycott-Brown, pp 429–431. This source lists 2,800 Austrians.</ref>

==Battle==
===Bassano===
[[Image:Battle of Bassano 8 Sept 1796.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Battle of Bassano, 8 Sept 1796]]
Despite being surprised by the French rapid advance, Wurmser had gathered up 20,000 men the day before the collision took place.

On 8 September, 20,000 French soldiers fell upon Wurmser from the north. First, they attacked the 3,800-man Austrian rearguard under FML [[Peter Quasdanovich]] and [[major general|General-Major]] (GM) [[Adam Bajalics von Bajahaza|Adam Bajalics]]. Bonaparte sent Masséna down the west bank of the Brenta and Augereau down the east bank. Overwhelmed by repeated attacks and pursued by [[Colonel]] [[Joachim Murat]]'s cavalry, the rearguard collapsed and Bajalics was captured.<ref>Boycott-Brown, p 431</ref> Wurmser deployed one brigade on the west bank, a second brigade on the east bank, and a third in Bassano.<ref name="Fiebeger, p 12">Fiebeger, p 12</ref> Colonel [[Jean Lannes]] led a successful charge which broke the Austrian lines and burst into the town. Quasdanovich later assumed command over the defeated Austrians who retreated east, but 3,500 soldiers of FML [[Karl Philipp Sebottendorf|Karl Sebottendorf's]] division fell back to the south with their army commander.

The French suffered 400 killed, wounded, and missing. Wurmser lost 600 killed and wounded. Between 2,000 and 6,000 Austrians, eight colors and 30 artillery pieces were captured. The vigorous French pursuit also seized a bridging train plus 200 limbers and ammunition wagons.<ref>Smith, p 123. Chandler says 4,000 were captured.</ref><ref>Rickard, J (30 January 2009), Battle of Bassano, 8 September 1796</ref>

===Race for Mantua===
[[Image:Race for Mantua 15 Sept 1796.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Race for Mantua, 9–15 Sept 1796]]
Wurmser unexpectedly headed west toward Mantua and joined the division of Mészáros at [[Vicenza]]. Immediately, Bonaparte sent his two divisions after the Austrians, hoping to cut them off. Masséna advanced southwest from Vicenza while Augereau moved south to [[Padua]] to close the Austrian escape route to the east. General-Major [[Peter Karl Ott von Batorkez|Peter Ott]] distinguished himself by leading Wurmser's vanguard in the race for Mantua. A French battalion holding [[Legnago]] abandoned its post, allowing the Austrians passage across the Adige.<ref name="Fiebeger, p 12" /> Wurmser left 1,600 men to hold the city and continued his march. On 11 September, Masséna intercepted the Austrians at [[Cerea]] with two brigades weakened by straggling.<ref>Fiebeger, p 13</ref> Ott held on until Wurmser arrived with the main body,<ref>Boycott-Brown, pp 433–434</ref> driving the French back with 1,200 casualties.<ref>Smith, pp 123–124</ref> Bonaparte ordered Sahuguet to take up blocking positions at [[Castel d'Ario]] and at [[Governolo]] where the [[Mincio River]] flowed into the [[Po River]]. The next day, the Austrian field marshal, assisted by a local guide, crossed a bridge that Sahuguet failed to destroy and led 10,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry to Mantua.<ref>Boycott-Brown, p 434</ref>

After capturing the detachment at Legnago on 13 September, Bonaparte appeared before Mantua. On 15 September, Wurmser awaited the French on the east bank of the [[Mincio River]] in line of battle, with his right flank on the San Giorgio suburb and his left on [[Villa La Favorita|La Favorita]] Palace. The Austrian left wing under Ott held off Sahuguet's attacks all day. But the Austrian line gave way before the attacks of Masséna on the center and [[General of Brigade]] [[Louis André Bon]] (leading Augereau's division) on the right. The French succeeded in capturing the San Giorgio suburb and driving the Austrians into Mantua.<ref name="Boycott-Brown, p 435">Boycott-Brown, p 435</ref> During this fight, 2,500 Austrians became casualties and 11 cannon and 3 colors were captured. The French lost 1,500 killed and wounded, plus nine guns captured.<ref>Smith, p 124</ref>

==Results==
Mantua's garrison was swollen to nearly 30,000 men. But, within six weeks, 4,000 Austrians died of wounds or disease in the crowded fortress. One historian notes that,
<blockquote>The second attempt to relieve Mantua had therefore come to a rather sorry conclusion for the Austrians. Their army commander had managed to get himself shut inside the very place he was trying to liberate, losing more than 11,000 men in the process. The French had failed to make the link between their armies in Italy and Germany, and Bonaparte was, in a sense, back to square one, still faced with the problem of reducing Mantua, which now had a much more powerful garrison.<ref name="Boycott-Brown, p 435" /></blockquote>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==

* Boycott-Brown, Martin. ''The Road to Rivoli.'' London: Cassell & Co., 2001. {{ISBN|0-304-35305-1}}
* Chandler, David. ''The Campaigns of Napoleon.'' New York: Macmillan, 1966.
* {{cite book|last=Fiebeger |first=G. J. |year=1911 |title=The Campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte of 1796–1797|location=West Point, New York |publisher=US Military Academy Printing Office |url=https://archive.org/details/campaignsnapole00unkngoog}}
* Smith, Digby. ''The Napoleonic Wars Data Book.'' London: Greenhill, 1998. {{ISBN|1-85367-276-9}}
* Gachot, Edouard '' Histoire militaire de Masséna. Le première campagne d'Italie (1795 à 1798)'' (1898)
* Napoleone Bonaparte, Memorie della campagna d'Italia, Roma, Donzelli editore, 2012, {{ISBN|978-88-6036-714-3}}.
* Rickard, J (30 January 2009), Battle of Bassano, 8 September 1796.

==External links==
* [http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/biographies/Austria/AustrianGenerals/c_AustrianGeneralsO.html#O28 Peter Ott by Digby Smith, compiled by Leopold Kudrna]
* http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_bassano_1796.html
*{{commons-inline}}

{{Sequence
| prev = [[Battle of Rovereto]]
| list = French Revolution: Revolutionary campaigns
| curr = Battle of Bassano
| next = [[Battle of Emmendingen]]
}}
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