Gregory Fremont-Barnes by The French Revolutionary Wars

Author:The French Revolutionary Wars
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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52 Essential Histories • The French Revolutionary Wars One must admit, it was an insane gamble, and The Directory, like the allied

even its success would not have justified it.'

governments, had its own ambitious plans

for the coming campaign. These involved

Operations in Europe, 1799-1801

offensive operations in Naples under

While Bonaparte was occupied in Egypt in

Macdonald, in northern Italy conducted by

1798, the Great Powers were engaged in

Schérer, and in Switzerland led by Massena,

diplomatic efforts to raise a new coalition.

and Jourdan, together with Bernadotte, on

Austria wanted revenge on the French for the

the east side of the Rhine. General Brune,

terms of Campo Formio. While Britain was still

with 25,000 men, was to defend Holland

at war with France there remained a framework

against expected Anglo-Russian amphibious

around which to build resistance against France

operations. Every French army was

once again. The new alliance contained Britain,

considerably understrength and none

Russia, Austria, Naples, Portugal, and a host of

possessed the high level of morale so

lesser German states. This was an impressive

characteristic of the Army of Italy under

array of power, but the coalition's plans did not Bonaparte in 1796-97. Under these adverse

recognize the strategic importance of

circumstances, and with Bonaparte far off in

Switzerland as an avenue of invasion into

Egypt, France faced a challenge that would

France, relying instead on separate offensives in prove difficult to overcome.

unconnected regions including Italy, southern

The campaign opened when French forces

Germany, and Holland.

attacked and quickly occupied the mainland

possessions of the Kingdom of Naples in early

1799, establishing another satellite state

Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov. Russia's most able senior commander, he achieved victories during the known as the Parthenopean Republic. On the

campaign of 1799 at Cassano, the Trebbia. and Novi main Italian front, Schérer failed to capture

largely through the use of unimaginative yet determined Verona before the Austrian troops could unite bayonet attacks, a tactic he had successfully employed in with the Russians, who were marching west the wars against the Turks. In his book. How to Win, under Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov, a Suvorov instructed his men to 'Fire sparingly, but fire veteran of the various wars fought against accurately. Thrust home forcefully with the bayonet.

A bullet can go astray, but the bayonet doesn't.'

Poland and Turkey since the 1760s. In the

(Roger-Viollet)

middle of April General Moreau replaced

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