Battle of Rivoli
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Napoleon at the Battle of Rivoli, by Felix Philipoteaux.
Date 14-15 January 1797 Location Rivoli Veronese, Italy Result Decisive French victory
Combatants
French Republic	Austrian Empire
Commanders
Napoleon Bonaparte	Joseph Alvinczy, Peter Quasdanovich
Strength
23,000	28,000
Casualties
5,000 dead and wounded	14,000 dead, wounded or captured

The Battle of Rivoli (14–15 January 1797) was a key victory in the first French campaign in Italy against Austria. Bonaparte's 23,000 French defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under General Alvinczy, ending Austria's fourth and final attempt to relieve their besieged fortress of Mantua. Rivoli further demonstrated Napoleon's brilliance and led to French occupation of northern Italy. Combatants Great Britain Austria Prussia Spain[1] Russia Sardinia Ottoman Empire Portugal Dutch Republic[2] France The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Rivoli Veronese is a commune in Veneto, Italy, in the Province of Verona, on a hill on the right bank of the Adige, 13 miles NW of Verona, 617 feet above sea-level. ... The Habsburg Monarchy, often called Austrian Monarchy or simply Austria, are the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine, between 1526 and 1867/1918. ... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des... Freiherr Joseph Alvinczi von Borberek, or József Alvinczi de Borberek (Alvintzy) (February 1, 1735—September 25, 1810) was a soldier in the Habsburg Army and a Field Marshal of the Austrian Empire. ... Peter Vitus von Quosdanovich (1738,Sichelburg near Carlstadt - 13 August 1802) - general of the Austrian Empire. ... The name First Coalition (1793–1797) designates the first major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain revolutionary France. ... Combatants France Prussia Commanders Dumouriez Kellermann Duke of Brunswick Strength 47,000 35,000 Casualties 300 184 The Battle of Valmy (September 20, 1792) saw the inexperienced armies of revolutionary France drive out an invading allied army. ... The Battle of Jemappes (November 6, 1792) took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Belgium, near Mons. ... Combatants First French Republic Kingdom of Prussia Austria (Habsburg) Electorate of Saxony Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel Electoral Palatinate Duchy of Saxe-Weimar Commanders General Ignace dOyré Alexandre de Beauharnais Field marshal von Kalckreuth Duke of Brunswick Strength 23,000 184 cannons 36,000 later 44... The Battle of Neerwinden (18 March 1793) took place near the village of Neerwinden in present-day Belgium between the Austrians under Prince Josias of Coburg and the French under General Dumouriez. ... Combatants First French Republic Vendée Royalist Commanders General Westermann Marquis de la Roche-Jacquelin Strength 25,000 31,000 Casualties 4,000 killed, wounded, or missing ca 2,100 killed or wounded The Battle of Entrames was fought on 27 October 1793 during the French Revolutionary Wars between French... The Battle of Toulon took place in 1793. ... 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Combatants French Republic Royalists Commanders General Tuncq Gigot d’Elbée Strength 10,000 35,000 17 cannons Casualties ca 500 killed or wounded ca 5,000 killed, wounded or missing 17 cannons lost The Battle of Luçon was fought on 14 August 1793 during the French Revolutionary Wars... The Battle of Hondshoote was fought on September 6 - 8, 1793 and resulted in a French victory under General Houchard and General Jourdan against the British under the Duke of York. ... The Battle of Wattignies, during the French Revolutionary Wars, was fought at the village of Wattignies-la-Victoire on October 15 and October 16, Austrians under General Cobourg. ... Combatants First French Republic Spain Commanders Auguste Dagobert Antonio Ricardos Strength 22,000 17,000 Casualties 3,000 killed or wounded, 1,500 captured, 10 cannons lost About 2,000 killed, wounded or missing The Battle of Truillas was fought on 22 September 1793 during the French Revolutionary War, between... 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Combatants French Republic Austria, Great Britain, Hannover Commanders General Pichegru Prince Josias of Coburg Strength ca 45,000 ca 28,000 Casualties 5,500 killed or wounded, 450 captured, 7 cannons lost 3,000 killed or wounded The Battle of Tournay, was fought on 22 May 1794 in the Belgian... The Battle of San-Lorenzo de la Muga (French: St-Laurent, also Battle of the Sierra Negra or Battle of the Black Mountains) was fought on November 20, 1794, and resulted in the victory of French under General Perignon and General Dugommier against the Spanish under General Union. ... Italic textThe Battle of Lodi took place at Lodi, Lombardy, Italy on May 10, 1796. ... The Battle of the Bridge of Arcole (Le Bataille du Pont dArcole in French), occurred on November 17, 1796. ... 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Combatants First French Republic Austrian Empire, Kingdom of Sardinia Commanders General Bonaparte Count Argenteau Strength 14,000 9,000 Casualties 800 killed, wounded or missing 2,500 killed, wounded, or (mostly) captured, 12 cannons lost The Battle of Montenotte was fought on 12 April 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars... Battle of the War of the First Coalition between French and Austrian armies which took place on 21 September 1794. ... Combatants First French Republic Austria, Kingdom of Sardinia Commanders General Bonaparte, General Massena Count Argenteau Colonel Vukassovich Strength ca 15,000 ca 5,700 Casualties ca 2,100 killed or wounded, 317 captured ca 4,700 killed, wounded or captured The Second Battle of Dego was fought on 14 and... Combatants First French Republic Austrian Empire Commanders General Bonaparte Count Wurmser Strength 20,000 ca 11,000 Casualties 400 killed, wounded or missing 600 killed or wounded, 2,000 captured, 30 cannons lost, 8 standards lost, 200 limbers and ammunition waggons lost The Battle of Bassano was fought on 8... Combatants First French Republic Austria Commanders General Bonaparte Baron Paul Davidovich Strength 20,000 10,000 Casualties 750 killed, wounded, or missing 3,000 killed, wounded, or (mostly) captured 25 cannons lost 7 colours lost The Battle of Rovereto (also known as Battle of Roveredo), was fought on 4 September... The Battle of Mondovì was fought on April 21, 1796 between the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Kingdom of Sardinia. ... The battle of Cassano dAdda was a battle in the French Revolutionary Wars that was fought on April 27, 1799 near Cassano dAdda. ... 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(Redirected from 14 January) January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Napoleon I Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from... b. ... Mantua (in Italian Mantova, in the local dialect of Emiliano-Romagnolo language Mantua) is an important city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province with the same name. ...

Prelude

Alvinczy's plan was to overwhelm Joubert in the mountains east of Lake Garda with the concentration of five separate columns, and thereby gain access to the open country north of Mantua where Austrian superior numbers would be able to defeat Bonaparte's smaller Army of Italy. However, Joubert held, and Bonaparte was able to bring up elements of Massena's division to support Joubert's efforts to form a defensive line on favorable ground just north of Rivoli on the Trambasore Heights. The battle would be a contest between Alvinczy's efforts to concentrate his dispersed columns versus the arrival of French reinforcements. Barthélemy Catherine Joubert (April 14, 1769—August 15, 1799), French general. ... Lake Garda Riva del Garda Punta San Vigilio View from Gargnano Lake Garda from space Lake Garda (Italian Lago di Garda) is the largest lake in Italy. ...

Battle

The morning of the 14th saw fierce fighting along the Trambasore Heights, as another Austrian column attempted to turn the French right via the Rivoli Gorge. By 11:00 things looked very bad for Bonaparte: Austrian dragoons had forced their way through the gorge, word arrived that another Austrian column was cutting off his retreat south of Rivoli, and Alvinczy himself was on the Trambasore Heights urging his victorious battalions forward, though they were unformed due to combat and rough terrain. French dragoon, 1745. ...

Meanwhile a series of events managed to take advantage of this crucial mistake. Bonaparte, Joubert, and Louis Alexandre Berthier put together a well co-ordinated combined arms attack. A battery of 15 guns blasted the dragoons, while two columns of infantry, one for the gorge and one for the Trambasore Heights were led forward supported by cavalry under Charles Leclerc and Antoine Charles Louis Lasalle. It was too much for the packed masses in the gorge when suddenly their own dragoons were running them over in panic. And likewise the dispersed infantry on the Heights were unable to hold once French cavalry got in their midst. Lastly, General Louis Rey's division arrived just in time to force the southern Austrian column to retreat. Louis Alexandre Berthier, Marshal of France Louis Alexandre Berthier, prince de Neuchâtel (February 20, 1753 – June 1, 1815), marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and chief of staff under Napoleon, was born at Versailles. ... Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc (Pontoise Val-dOise, France 1772 - Saint Domingue, November 1, 1802) was a French general and a companion of Napoleon I of France. ... The Lunéville statue of Antoine Charles Louis, comte de Lasalle. ...

Results

The next day Joubert led a successful pursuit of Alvinczy, all but destroying his columns, the remnants of which fled over the Alps in confusion. The Battle of Rivoli was Bonaparte's greatest victory at the time, losing a mere 5,000 men to Alvinczy's 14,000.

The Rue de Rivoli, a street in central Paris, is named after the battle. Rue de Rivoli is one of the most famous streets of Paris, a commercial street whose shops include the most fashionable names in the world. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Floating not submerging) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ...

References

• Boycott-Brown, Martin. The Road to Rivoli. Cassell; New Ed edition, 2002. ISBN 0-304-36209-3

External links

• Napoleonic Miniatures Wargame Society of Toronto
• Photographs of the battlefield of Rivoli