Short answers, pulled from the story.
Napoleon Bonaparte led French troops across a pontoon bridge at Arcole to defeat Austrian forces commanded by Feldzeugmeister József Alvinczi. The battle raged for three days with repeated assaults failing until Alvinczi withdrew his field army on the third day.
Feldzeugmeister József Alvinczi led the main Austrian army while Feldmarschall-Leutnant Paul Davidovich advanced south along the Adige River valley. General-Major Anton Ferdinand Mittrowsky arrived mid-day with reinforcements to help defend the village against French attacks.
French losses numbered 3,500 dead and wounded plus 1,300 captured or missing while Austrians suffered only 2,200 dead and wounded but lost 4,000 men and 11 guns to capture. Jean-Baptiste Muiron died under intense fire during the fighting as Napoleon stood exposed about 55 paces from the bridge.
Marshy land blocked direct penetration forcing movement onto causeways or dikes that restricted battlefield access. Dikes along the Alpone near Arcole stood 26 feet high with very steep faces which prevented Austrians from using their superior numbers effectively against the French.
Napoleon's actions at the bridge quickly turned legendary among French artists and newspapers after the victory on the 15th of November 1796. The battle became widely regarded as the beginning of the Napoleonic legend which lasted until 1815 when he returned from Egypt aboard a warship named the Muiron in honor of his aide who died at his side.