Battle of Borghetto
The French army swept into Lombardy in early May 1796. General Napoleon Bonaparte had just won the battles of Fombio and Lodi. These victories forced the Austrian commander Feldzeugmeister Johann Peter Beaulieu to abandon Milan. He left a garrison of 2,000 men inside the citadel. The French occupied Brescia and Milan by mid-May. A revolt erupted in Pavia that required a pause in operations. At Binasco village, French troops massacred the adult male population. This brutality shocked observers but cleared the path forward. Beaulieu pulled his main force back behind the Mincio River. He established strong patrols west of the waterway. His urgent goal was preparing Mantua for a siege.
The Mincio River exits Lake Garda at Peschiera del Garda. It winds south for 30 kilometers before reaching Mantua. Snow-melt from the Alps made the river wide and difficult to ford in May. Only four bridges existed between Lake Garda and Mantua. They stood at Peschiera, Borghetto, Goito, and Rivalta near the bend. Moraines formed ridges near Peschiera and Borghetto that could hide troop movements. Terrain flattened out around Goito and Mantua. Lake Garda extended about 50 kilometers north to Riva del Garda. Towns like Castelnuovo del Garda and Valeggio sul Mincio sat on hills east of the river. Salionze and Campagnola lay just north or southwest of these key points. Villafranca di Verona positioned itself east of Valeggio. These geographic features dictated where armies could move and fight.
General Amédée Emmanuel François Laharpe died at Fombio. Bonaparte reorganized his army with three divisions. André Masséna commanded 9,481 men. Pierre Augereau led 6,089 troops. Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier directed 9,075 soldiers. Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine led 6,262 picked troops and cavalry for the advance guard. Hyacinthe François Joseph Despinoy blockaded Milan with 5,278 men. Another 5,500 garrisoned northwest Italy. Beaulieu assigned brigades to defend Mantua. Gerhard Rosselmini, Mathias Rukavina von Boynograd, and Josef Philipp Vukassovich held the city. Feldmarschall-Leutnant Josef Canto d'Irles commanded 12,800 men in the garrison. Many fell ill after hard service. Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud defended Peschiera with 3,049 infantry and 779 cavalry. Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi held Goito with a division of 3,558 men. Michael von Melas and Karl Philipp Sebottendorf jointly commanded 8,169 infantry and 2,086 cavalry near Valeggio.
Bonaparte decided to use the bridge at Borghetto for his crossing. He ordered a feint attack toward Peschiera to misdirect the Austrians. Jean-Baptiste Dominique Rusca moved to Salò on Lake Garda's west shore. French troops collected boats there to hide true intentions. Bonaparte kept his three combat divisions well west of the Mincio. Beaulieu reacted exactly as hoped. The Austrian commander set up a cordon defense between Peschiera and Goito. Peter Gummer and Ernst Beust deployed 4,500 soldiers at Salionze and Oliosi. Franz Nicoletti placed 2,600 men at Campagnola and Pozzolo. Philipp Pittoni von Dannenfeld positioned 3,100 troops around Valeggio. These numbers were estimates based on available information. The deception worked perfectly while the French prepared their real assault.
Beaulieu fell ill on the 29th of May. Confusing orders emanated from Austrian headquarters that threw the army into disarray. The French advance began early in the morning of the 30th of May. Kilmaine advanced from Castiglione delle Stiviere to Borghetto via Solferino. Masséna's division provided support while Augereau covered the left flank. Sérurier moved up on the right flank. Austrian hussar outposts pushed back reached the bridge about 9 am. A jam formed on the narrow span as retreating horsemen fled. Austrians crossed the river and betrayed fordable points to the French. Only single battalions of Strassoldo Infantry Regiment Nr. 27 and Jordis Infantry Regiment Nr. 59 defended the span. Chef de Brigade Gaspard Amédée Gardanne led French troops across the river. They pushed defenders uphill toward Valeggio. Some Austrian hussars rode into town and nearly captured Bonaparte in the afternoon. This incident convinced him to form a cavalry bodyguard called the Guides under Jean-Baptiste Bessières.
That night Beaulieu's units marched north from Castelnuovo and Villafranca. Most reached safety at Dolcè by the next morning. The Austrians admitted 572 soldiers killed, wounded, or captured. French losses estimated at 500. In June the French invested the now-isolated fortress of Mantua. Over the next month Austria received significant reinforcements from Germany. New division and brigade commanders arrived to replace lost leaders. Feldmarschall Dagobert von Wurmser replaced Beaulieu as army commander. From June 1796 until February 1797 all major engagements revolved around the Siege of Mantua. Sebottendorf tried to recapture Valeggio but was repulsed. He retreated to Villafranca while Colli sent Rukavina back to Mantua. Lipthay abandoned Peschiera after being pursued by Augereau's unit. One of Augereau's units got too close before Lipthay's cavalry cut it to pieces. That action inflicted 100 casualties for a loss of only nine Austrians.
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Common questions
When did the Battle of Borghetto take place?
The French advance began early in the morning of the 30th of May 1796. Austrian units marched north from Castelnuovo and Villafranca that night to reach safety at Dolcè by the next morning.
Who commanded the French army during the Battle of Borghetto?
General Napoleon Bonaparte led the French forces while André Masséna, Pierre Augereau, Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier, and Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine commanded specific divisions or the advance guard. Chef de Brigade Gaspard Amédée Gardanne led troops across the river at Borghetto.
Where was the main fighting located during the Battle of Borghetto?
Combat occurred around the bridge at Borghetto where the Mincio River exits Lake Garda near Peschiera del Garda. The battle extended along the narrow span between Moraines formed ridges near Peschiera and Borghetto that could hide troop movements.
Why did General Beaulieu lose the Battle of Borghetto?
Feldzeugmeister Johann Peter Beaulieu fell ill on the 29th of May which caused confusing orders to emanate from Austrian headquarters. This illness threw the army into disarray before the French attack began early in the morning of the 30th of May.
How many soldiers died in the Battle of Borghetto?
The Austrians admitted 572 soldiers killed wounded or captured during the engagement. French losses were estimated at 500 men who fought against the Strassoldo Infantry Regiment Nr. 27 and Jordis Infantry Regiment Nr. 59.