Battle of Caldiero (1796)
On the 2nd of November 1796, Feldzeugmeister Jozsef Alvinczi launched his third attempt to raise the Siege of Mantua. He crossed the Piave River with an army of 28,000 men and advanced westward toward the trapped fortress. At the same time, a second Austrian column under Feldmarschall-Leutnant Paul Davidovich moved south against Trento with 18,000 men. Alvinczi hoped to break through to the relief of Feldmarschall Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser. Wurmser remained trapped in Mantua with a garrison of 23,708 men. Of these soldiers, only 12,420 were well enough to fight. To face the twin threats, Bonaparte deployed a 10,500-man division led by General of Division Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois against Davidovich in the north. He placed General of Division André Masséna's 9,500-man division at Bassano on the Brenta River. In reserve lay General of Division Pierre Augereau's 8,300-man division at Verona.
By the 11th of November, Alvinczi's advance elements reached Caldiero, east of Verona. Believing that Verona was being evacuated, Generalmajor Prince Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen moved forward. But Bonaparte sent the divisions of Masséna and Augereau across the Adige River to engage the Austrians. Hohenzollern lost 400 men and pulled back to a ridge running north of Caldiero. Bonaparte determined to attack the Austrians the next day. He sent a total of 13,000 men to attack Hohenzollern's position. Masséna drove against the Austrian right while Augereau attacked the Austrian left. The Austrians had fortified themselves in several villages and sturdily resisted the French assaults. This setup created a narrow front where two separate French columns would face a single defensive line.
A violent rain and hail storm blew in the faces of the French troops during the morning assault. The weather made it difficult for them to prime their muskets before engaging the enemy. At mid-day, Masséna began making headway on the Austrian right despite the conditions. The hail likely damaged the flintlock mechanisms used by the infantrymen. Soldiers struggled to keep their weapons dry enough to fire effectively against the entrenched positions. The storm added chaos to an already confused battlefield where visibility was poor. Despite these obstacles, the French pushed forward with determination until the afternoon reinforcements arrived.
In the afternoon, the brigades of Generalmajore Adolf Brabeck and Anton Schübirz von Chobinin arrived on the field. Soon the Austrians forced back Masséna after these fresh units joined the fight. Provera also appeared and drove back Augereau on the opposite flank. The arrival of nightfall allowed the French to pull safely back into Verona. These three commanders brought additional strength that turned the tide against the initial French attacks. Their timely intervention prevented Bonaparte from securing a breakthrough at Caldiero. The coordinated counterattacks demonstrated how Austrian command structure adapted to changing circumstances during the battle.
The French suffered 1,000 killed and wounded plus 800 men and two artillery pieces captured. The Austrians lost 950 killed and wounded and 350 captured. Having failed to dislodge the Austrians, Bonaparte contemplated a retreat behind the Adda River. He considered potentially abandoning the blockade of Mantua due to the heavy losses. But when the Austrians dawdled rather than taking advantage of their opportunities, the French commander determined to attack his opponent again. This tactical setback marked a rare defeat for Bonaparte in the Italian campaign. His forces withdrew into Verona that evening after having suffered greater losses than their adversaries.
Stripping Vaubois and Kilmaine of every available man, Bonaparte fell upon Alvinczi at the Battle of Arcola on 15, the 17th of November. He defeated the Austrians in this new offensive despite the recent failure at Caldiero. This decision showed how quickly Napoleon could adapt his strategy after a setback. The pivot to Arcola demonstrated his willingness to risk other garrisons to secure victory. A few days later, the Austrian army would suffer another defeat following this sequence of events. The strategic shift from defensive withdrawal to aggressive counterattack defined the remainder of the campaign season.
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Common questions
Who commanded the Austrian forces at the Battle of Caldiero on the 2nd of November 1796?
Feldzeugmeister Jozsef Alvinczi commanded the Austrian forces during the Battle of Caldiero. He launched his third attempt to raise the Siege of Mantua by crossing the Piave River with an army of 28,000 men.
What were the French casualties and losses at the Battle of Caldiero in 1796?
The French suffered 1,000 killed and wounded plus 800 men and two artillery pieces captured during the battle. The Austrians lost 950 killed and wounded and 350 captured while defending their positions.
How did weather conditions affect the outcome of the Battle of Caldiero fought between Napoleon Bonaparte and Habsburg troops?
A violent rain and hail storm blew into the faces of the French troops during the morning assault and made it difficult for them to prime their muskets. The hail likely damaged the flintlock mechanisms used by the infantrymen and added chaos to the battlefield where visibility was poor.
When did Feldmarschall Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser remain trapped inside Mantua during the Italian campaign?
Feldmarschall Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser remained trapped in Mantua with a garrison of 23,708 men when Alvinczi launched his attack on the 2nd of November 1796. Of these soldiers only 12,420 were well enough to fight against the advancing Austrian columns.
Which generals led the French divisions at the Battle of Caldiero on the 11th of November 1796?
General of Division Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois commanded forces against Davidovich while General of Division André Masséna and General of Division Pierre Augereau engaged the Austrians directly. These three commanders deployed a total force of approximately 28,300 men across the Adige River to face the enemy positions.