Battle of Tarvis (1797)
On the 2nd of February 1797, Feldmarschall Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser surrendered the fortress of Mantua to French forces. This event marked a decisive turning point in the Italian campaign for Napoleon Bonaparte. The garrison suffered heavy losses with 16,333 men killed, wounded, or dying from disease during the siege. French troops captured 325 artillery pieces and recovered 179 of their own guns lost earlier. An additional 20,000 Austrians were paroled on the promise they would not fight against France until exchanged. Columns of disarmed Austrians marched out of Mantua on the 4th, 5th, and the 6th of February. General of Division Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier refused to amend initial surrender proposals despite pressure. Bonaparte had left days prior to press the war against the Papal States.
Bonaparte planned to attack Archduke Charles before Austrian forces could fully prepare their defenses. He deployed 60,000 men available to him across the Friuli region. General of Division Barthélemy Joubert received about 20,000 troops to protect the Tyrol against possible attacks. Generals André Masséna, Bernadotte, and Sérurier marched with Bonaparte's main body toward the enemy lines. On the 10th of March, French columns drove forward again after weather forced a suspension of operations. Masséna guarded the left flank with 11,000 more men while Bonaparte took 32,000 troops through Sacile. The French commander posted these units to aim for Valvasone and block Austrian retreat routes. Charles deployed his main force between Spilimbergo and San Vito al Tagliamento to meet the advancing threat.
Three divisions of the First French Republic army attacked retreating Habsburg Austrian columns near present-day Tarvisio on the 21st of March 1797. Masséna's advance guard pushed General-major Joseph Ocskay von Ocsko's Austrians out of Tarvis on that first day. Later that same day, General-major Charles Philippe Vinchant de Gontroeul appeared with another column and drove the French from the town. A heavy assault launched by Masséna on the 22nd dispossessed Gontroeul of the town and forced him to withdraw toward Villach. Feldmarschall-Leutnant Adam Bajalics von Bajahaza found his Austrian column trapped on the wrong side of the pass. Bajalics and General-major Samuel Köblös de Nagy-Varád battled against Masséna, Guieu, and Sérurier divisions throughout the 22nd. The next day they surrendered 4,000 Austrian soldiers along with 25 artillery pieces and 500 wagons. Another source records the capture of 3,500 Austrians, 25 guns, and 400 vehicles during these clashes.
Bonaparte changed his center of operations to Klagenfurt after capturing the city on the 29th of March. He ordered independent columns of Joubert, Bernadotte, and Victor to join him there for a final push. On the 7th of April, French forces seized Leoben which stood only 18 miles from Vienna. That same day the Austrians agreed to a five-day suspension of hostilities. Bonaparte proposed negotiations on the 16th of April even though he held no authority to do so. Aware that French armies were on the brink of launching an offensive on the Rhine, the Austrians signed the Preliminaries of Leoben on the 18th. Most terms of this agreement were confirmed by the Treaty of Campo Formio on the 17th of October 1797. General of Division Louis Friant was assigned to hold Trieste with 1,500 soldiers while the main army advanced.
The Battle of Tarvis served as the final engagement before the end of the War of the First Coalition. The conflict occurred during the broader French Revolutionary Wars spanning multiple European nations. Austrian units involved included two battalions of the Fürstenburg Infantry Regiment Nr. 36 and three battalions of the Nadásdy Infantry Regiment Nr. 39. Four squadrons of the Erdödy Hussar Regiment Nr. 11 fought alongside one squadron of the Toscana Dragoon Regiment Nr. 26. During the fighting at Tarvis, Joubert's column continued to advance against Tyrolese militia forces. French losses may have reached as high as 8,000 men during Joubert's campaign in the Tyrol region. The armistice was followed by pointless fighting on the Rhine where a French army under Lazare Hoche defeated Franz von Werneck's forces. Moreau's army finally lurched into action on the 20th and the 21st of April when it drove back Anton Count Sztáray de Nagy-Mihaly's troops.
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Common questions
When did the Battle of Tarvis take place in 1797?
The Battle of Tarvis occurred on the 21st and the 22nd of March 1797. Three divisions of the First French Republic army attacked retreating Habsburg Austrian columns near present-day Tarvisio on the 21st of March 1797.
Who commanded the French forces at the Battle of Tarvis?
General André Masséna led the main French assault during the Battle of Tarvis. General of Division Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier also participated with his division alongside Masséna and Guieu to defeat the Austrian forces.
What were the results of the fighting at Tarvis for the Austrians?
Austrian forces surrendered 4,000 soldiers along with 25 artillery pieces and 500 wagons after the battle. Another source records the capture of 3,500 Austrians, 25 guns, and 400 vehicles during these clashes.
Where was the Battle of Tarvis located geographically?
The conflict took place near present-day Tarvisio in the Friuli region of Italy. French troops advanced through Sacile and aimed their units toward Valvasone to block Austrian retreat routes.
Why did the Battle of Tarvis end the War of the First Coalition?
The Battle of Tarvis served as the final engagement before the end of the War of the First Coalition. This event marked a decisive turning point that led directly to the signing of the Preliminaries of Leoben on the 18th of April 1797.