1796 defeat of the French First Republic forces under Napoleon Bonaparte by a Habsburg corps
One of Napoleon Bonaparte's rare tactical defeats, forcing French withdrawal to Verona during the War of the First Coalition.
Key Facts
- Date
- 12 November 1796
- Distance from Verona
- 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Verona
- Conflict
- War of the First Coalition (French Revolutionary Wars)
- Strategic context
- Third Austrian attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua
- French withdrawal destination
- Verona
- Follow-up engagement
- French victory at Battle of Arcole, days later
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Austria launched its third effort to relieve the besieged city of Mantua, sending two converging forces—a main army from the east and an independent corps from the north. Both columns achieved early success against outnumbered French troops, with the main army under Alvinczi advancing to threaten Verona and prompting Bonaparte to mount a direct assault on the Austrian position at Caldiero.
On 12 November 1796, French divisions under Masséna and Augereau attacked entrenched Habsburg positions at Caldiero, initially defended by Prince Hohenzollern-Hechingen's advance guard. Sturdy Austrian resistance and adverse weather stalled the French assault; reinforcements arriving in the afternoon pushed the attackers back, inflicting heavier French casualties and forcing Bonaparte's forces to withdraw into Verona by evening.
The defeat at Caldiero marked a rare tactical reverse for Napoleon, but he quickly adopted a new operational strategy. Within days, French forces outmaneuvered the Austrians and defeated them at the Battle of Arcole, ultimately preserving the Siege of Mantua and sustaining French dominance in the Italian campaign.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
József Alvinczi, Prince Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen.
Side B
1 belligerent
Napoleon Bonaparte, André Masséna, Pierre Augereau.