An early War of the First Coalition engagement where French forces failed to dislodge Austro-Sardinian defenders in the Maritime Alps.
Key Facts
- Date
- 8–12 June 1793
- French Commander
- Gaspard Jean-Baptiste Brunet
- Allied Commander
- Joseph Nikolaus De Vins
- Local Sardinian Commander
- Charles-François Thaon, Count of Saint-André
- Distance from Nice
- 70 km northeast
- Follow-up engagement
- Second Battle of Saorgio, April 1794
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the War of the First Coalition, French forces sought to advance into Piedmontese territory in the Maritime Alps. The strategic village of Saorgio and the surrounding high-altitude positions, including the Massif de l'Authion and the Col de Raus, were held by combined Austro-Sardinian forces, blocking French expansion in the region.
Between 8 and 12 June 1793, French General Brunet led an assault on the Austro-Sardinian positions around Saorgio. The French achieved initial success but their main attacks on the strongly fortified positions at the Massif de l'Authion and the Col de Raus were repulsed with serious losses, leaving the defenders in control of the key mountain passes.
The failure of the French assault left the Austro-Sardinian forces in command of the defensive positions in the Maritime Alps. The situation persisted until April 1794, when the French returned and successfully seized the positions from the Austro-Sardinians in the Second Battle of Saorgio.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Gaspard Jean-Baptiste Brunet.
Side B
2 belligerents
Joseph Nikolaus De Vins, Charles-François Thaon, Count of Saint-André.