Battle of Castiglione

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Castiglione
partof=the French Revolutionary War
campaign=War of the First Coalition


caption=
date=5 August, 1796
place=Venetia, present-day Italy
result=French victory
combatant1=flagicon|France France
combatant2=flagicon|Habsburg Monarchy Austria
commander1=General Bonaparte
commander2=Count Wurmser
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=
casualties2=Battle of the War of the First Coalition which took place on 5 August 1796 at Castiglione delle Stiviere in northern Italy between a French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian army under Wurmser. The action resulted in the Austrian army being driven back along a line of hills to the river crossing at Borghetto, where they retired beyond the river Mincio.

This was an attempt by the Austrians to break the French siege of Mantua (the primary Austrian fortress/depot for North Italy), and consisted of 3 converging columns meant to meet on the field to defeat Bonaparte. It succeeded insofar as Bonaparte lifted the siege in order to have the manpower sufficient to meet the threat, but his skill and the speed of French march allowed him to keep the Austrian columns separated, and defeat each in detail, although the final flank attack was prematurely delivered, preventing a total victory. French losses were estimated as 1500 men, and Austrian losses as 3500.

References

Schels, J. B. 'Die Operationen des FM Grafen Wurmser am Ende Juli und Anfang August 1796, zum Ensatz von Mantua; mit der Schlacht bei Castiglione.' Oesterreichische Militärische Zeitschrift, Bd. 1; Bd. 2 (1830): 254-97; 41-81, 129-59