The Battle of Magenta was fought on 4 June 1859 during the
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Franco-Austrian War, the Austro-Sardinian War or Italian War of 1859 ( it, Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana; french: Campagne d'Italie), was fought by the Second French Empire and t ...
, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
against the
Austrians
, pop = 8–8.5 million
, regions = 7,427,759
, region1 =
, pop1 = 684,184
, ref1 =
, region2 =
, pop2 = 345,620
, ref2 =
, region3 =
, pop3 = 197,990
, ref3 ...
under Marshal
Ferencz Gyulai
Count Ferenc Gyulay de Marosnémethi et Nádaska (, 1 September 1799 – 1 September 1868), also known as Ferencz Gyulai, Ferencz Gyulaj, or Franz Gyulai, was a Hungarian nobleman who served as Austrian Governor of Lombardy-Venetia and command ...
.
It took place near the town of
Magenta
Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish-red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish-crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and blue. I ...
in the
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia ( la, links=no, Regnum Langobardiae et Venetiae), commonly called the "Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom" ( it, links=no, Regno Lombardo-Veneto, german: links=no, Königreich Lombardo-Venetien), was a constituent land ...
, a crown land of the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
, on 4 June 1859. Napoleon III's army crossed the
Ticino River
The river Ticino ( , ; lmo, Tesín; French and german: Tessin; la, Ticīnus) is the most important perennial left-bank tributary of the Po. It has given its name to the Swiss canton through which its upper portion flows.
It is one of the four ...
and outflanked the Austrian right forcing the Austrian army under Gyulai to retreat. The confined nature of the country, a vast spread of orchards cut up by streams and irrigation canals, precluded elaborate manoeuvre. The Austrians turned every house into a miniature fortress. The brunt of the fighting was borne by 5,000
grenadier
A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...
s of the French Imperial Guard, still mostly in their
First Empire First Empire may refer to:
* First British Empire, sometimes used to describe the British Empire between 1583 and 1783
* First Bulgarian Empire (680–1018)
*First French Empire (1804–1814/1815)
* First German Empire or "First Reich", sometimes u ...
style of uniforms. The battle of Magenta was not a particularly large battle, but it was a decisive victory for the Franco-Sardinian alliance.
Patrice de MacMahon
Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de MacMahon, marquis de MacMahon, duc de Magenta (; 13 June 1808 – 17 October 1893) was a French general and politician, with the distinction of Marshal of France. He served as Chief of State of France from 1873 to 1 ...
was created
Duc de Magenta
The MacMahon family originated in Ireland and established itself in France, where it gained prominence. John MacMahon, an Irish doctor born in Limerick, became naturalised in France in 1749 and married Charlotte Le Belin, Dame d'Éguilly, on 13 A ...
for his role in this battle, and would later go on to serve as
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of the
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940 ...
.
An overwhelming majority of the French-Piedmontese coalition soldiers were French (1,100 were Piedmontese and 58,000 were French).
Background
From 1 June through 3 June, the French and Piedmontese pursued the Austrian 2nd Army to the
Ticino River
The river Ticino ( , ; lmo, Tesín; French and german: Tessin; la, Ticīnus) is the most important perennial left-bank tributary of the Po. It has given its name to the Swiss canton through which its upper portion flows.
It is one of the four ...
, the border between Lombardy and Piedmont. The Austrians set up a defensive position at Magenta, utilizing the
Naviglio Grande, which could be crossed only at four bridges. Gyulai had available 68,00 men, composed of the I,II, III and VII Korps. The French had about 50,000 men, while
Manfredo Fanti
Manfredo Fanti (23 February 1806 – 5 April 1865) was an Italian general; he is known as the founder of the Regio Esercito.
Biography
Manfredo Fanti was born at Carpi (Emilia-Romagna) and educated at the military college of Modena.
In 1831 he ...
added another 12,000. Camou had crossed the
Ticino
Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
during the
Battle of Turbigo
The Battle of Turbigo took place the 3 June 1859 saw the French army secure two crossing points over the Ticino River, allowing them to get a foothold in Austrian Lombardy.
In 1859 there were two main crossing points over the Ticino near Magent ...
, followed by MacMahon. MacMahon, Camou and Espinasse crossed the canal on bridges at
Bernate Ticino
Bernate Ticino (Milanese: , locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the northern Italian region Lombardy, located about west of Milan.
The town is located by the Ticino river and it is crossed by the Nav ...
and
Boffalora sopra Ticino
Boffalora sopra Ticino (Milanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italy, Italian region Lombardy, located about west of Milan.
Boffalora sopra Ticino borders the following municipalities: Marcallo con Ca ...
, placing them north of Magenta.
[
]
Battle
At noon, MacMahon encountered elements of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
's II Korps. The Imperial Guard Corps made contact with the Austrians from Buffalora to Magenta. At 2pm, the Guard Zouaves crossed the canal with boats, establishing a bridgehead. Eduard Clam-Gallas
Count Eduard Clam-Gallas (, in Prague – , in Vienna) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian general. He was the eldest son of Count Christian Christoph Clam-Gallas (1771–1838), patron of Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven, and Countess Josephine Clary ...
informed Gyulai of the French attack, who sent Schwarzenberg's III Korps from Robecco sul Naviglio
Robecco sul Naviglio (Milanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about west of Milan.
Twin towns
* Fosses-la-Ville, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: ...
, threatening the French right flank. Canrobert arrived in time to reinforce the Guard. From 3.30 through 5.30pm, MamMahon launched an attack against the Austrian I and II Korps. By 6.30pm the Austrians began a fighting withdrawal, while the French advanced into Magenta and beyond. By 10pm, the Austrian 2nd Army was withdrawing toward Abbiategrasso
Abbiategrasso, formerly written Abbiate Grasso. (local lmo, Biegrass ; lmo, label= Milanese, Biaa ), is a ''comune'' and town in the Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy, northern Italy, situated in the Po valley approximately from Milan and ...
.[
]
Aftermath
On 8 June, Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
and Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel II ( it, Vittorio Emanuele II; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title o ...
entered Milan, followed by Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...
a few days later. On 23-25 May, Prince Napoléon Bonaparte
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
's V Corps landed at Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...
, and then entered Florence a week later, followed by Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
, and Modena
Modena (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern I ...
. According to Frederick Schneid, "The defeat at Magenta spelled the end for Gyulai. He withdrew his army to the Chiese River east of Milan, and resigned on June 16."
A dye producing the colour magenta
Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish-red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish-crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and blue. I ...
was discovered in 1859, and was named after this battle,[Cunnington, C. Willett, ''English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century'', Dover Publications, Inc. New York 1990, page 208] as was the Boulevard de Magenta
The boulevard de Magenta is located in the Ninth and Tenth arrondissements of Paris, France.
It begins at place de la République and 1, rue Beaurepaire, and ends at 1, boulevard de Rochechouart and 53, boulevard de la Chapelle.
Etymology
...
in Paris.
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Magenta
June 1859 events
Magenta
Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish-red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish-crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and blue. I ...
Magenta 1859
Magenta
Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish-red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish-crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and blue. I ...
Magenta
Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish-red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish-crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and blue. I ...
Magenta 1859
Magenta 1859
1859 in the Austrian Empire
1859 in Italy
1859 in France