The Second Battle of Marengo or Battle of Cascina Grossa (20 June 1799) saw
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
troops under
General of Division Jean Victor Marie Moreau
Jean Victor Marie Moreau (, 14 February 1763 – 2 September 1813) was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte to power, but later became a rival and was banished to the United States.
Biography
Rise to fame
Moreau was born at Morla ...
clash with a force of
Austrian soldiers led by
Feldmarschall-Leutnant Heinrich von Bellegarde. The early fighting between
Emmanuel Grouchy's division and Bellegarde was inconclusive. However, late in the day Moreau committed
Paul Grenier
Count Paul Grenier (29 January 1768 – 17 April 1827) joined the French royal army and rapidly rose to general officer rank during the French Revolutionary Wars. He led a division in the 1796-1797 campaign in southern Germany. During the 1800 c ...
's French division to the struggle and the Austrians were driven from the field. This
War of the Second Coalition battle occurred near
Spinetta Marengo which is just east of
Alessandria
Alessandria (; pms, Lissandria ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. The city is sited on the alluvial plain between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, about east of Turin.
Alessandria ...
,
Italy.
Moreau was supposed to cooperate with
Jacques MacDonald's army which was grappling with
Alexander Suvorov's Austro-Russians at the
Battle of the Trebbia (1799) to the east. When Moreau moved north, Bellegarde offered battle because his task was to keep the French from joining MacDonald. Moreau was too late; that day MacDonald's defeated army began to retreat from the
Trebbia River. The French victory was barren because Moreau soon had to withdraw to the mountains to avoid being caught by Suvorov's returning soldiers.
See also
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Capture of Brescia
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Battle of Cassano
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Battle of Bassignana
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First Battle of Marengo
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Battle of Modena
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Battle of the Trebbia
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Battle of Novi
The Battle of Novi (15 August 1799) saw a combined army of the Habsburg monarchy and Russian Empire, Imperial Russians under Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov attack a First French Republic, Republican French army under General Barthélemy Cather ...
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Marengo 1799, Second Battle of
Conflicts in 1799
Battles of the French Revolutionary Wars
Battles of the War of the Second Coalition
Battles involving France
Battles involving Austria
1799 in Italy