The Austrian High Command followed a defensive strategy. Allied troops under the command of Count Suvorov-Rymniksky were supposed to protect the borders of the Austrian Empire. However, Suvorov decided to launch an offensive, defeat the French and create a bridgehead in Northern Italy for a further thrust into France.
At the beginning of 1799, the general military-strategic situation for the Allies in Europe was unfavorable. The Austrian army was driven out of Switzerland and Northern Italy. French troops threatened Vienna itself. In London and Vienna, fearing that their generals were not able to defeat the talented French commanders, they asked to put A. V. Suvorov at the head of the Russian troops aimed at helping the Austrians.
At this time, the great Russian commander was in disgrace on his estate in the village of Konchanskoye (Novgorod province). He was there from February 1797 and stayed for two years. She was associated with the military reforms of Paul the First. This was the sovereign's reaction to the reforms of Catherine II, the "Potemkin order" he hated. Paul wanted to establish order and discipline in the army, guards, officers and nobility. However, rejecting the previous order, which became, as the military historian A. Kersnovsky noted, “a natural and brilliant stage in the development of the Russian national military doctrine,” Paul filled the void with Prussian forms. And the Prussian army was a mercenary and recruiting army, where soldiers were "brought up" with rods (a long, flexible and thick rod for corporal punishment) and sticks. In the Prussian army, individuality and initiative were suppressed, automatism and a linear battle formation were developed. Rumyantsev and Suvorov, on the other hand, gave the country such a system that made it possible to beat the most powerful enemy, it was Russian.
Suvorov did not remain silent: “Powder is not gunpowder, broccoli are not cannons, braids are not cleavers, we are not Germans, but hares”! Alexander Vasilyevich did not put a penny on the Prussian order and their military doctrine: "There is no lousy Prussians …". As a result, he fell into disgrace. Thus, on the one hand, Paul the First brought up a brilliant but disbanded army, especially the guard. The dandies and idlers who looked at military service as an opportunity to make a career, receive orders, awards, while neglecting their direct duties, were given the feeling that service is service. Pavel paid much attention to the soldiers, they loved him: they significantly improved their life, built barracks; free work in favor of the noble officers, who looked at the soldiers as serfs, their servants, were prohibited; soldiers began to receive orders, collective distinctions were introduced - for regiments, etc. On the other hand, Pavel violated the Russian military tradition, going from Rumyantsev, Potemkin and Suvorov. The army was directed towards the path of blind imitation of Western European models. The blind imitation of foreignism began again. After that, for a whole century, the Russian military school was under pressure from foreign, mainly German, doctrines.
Observing the course of the war from the estate, Suvorov sharply criticized the cordon strategy of the Austrian military-political leadership. Back in 1797, the Russian commander wrote to Razumovsky in Vienna: “Bonaparte is concentrating. Gof-kriegs-recht (gofkriegsrat is the court military council in Austria. - Author.) It wisely embraces from the pole to the equator. The glorious does fragmentation, weakening the mass. In 1798, Suvorov formulated a plan to fight France: only an offensive; rapidity; no methodicalness, with a good eye; full power to the general in chief; attack and beat the enemy in an open field, do not waste time on the siege; never spray force to preserve any items; to win the war - a campaign against Paris (a campaign against Paris could be organized only in 1814). This doctrine was new for that time: concentration of forces for the main attack, mobility of the army, defeat in a decisive battle of the main forces of the enemy, which leads to victory in the campaign. It should be noted that Napoleon Bonaparte in his campaign acted quite like Suvorov and beat the enemies who had become rigid in a linear order.
In February 1799, Suvorov was returned to service and appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in Northern Italy. Alexander Vasilyevich demanded complete freedom in the choice and means and methods of war. "Fight the war," the Russian Tsar Pavel told him, "in your own way, as best you can." Suvorov repeated the same requirements to the Austrians. With Suvorov, it was planned to move the 65-thousandth Russian army to Italy. About 85 thousand more soldiers located in the west of the country were put on alert. 1st echelon of Russian troops - 22 thous. General Rosenberg's corps, set out from Brest-Litovsk in October 1798 and at the beginning of January 1799 reached the Danube, where he stood in apartments in the vicinity of Krems and St. Pölten.
On March 14 (25), 1799, Count Suvorov-Rymniksky arrived in Vienna. They tried to impose on him the Austrian military-strategic plan, which was supposed to ensure the defense of the borders of Austria. Suvorov was given a war plan approved by Emperor Franz. The plan as a whole was defensive, passive. The limit of actions of the allied army was the withdrawal of troops to the line of the Adda River and the capture of the fortress of Mantua. Suvorov had to coordinate his actions with Vienna. The Austrians wanted to deprive the Russian commander of his independence. The Austrian army was only partially subordinate to him. In the hands of General Melas (his 85,000 army was in Italy) was the supply, and he had broad rights to command the Austrian troops. In fact, there was no one-man management. Count Rymniksky was in charge of the Austrian soldiers on the battlefield, while the distribution of forces in the theater of operations was in charge of the gofkrigsrat. Later, the Austrian high command began to interfere in the course of military operations and even cancel some of Suvorov's orders if they contradicted Austrian plans.
Field Marshal Suvorov planned to launch a decisive offensive in northern Italy to occupy Lombardy and Piedmont, and then march to Paris through Lyon. Alexander Vasilyevich was going to defeat the two French armies (Italian and Neapolitan) separately, to free all of Italy from the French. Then Northern Italy became a strategic foothold for the transfer of hostilities to France. At the same time, he was going to defeat the main forces of the French army in the field and not waste time and effort on the siege of fortresses. The main attack on France was delivered through Northern Italy, the auxiliary ones - through Switzerland, southern Germany and Belgium. Also, great importance was attached to the actions of the allied fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, Ushakov's squadron.
To increase the combat capability of the Austrian army, Suvorov-Rymniksky sent Russian officers as instructors and prepared special instructions for combat training (based on the Science of Victory). The main task of the Russian officers, among whom was Bagration, was to teach the Austrians the basics of column tactics and loose formation, bayonet fighting, to develop initiative and independence in them.
Forces of the parties
Northern Italy was occupied by the French army under the command of Scherer (then he was replaced by Moreau) - 58 thousand soldiers, half of his troops were scattered in garrisons in the fortresses. In southern Italy, the second French army (Neapolitan) was located under the command of MacDonald - 34 thousand people. About 25 thousand moresoldiers were garrisoned at various points and cities in Lombardy, Piedmont and the Genoa region.
The 57,000-strong Austrian army (of which 10,000 were cavalry) under the temporary command of General Krai (in the absence of Melas) stood on the Adige River. In reserve, the Austrians had two divisions (25 thousand people) - the troops were located in the area of the Piave and Isonzo rivers. The main rear base of the Austrian army was in Venice. Vienna ordered the Territory to act in the direction of Brescia and Bergamo, and to dispatch some troops to the north to force the French to clear the Tyrolean region.
The Russian army consisted of two corps: Rosenberg and Rebinder. Rosenberg's corps consisted of a vanguard under the command of Prince Bagration, two divisions of Povalo-Shveikovsky and Foerster, 6 Don Cossack regiments, and an artillery battalion. Rebinder's corps had one division, two field artillery companies, a horse artillery company, and two Don Cossack regiments. The total number of Russian troops reached 32 thousand people. The morale of the Russian army, after the victories over Turkey, Sweden and Poland, was extremely high. In addition, the Russian soldiers were led by an invincible leader, beloved by soldiers and officers.
Austrian commander Paul Krai von Craiova und Topola
Scherer's unsuccessful offensive
To forestall the arrival of Russian troops to help the Austrians, the Directory (French government) ordered Scherer to launch an offensive, cross the river. Adige in the area of Verona and push back the enemy beyond Brenta and Piave. In March 1799, French troops crossed the river. Minchio. General Scherer believed that the main forces of the Austrian army were located on the left flank, between Verona and Lake Garda. He planned to develop the enemy first, and then force the Adige. As a result, he dispersed his forces: sent Montrichard's division to Legnago, moved Moreau with two divisions against Verona; and he himself, with three divisions, moved against the fortified camp at Pastrengo. For its part, the Edge, believing that the main forces of Scherer will go to Verona, gathered most of its troops to the center and its left flank.
As a result, the French troops were scattered, had poor communications, and the Austrians, on the contrary, concentrated the main forces. This led to a strategic defeat for the French. The main forces of the French easily captured the fortified Austrian camp at Pastrengo and forced the enemy to retreat in disarray to the left side of the river. Adija, with the loss of 1,500 prisoners and 12 guns. But Scherer could not force the Adija and go to Piave, since it was necessary to take Verona, which took time, and its detour through the mountains was almost impossible due to the lack of good communications. And the Austrians easily overturned Montrichard's division, the French retreated towards Mantua. Moreau, center, fought Austrian forces at San Massimo and held out.
The French commander-in-chief again dispersed his forces: he sent Serurier's division to the left side of the Adige to divert the enemy's attention; and he himself with the main forces decided to cross the Adige at Ronko and go to the messages of the Austrian army. At this time, the Edge with the main forces of the Austrian army went from Verona up the left bank of the river, attacked and defeated the Serurier division. On March 25 (April 5), 1799, the Edge army defeated Scherer's troops in the battle of Verona (or Magnano). The battle was stubborn. Both sides dealt the main blows on the enemy's left flanks. The French planned to push the Austrians back from Verona, and the Edge wanted to cut off Scherer's army from Mantua. The French overturned the left wing of the Austrian army, but the Region reinforced it with reserves. Meanwhile, the Austrians defeated the right wing of the French army. This led to the retreat of Scherer's army in the center and on the left flank. The French lost up to 4 thousand people killed and wounded, 4, 5 thousand prisoners, and 25 guns. The losses of the Austrian army were also heavy: about 4 thousand killed and wounded, 1900 prisoners, several guns.
The defeated French army retreated across the Mincio River. At the same time, Scherer's authority in the troops was completely lost, so he was soon replaced by Moreau. General Edge, in anticipation of the transfer of command to Melas, did not dare to advance and try to complete the defeat of the enemy. Melas, taking command, also did not pursue the enemy. The French did not defend the crossings across Mincio and, fearing a flanking outflanking, retreated behind Chiesa and Olya to Adda. The spring thaw became another disaster for the French troops and increased the frustration of their army.
The beginning of the offensive of the allied army
Thus, at the end of March 1799, the French army withdrew across the Mincio River towards the river. Adda, leaving garrisons in the fortresses of Mantua and Peschiera. In early March, Russian troops marched quickly into Italy, almost without spending days, and on April 7, a column of General Povalo-Shveikovsky (11 thousand soldiers) joined the Austrian army on the Minchio River.
On April 3 (14), 1799, Field Marshal Suvorov arrived in Verona, where he was well received by the locals. On April 4 (15), the count was already in Valeggio, where the headquarters (headquarters) of the Austrian army was. Here Suvorov thanked Krai: "you opened the way for me to victory." Also, the field marshal issued an appeal to the Italic peoples, urging them to rebel against the French to defend the faith and protect the legitimate government. Until April 7 (18), the Russian commander stayed in Valejo, awaited the approach of Rosenberg's corps and at the same time taught the Austrian troops his tactics. With about 50 thousand Russian-Austrian troops, Field Marshal Suvorov decided to launch a decisive offensive, disregarding the instructions of the Austrian High Command. The chief of staff of the allied army, the Marquis Chateler, sent by the Austrian court military council, suggested that reconnaissance be carried out first. Suvorov replied with a decisive refusal, so as not to betray his intentions to the enemy. “Columns, bayonets, onslaught; here are my reconnaissance,”said the great Russian commander.
With the arrival of the Povalo-Shveikovsky division in Valejo, Suvorov's troops set out on a campaign, passing 28 miles a day. Suvorov walked along the left bank of the Po river, keeping closer to the Alps - it was easier to force the numerous tributaries of the Po in their upper reaches, where the rivers are not so deep and wide. Thus, leaving the barriers to observe Mantua and Peschiera, Suvorov with the allied army moved to the Chiese River. On April 10 (21), the Brescia fortress surrendered to the detachment of General Krai, as part of the vanguard of Bagration and two Austrian divisions, after a minor exchange of fire. About 1 thousand people were captured, 46 guns were captured. The general of the Edge with a 20-thousand-strong detachment was entrusted with the siege of the fortresses on Mincio. On April 13 (24), the Cossacks took Bergamo from a raid, capturing 19 guns and a large amount of supplies. French troops retreated across the Adda River. On April 15 (26) - April 17 (28), 1799, the Russian-Austrian and French armies met on the Adda River.
