Siege of Mantua (1799)
| date | April-July 1799 |
|---|---|
| place | Mantua , today's Italy |
| output | Austrian victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 10,000 men, 657 cannons | 40,000 men, 150 cannons |
| losses | |
|
1,700 dead, |
|
Ostrach - Feldkirch - Stockach I - Verona - Magnano - Cassano d'Adda - Frauenfeld - Winterthur - Zurich I - Trebbia - Mantua - Novi - Vlieter - Bergen - Zurich II - Muotatal - Egmont - Genola - Wiesloch - Genoa - Stockach II - Engen - Meßkirch - Biberach II - Montebello - Marengo - Höchstädt - Oberhausen - Hohenlinden - Walserfeld - Pozzolo - Copenhagen - Algeciras I - Algeciras II
The Siege of Mantua was a four-month siege of the city of Mantua by the Austrian army. They wanted to regain a foothold in the region after losing Mantua to the French two years earlier . In April 1799, the Austrians began to surround Mantua as part of the Second Coalition War . Their hope was to persuade the French to surrender. When their own supplies ran low and they received reinforcements, the Austrians attacked on July 4, 1799. At the end of the month the French capitulated.
prehistory
In 1799 the Mantua fortress was poorly equipped. It was under the command of François-Philippe de Foissac-Latour and included about 10,000 soldiers, consisting of French, Poles, Italians, Swiss and Germans.
Since his appointment as the garrison commander, Foissac-Latour was not convinced that the fortress could withstand a siege.
siege
In April the Austrians approached Mantua and began their blockade. At first they only besieged the fortress, but to weaken the enemy, they expanded their offensive. The defenders were also weakened by dwindling food supplies and low morale due to a lack of pay. On June 18, the French were defeated at Trebbia , whereupon other parts of the Austrian army were able to advance unhindered to Mantua. Reinforcements arrived on July 4th, increasing the number of besiegers from 8,000 to a total of 40,000 men. The Austrians were commanded by the Hungarian artillery specialist Paul Kray , which is why they bombed the city and the fortress permanently with artillery. On July 24th, the Austrians finally began their attack, which was successful for them. On July 27, the French commander began negotiations to surrender.
surrender
The Austrians agreed to release most of the French garrison, and the officers kept them captive for three months. In a secret addition, the Austrians demanded full freedom in dealing with deserters. There were protests by Polish officers who were concerned that the Austrians were referring to Polish troops as well, since Austria had gained control of Polish territories during the Polish partitions . The Austrians assured them that they only meant soldiers who left the Austrian Army without permission, or former Austrian soldiers who were now serving in the Cisalpine Republic .
On July 30th, the French troops withdrew from the fortress and the Austrians took control. Numerous Polish officers and soldiers, mainly those from the regions now annexed by Austria, were either forced to serve in the Habsburg army or were sent straight to Poland. Some of them were also flogged. This was the end of the Second Polish Legion.
Foissac-Latour was later criticized by the Poles for betraying them and by the French for surrendering. He was dismissed by Napoleon and banned from wearing a military uniform.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Obrona Mantui, pp. 8–9.
- ↑ a b c d Obrona Mantui, pp. 6-7.
- ↑ a b c Obrona Mantui, pp. 10-11.
- ↑ Otto von Pivka, Michael Roffe: Napoleon's Polish Troops . Osprey Publishing, 1974, ISBN 0-85045-198-1 , p. 6 (accessed May 9, 2012).
literature
- Andrzej Nieuważny: Obrona Mantui. Chwała Oręża Polskiego, Rzeczpospolita, October 23, 2006
