The Battle of Castiglione which took place on 5 August 1796 at Castiglione delle Stiviere in northern Italy between a French army under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian army under Field Marshal Dagobert von 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 Mincio river.
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 three 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.
Historian Chandler writes, “The form of the battle proves beyond any doubt that Napoleon’s master battle plan was already clear in his mind as early as 1796. In subsequent years he might polish and improve its technique – especially the crucial matter of timing the successive stages – but all the elements of the successful attacks carried out at Austerlitz, Friedland or Bautzen were already in existence and in operation at the battle of Castiglione.”
