Army of Italy (France)
Encyclopedia
The Army of Italy was a Field army
of the French Army
stationed on the Italian border and used for operations in Italy itself. Though it existed in some form in the 16th century through to the present, it is best known for its role during the French Revolutionary Wars
(in which it was one of the early commands of Napoleon Bonaparte
, during his Italian campaign) and Napoleonic Wars
.
songs were sung by the troops, and a company of the Dauphin was formed. All the while improving the supply system as much as possible, Bonaparte also reestablished discipline. He condemned officers who had cried Vive le roi !, dismissed the 13th regiment of hussards for indiscipline and dissolved an entire regiment when it revolted at the end of March. Purged in this way, the army of Italy was subsequently the most Jacobin of all the French armies.
Its first victories improved things - allowing better resupply and easing pay problems through "war contributions" from the conquered lands - but memoirs (though not official communiques) speak of individual or collective failures right up to 1797.
on 8 March 1800 (17 ventôse year VIII) and took the title Armée d'Italie on 23 June 1800 (4 messidor year VIII) when it was merged with the remains of the original Armée d'Italie. The new army's first commander was Masséna
, followed by Bonaparte (as First Consul and "Commander in person") and général Berthier (its 'Général en chef' from 2 April to 23 June 1800) It was under Berthier that this army beat the Austrians at the battle of Marengo on 14 June 1800 (25 prairial year 8).
(*) were made maréchal d’Empire or were in the staff of one
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
of the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
stationed on the Italian border and used for operations in Italy itself. Though it existed in some form in the 16th century through to the present, it is best known for its role during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
(in which it was one of the early commands of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, during his Italian campaign) and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Bonaparte's reforms
Poorly supplied (uniforms and shoes were rare), and only getting reinforcements irregularly, the army of Italy was sometimes reduced to looting to survive. When Bonaparte arrived (he took up the role on March 27), indiscipline was rife. ChouanChouannerie
The Chouannerie was a royalist uprising in twelve of the western departements of France, particularly in the provinces of Brittany and Maine, against the French Revolution, the First French Republic, and even, with its headquarters in London rather than France, for a time, under the Empire...
songs were sung by the troops, and a company of the Dauphin was formed. All the while improving the supply system as much as possible, Bonaparte also reestablished discipline. He condemned officers who had cried Vive le roi !, dismissed the 13th regiment of hussards for indiscipline and dissolved an entire regiment when it revolted at the end of March. Purged in this way, the army of Italy was subsequently the most Jacobin of all the French armies.
Its first victories improved things - allowing better resupply and easing pay problems through "war contributions" from the conquered lands - but memoirs (though not official communiques) speak of individual or collective failures right up to 1797.
Reserve army
Much of the original Armée d'Italie became the Army of Egypt. Another army, originally called the armée de Réserve, was formed at DijonDijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
on 8 March 1800 (17 ventôse year VIII) and took the title Armée d'Italie on 23 June 1800 (4 messidor year VIII) when it was merged with the remains of the original Armée d'Italie. The new army's first commander was Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
, followed by Bonaparte (as First Consul and "Commander in person") and général Berthier (its 'Général en chef' from 2 April to 23 June 1800) It was under Berthier that this army beat the Austrians at the battle of Marengo on 14 June 1800 (25 prairial year 8).
Commanders
- from 7 November to 25 December 1792 : général d'AnselmeJacques Bernard d'AnselmeJacques Bernard d'Anselme was a French general, notable as the first commander of the Army of the Var. He became a knight of Saint Louis on 18 April 1770...
, with neither the title nor the prerogative of a général d'armée - from 26 December 1792 to 9 February 1793, interim : maréchal de camp Brunet
- from 10 February to 4 May 1793 : général Biron
- from 5 May to 8 August 1793 : général Brunet ; from 2 June subordinate to général KellermannFrançois Christophe KellermannFrançois Christophe Kellermann or de Kellermann, 1st Duc de Valmy was a French military commander, later the Général d'Armée, and a Marshal of France...
- from 9 August 1793 to 20 November 1794 : général du Merbion
- Armée devant Toulon (Army before Toulon) :
- from 5 September to 6 November 1793 : général Carteaux
- from 7 to 12 November, interim : général La PoypeJean François Cornu de La PoypeJean François Cornu de La Poype was a French military leader. He was born in Lyon, to a noble, military family.- French Revolutionary Wars :...
- from 13 to 15 November, provisionally until the arrival of général DugommierJacques François DugommierJacques François Coquille named Dugommier was a French general....
: général Doppet - from 16 November to 28 December : général DugommierJacques François DugommierJacques François Coquille named Dugommier was a French general....
with the title of général en chef of the armée d'Italie
- from 21 November 1794 to 5 May 1795 : général SchérerBarthélemy Louis Joseph SchérerBarthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer , born in Delle, near Belfort, became a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and on three occasions led armies in combat.-Early career:...
- from 6 May to 28 September 1795 : général KellermannFrançois Christophe KellermannFrançois Christophe Kellermann or de Kellermann, 1st Duc de Valmy was a French military commander, later the Général d'Armée, and a Marshal of France...
(*), commanded the merged armée d'Italie and armée des Alpes, renamed the armée d'Italie - from 29 September 1795 to 26 March 1796 : général SchérerBarthélemy Louis Joseph SchérerBarthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer , born in Delle, near Belfort, became a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and on three occasions led armies in combat.-Early career:...
, resigned - from 27 March 1796 to 16 November 1797 : général Bonaparte
- from 17 November to 21 December 1797, interim : général KilMayne
- from 22 December 1797 to 3 April 1798 : général Berthier
- from 4 April to 27 July 1798 : général Brune
- from 28 July to 18 August 1798, interim : général Gaultier
- from 19 August to 31 October 1798 : général Brune
- from 1 November 1798 to 31 January 1799 : général JoubertBarthélemy Catherine JoubertBarthélemy Catherine Joubert was a French general. He joined the royal French army in 1784 and rose rapidly in rank during the French Revolutionary Wars. Napoleon Bonaparte recognized his talents and gave him increased responsibilities...
, as part of the overall command of the armée de Rome. From 11 to 25 December, the army's commander was effectively général MoreauJean Victor Marie MoreauJean Victor Marie Moreau was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte to power, but later became a rival and was banished to the United States.- Early life :Moreau was born at Morlaix in Brittany...
. - from 1 February to 6 March : général Delmas
- from 7 to 11 March 1799, provisional : général Bruneteto Sainte-Suzanne
- from 12 March to 26 April 1799 : général SchérerBarthélemy Louis Joseph SchérerBarthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer , born in Delle, near Belfort, became a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and on three occasions led armies in combat.-Early career:...
, as part of his overall command of the armée de Naples - from 27 April to 4 August 1799 : général MoreauJean Victor Marie MoreauJean Victor Marie Moreau was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte to power, but later became a rival and was banished to the United States.- Early life :Moreau was born at Morlaix in Brittany...
, as part of his overall command of the armée de Naples - from 5 to 15 August 1799 : général JoubertBarthélemy Catherine JoubertBarthélemy Catherine Joubert was a French general. He joined the royal French army in 1784 and rose rapidly in rank during the French Revolutionary Wars. Napoleon Bonaparte recognized his talents and gave him increased responsibilities...
, commander of both the armée d'Italie and armée des Alpes, killed at the battle of Novi - from 15 August to 20 September 1799 : général MoreauJean Victor Marie MoreauJean Victor Marie Moreau was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte to power, but later became a rival and was banished to the United States.- Early life :Moreau was born at Morlaix in Brittany...
- from 21 September to 30 December 1799 : général Championnet
- from 31 December 1799 to 5 January 1800 : général SuchetLouis Gabriel SuchetLouis Gabriel Suchet, 1st Duc d'Albufera was a Marshal of France and one of Napoleon's most brilliant generals.-Early career:...
(*) - from 6 to 15 January 1800, interim : général Marbot
- from 16 January to 16 June 1800 : général MassénaAndré MassénaAndré Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
(*) - from 17 to 24 June 1800, interim : général SuchetLouis Gabriel SuchetLouis Gabriel Suchet, 1st Duc d'Albufera was a Marshal of France and one of Napoleon's most brilliant generals.-Early career:...
- from 25 June to 21 August 1800, général MassénaAndré MassénaAndré Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
- from 22 August 1800 to 7 March 1801 : général Brune (*)
- from 8 March to 27 August 1801, interim : général MonceyBon Adrien Jeannot de MonceyBon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey , 1st Duke of Conegliano, 1st Baron of Conegliano, Peer of France , Marshal of France, was a prominent soldier in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
(*)
(*) were made maréchal d’Empire or were in the staff of one
Campaigns and battles
- 21 September 1794 : First Battle of DegoFirst Battle of DegoThe Battle of Dego took place during the War of the First Coalition between French and Austrian armies on 21 September 1794. It resulted in a French victory. The battle is described in Napoleon's correspondence.- References :...
(won thanks to its artillery commander, BonaparteNapoleon INapoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
) - 24 November 1795 : battle of LoanoBattle of LoanoThe Battle of Loano occurred on 23-24 November 1795 during the War of the First Coalition. The French Army of Italy led by Barthélemy Schérer defeated the combined Austrian and Sardinian forces under Olivier, Count of Wallis. -Context:...
(unexploited victory) by Benedetto of Savoy, Duke of Chablais - First Italian CampaignFrench Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1796The French Revolutionary Wars continued from 1795, with the French in an increasingly strong position as members of the First Coalition made separate peaces. Austria and Great Britain were the main remaining members of the coalition...
- Second Italian Campaign
Source
- C. Clerget : Tableaux des armées françaises pendant les guerres de la Révolution (Librairie militaire 1905) ;