Battle of Guastalla
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Guastalla or Battle of Luzzara was a battle fought on September 19, 1734, between Franco-Sardinian and Austrian (Habsburg) troops as part of the War of Polish Succession.
to be the next king. Stanisław was supported primarily by France
, while Frederick August was supported by Russia
and the Habsburg
Emperor Charles VI
. On October 10, France declared war on Austria and Saxony to draw military strength away from Poland
, and shortly thereafter invaded both the Rhineland
and the Habsburg territories in what is now northern Italy
. The Italian campaign was conducted in conjunction with King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
, to whom France had promised the Duchy of Milan
in the Treaty of Turin
, signed in September 1733.
The Franco-Sardinian allies marched on Milan in October 1733, and occupied Lombardy without significant losses. In the spring of 1734 the Austrians responded in force, but suffered a bloody defeat in the Battle of San Pietro
, won by the French under de Coigny and de Broglie. Following the victory, reluctance on the part of Charles Emmanuel to pursue the retreating Austrians led to relatively little action throughout the summer of 1734. In September Field Marshal Dominik von Königsegg-Rothenfels
, who replaced Florimund Mercy
(killed at San Pietro), renewed the Austrian offensive, winning a small victory near Quistello
when his troops successfully raided de Broglio's headquarters on September 14, taking 1,500 prisoners and capturing Charles Emmanuel's silver service and campaign warchest. As the Austrians pursued the allies, they surrounded additional pockets of soldiers, taking another 3,000 prisoners. The allies fell back toward Guastalla
, where they fortified a position between the Crostolo
and Po
rivers.
After pausing to reprovision on September 16, Königsegg continued the pursuit, reaching Luzzara
on September 18. The allied leadership that evening decided to force a battle at Guastalla as revenge for the action at Quistello.
about half way between the town and the bridge. The allied line extended from the village of Piave, south of Guastalla, around to the east and north of the town, ending with battalions of cavalry
on the plains in front of the defensive line between the town and the bridge. Overall command was given to Charles Emmanuel, who led the center, with de Coigny leading the right flank and de Broglie the left. On the morning of September 19 Charles Emmanuel sent three regiments across the Po to guard against possible Austrian flanking maneuvers that could bypass his army and gain access to Milanese territory. Demonstrations by Austrian troops on the left bank of the Po on September 18 reinforced his concern over this possibility.
When Königsegg learned of this latter movement, he decided the time had come to attack the allied position at Guastalla, hoping for a decisive defeat, forcing the allies to retreat either across the Po or the Crostolo. Because he had been unable to personally reconnoiter the enemy position, and reports indicated no significant massings of enemy troops (which were largely concealed behind the numerous structures along the line of defense), Königsegg eventually concluded that the bulk of the allied troops had been withdrawn across the Po. Hoping to isolate the remaining enemy troops, he directed the bulk of his forces toward the bridgehead on the allied left.
was killed while leading a cavalry charge.
While the battle waged incessantly, Austrian grenadiers came up the river by boat and landed just behind the allied cavalry position. In response, Charles Emmanuel ordered the left flank to retreat toward the bridgehead, and called on most of the remaining troops from the right for support. Some troops from the right flank marched to the aid of the center without orders to do so, which ultimately helped the center hold when Königsegg threw his reserves into the battle there around 2 pm.
The battle continued, with neither side able to gain ground against the other, and without further reserves to bring in, until about 4 pm. By that time, both sides were running low on ammunition, and Königsegg ordered the Austrians to withdraw back to Luzzara.
Charles Emmanuel and the French commanders, after receiving some reinforcements, considered attacking Austrian positions erected on the north bank of the Po in the following days, but reconnaissance reports indicated that the positions were likely unassailable. Königsegg returned to Mantua
, where he ordered troops defending the city and Tyrol numbering 4,000 to join his army, which had been reduced to just 16,000 effectives. While the allies did make an attempt to capture Mirandola
in October, Königsegg was able to rally 10,000 troops to break up the siege attempt.
Following the allied gains of 1733, the two sides had, between this battle and that at San Pietro, killed or wounded about 12,000 men, and the 1734 campaign ended about where it began. Marshal de Broglie observed that if the battle had not been fought, the world would have been the winner.
Background
Following the death in February 1733 of King Augustus II of Poland, European powers exerted diplomatic and military influence in the selection of his successor. Competing elections in August and October 1733 elected Stanisław Leszczyński and Frederick August, Elector of SaxonyAugustus III of Poland
Augustus III, known as the Saxon ; ; also Prince-elector Friedrich August II was the Elector of Saxony in 1733-1763, as Frederick Augustus II , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1734-1763.-Biography:Augustus was the only legitimate son of Augustus II the Strong, Imperial Prince-Elector...
to be the next king. Stanisław was supported primarily by France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, while Frederick August was supported by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the Habsburg
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
Emperor Charles VI
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
. On October 10, France declared war on Austria and Saxony to draw military strength away from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and shortly thereafter invaded both the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
and the Habsburg territories in what is now northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The Italian campaign was conducted in conjunction with King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
, to whom France had promised the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
in the Treaty of Turin
Treaty of Turin (1733)
The Treaty of Turin, signed in Turin in September 1733, was a secret agreement between France and Charles Emmanuel . Charles was promised French military support for the conquest of the Duchy of Milan in exchange for allowing French troops to use his territory in the conquest of Tuscany, the two...
, signed in September 1733.
The Franco-Sardinian allies marched on Milan in October 1733, and occupied Lombardy without significant losses. In the spring of 1734 the Austrians responded in force, but suffered a bloody defeat in the Battle of San Pietro
Battle of San Pietro
The Battle of San Pietro, also known as the Battle of Crocetta or the Battle of Parma was a battle fought on June 29, 1734, between troops of France and Sardinia on one side, and Habsburg Austrian troops on the other, as part of the War of Polish Succession, between the village of La Crocetta and...
, won by the French under de Coigny and de Broglie. Following the victory, reluctance on the part of Charles Emmanuel to pursue the retreating Austrians led to relatively little action throughout the summer of 1734. In September Field Marshal Dominik von Königsegg-Rothenfels
Dominik von Königsegg-Rothenfels
Lothar Joseph Dominik Graf von Königsegg-Rothenfels was an imperial Fieldmarshal.Lothar was the youngest son of Count Leopold Wilhelm von Königsegg-Rothenfels and Maria Polyxena, Countess Scherffenberg. His parents sent him to the Jesuit school in Besançon, to become a priest. At the age of 16...
, who replaced Florimund Mercy
Florimund Mercy
Count Claudius Florimund de Mercy was an Imperial field marshal, born at Longwy in Lorraine, now in France.Mercy entered the Austrian army as a volunteer in 1682. He won his commission at the great Battle of Vienna in the following year; and during seven years of campaigning in Hungary rose to the...
(killed at San Pietro), renewed the Austrian offensive, winning a small victory near Quistello
Quistello
Quistello is a comune in the Province of Mantua in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 150 km southeast of Milan and about 20 km southeast of Mantua...
when his troops successfully raided de Broglio's headquarters on September 14, taking 1,500 prisoners and capturing Charles Emmanuel's silver service and campaign warchest. As the Austrians pursued the allies, they surrounded additional pockets of soldiers, taking another 3,000 prisoners. The allies fell back toward Guastalla
Guastalla
Guastalla is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.-Geography:Guastalla is situated in the Po Valley, and lies on the banks of the Po River...
, where they fortified a position between the Crostolo
Crostolo
The Crostolo is a stream in the Province of Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy. It starts in the Apennines of the province of Reggio Emilia and flows northwards, passing through the provincial capital, Reggio nell'Emilia until it empties into the River Po near Guastalla....
and Po
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
rivers.
After pausing to reprovision on September 16, Königsegg continued the pursuit, reaching Luzzara
Luzzara
Luzzara is a comune in the province of Reggio Emilia, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is located at the northern end of the province and is bounded by the river named Po to the north as well as the provinces of Mantua and the region of Lombardy....
on September 18. The allied leadership that evening decided to force a battle at Guastalla as revenge for the action at Quistello.
Battle lines
The area between Guastalla and Luzzara included two small dams, and numerous other landworks, including hedges and low stone walls, that were useful as cover for defending troops. To the west of Guastalla was a plain dotted with copses of trees, extending to the Po, where the allies had a boat-bridge to facilitate the movement of troops across the river. Between the bridgehead and the fortified town of Guastalla they erected a series of defensive works between the two dams, anchored by a large redoubtRedoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
about half way between the town and the bridge. The allied line extended from the village of Piave, south of Guastalla, around to the east and north of the town, ending with battalions of cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
on the plains in front of the defensive line between the town and the bridge. Overall command was given to Charles Emmanuel, who led the center, with de Coigny leading the right flank and de Broglie the left. On the morning of September 19 Charles Emmanuel sent three regiments across the Po to guard against possible Austrian flanking maneuvers that could bypass his army and gain access to Milanese territory. Demonstrations by Austrian troops on the left bank of the Po on September 18 reinforced his concern over this possibility.
When Königsegg learned of this latter movement, he decided the time had come to attack the allied position at Guastalla, hoping for a decisive defeat, forcing the allies to retreat either across the Po or the Crostolo. Because he had been unable to personally reconnoiter the enemy position, and reports indicated no significant massings of enemy troops (which were largely concealed behind the numerous structures along the line of defense), Königsegg eventually concluded that the bulk of the allied troops had been withdrawn across the Po. Hoping to isolate the remaining enemy troops, he directed the bulk of his forces toward the bridgehead on the allied left.
Battle
Königsegg ordered the first companies to move out early on September 19, without explicitly telling the commanding generals that battle was to be expected. When the leading edges of his army reached the allied positions, reconnaissance indicated that there were as few as 5,000 infantry in the field, and that the enemy's cavalry appeared to be in retreat. Convinced that he was facing the rear guard of the allied army, Königsegg ordered a single line of troops forward at about 10 am to flush out the defenders. While this met with limited success, he was forced to commit more resources to the battle as it picked up in intensity about 11 am. Around noon Charles Emmanuel directed troops from the allied right to come around to assist in the defense of the left flank, where a large portion of the Austrian army was engaged in between the two dams. About 1 pm Königsegg's second, Prince Frederick Louis of Württemberg-WinnentalFrederick Louis of Württemberg-Winnental
Frederick Louis of Württemberg-Winnental was a German army commander of the eighteenth century....
was killed while leading a cavalry charge.
While the battle waged incessantly, Austrian grenadiers came up the river by boat and landed just behind the allied cavalry position. In response, Charles Emmanuel ordered the left flank to retreat toward the bridgehead, and called on most of the remaining troops from the right for support. Some troops from the right flank marched to the aid of the center without orders to do so, which ultimately helped the center hold when Königsegg threw his reserves into the battle there around 2 pm.
The battle continued, with neither side able to gain ground against the other, and without further reserves to bring in, until about 4 pm. By that time, both sides were running low on ammunition, and Königsegg ordered the Austrians to withdraw back to Luzzara.
Aftermath
While the allies held the field of battle, both sides suffered significant casualties. The Austrians lost three generals (include Prince Frederick), the allies four. Austrian killed and wounded amounted to 4,800, and more than 1,600 horses were killed. The allies lost 1,600 killed and about 4,000 wounded.Charles Emmanuel and the French commanders, after receiving some reinforcements, considered attacking Austrian positions erected on the north bank of the Po in the following days, but reconnaissance reports indicated that the positions were likely unassailable. Königsegg returned to Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, where he ordered troops defending the city and Tyrol numbering 4,000 to join his army, which had been reduced to just 16,000 effectives. While the allies did make an attempt to capture Mirandola
Mirandola
Mirandola is a city and comune of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, in the Province of Modena, 31 km northeast of the provincial capital by railway.- History :Mirandola originated as a Renaissance city-fortress...
in October, Königsegg was able to rally 10,000 troops to break up the siege attempt.
Following the allied gains of 1733, the two sides had, between this battle and that at San Pietro, killed or wounded about 12,000 men, and the 1734 campaign ended about where it began. Marshal de Broglie observed that if the battle had not been fought, the world would have been the winner.
External links
- History of the house of Austria, Volume 3, William Coxe (1889)
- Martin's history of France: The decline of the French monarchy, Volume 1, Henri Martin, translated by Mary Louise Booth (1866)
- 1-72860 Guastalla 1734. Una battaglia per il trono di Polonia. 2003 by Santangelo, Andrea, ITALY, VERBA MARTIS
- Guido Burani's Website, La Battaglia di Guastalla (in Italian)