Johann Peter Beaulieu
Encyclopedia
Johann Peter Beaulieu de Marconnay, also Jean Pierre Beaulieu de Marconnay, born 26 October 1725 – died 22 December 1819, was an Austria
n military officer. He joined the Austrian army and fought against the Prussians
during the Seven Years War. A cultured man, he later battled Belgian
rebels and earned promotion to general officer. During the French Revolutionary Wars
he fought against the First French Republic and attained high command. In 1796, a young Napoleon Bonaparte won some of his first victories against an army led by Beaulieu. He retired and was the Proprietor (Inhaber)
of an Austrian infantry regiment until his death.
in the Austrian Netherlands (now Walloon Brabant
, Belgium
) in 1725, Beaulieu joined the Austrian army in 1743 and fought in the War of the Austrian Succession
. During the Seven Years War he served first as an infantry officer and later on the staff of Feldmarschall Leopold Daun
. Beaulieu was wounded in the Battle of Kolin
and also fought at the battles of Leuthen
, Hochkirch
, Maxen
, and other actions. He received the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
in 1760. "As a young man, his bold and fiery character combined with his great energy and constant activity had made him well-suited to the military life."
Beaulieu married Marie-Louise Robert in 1763; in 1776 she died. He was artistically inclined. He designed improvements for several palaces, designed and laid out a formal garden, and collected art work. He became a General-Major
in 1789 and helped crush the Brabant Revolt
against Austrian rule, though his only son was killed during the uprising. For his services, in 1790, the Austrian army promoted him to Feldmarschall-Leutnant
and awarded him the Commander's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa.
and later on the Rhine. On 28–29 April 1792, he won one of the first engagements of the War of the First Coalition at Mons
. With 5,000 Austrian troops and 18 artillery pieces, he defeated Armand Louis de Gontaut
's 7,500 soldiers and 36 guns, inflicting 400 casualties for a loss of only 30. He bested the French in another clash at Harelbeke
on 23 June. On this occasion he led a corps of 11,050 men and 10 guns against 7,000 Frenchmen and 6 guns from Nicolas Luckner
's army. At the unsuccessful siege of Lille
from 25 September to 8 October, he commanded a division in the army of Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen. His command included three and a half infantry battalions under Karl von Biela, nine cavalry squadrons led by Ludwig Franz Civalart d'Happoncourt, eight squadrons commanded by Charles Eugene, Prince of Lambesc
, and Karl Friedrich von Lindenau
's sappers and pontonniers.
On 6 November 1792, Beaulieu led Saxe-Teschen's left wing at the Battle of Jemappes
. His command included one battalion of the Hohenlohe
Infantry Regiment # 17, two battalions of the Stuart Infantry Regiment # 18, five companies of the Serbian
Freikorps
, and one squadron of the Blankenstein Hussar
Regiment # 16. He led a force during the successful defense of Trier
in December 1792. With 5,000 troops, including five battalions and four squadrons, he repulsed an 8,000-man French attack on Wervik
on 28 August 1793. He participated in the siege of Le Quesnoy
from 28 August to 13 September. In this successful action in which 5,000 French soldiers were killed or captured, he was subordinate to François Sébastien de Croix de Clerfayt.
On 26 June 1794, he commanded the fifth column in the Battle of Fleurus
. This powerful column consisted of 16 battalions, 22 squadrons, and 18 guns. After the defeat at Fleurus, Prince Josias of Coburg
, who disliked Beaulieu, dismissed him. From 1792 to 1794, he was Proprietor (Inhaber)
of Infantry Regiment # 31, a Hungarian
unit. On 7 July 1794, he received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa.
and transferred to command the 32,000-strong Austrian army in northern Italy
. He faced a French army with a newly-created commander, Napoleon Bonaparte. Together with a 17,000-man army from the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, Beaulieu's task was to defend the crest of the Ligurian Alps
and the northern Apennines in order to keep the French armies from entering the Po River
basin of northern Italy. Secret orders from the Austrian government warned him that his Sardinian ally might soon change sides, and was not to be trusted. These instructions prevented Beaulieu from effectively cooperating with the Sardinian commander, Michelangelo Colli-Marchi
, a personal friend.
In the event, Bonaparte outmaneuvered Beaulieu during the Montenotte Campaign
. After the French mauled his right wing in battles at Montenotte
and Dego
, Beaulieu watched in stunned inactivity as the French knocked Sardinia out of the war at the battles of Millesimo
, Ceva
, and Mondovì
. Beaulieu withdrew his army behind the Po, hoping the river would stop the French advance. But Bonaparte marched west to cross the river near Piacenza
, behind the Austrian left flank. The French defeated Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud
at the Battle of Fombio
on 7 to 9 May 1796. Hastily, Beaulieu withdrew his army to the east, dropping off a force under Karl Philipp Sebottendorf
to hold the bridge over the Adda River
at Lodi. Bonaparte seized the bridge in the Battle of Lodi
on 10 May, driving back Sebottendorf with losses of 2,000 casualties and 14 guns. The Austrians abandoned Duchy of Milan
and pulled back to the Mincio
River. A minor defeat at the Battle of Borghetto
on 30 May forced Beaulieu to abandon the Mincio line and retreat north to the Tyrol
. Before leaving the Po valley, he left a strong garrison in the fortress of Mantua
. The Siege of Mantua
would become the focus of many battles during the remainder of 1796. During the retreat, Beaulieu relieved Lipthay from command of the rearguard for retreating too quickly. Thomas Graham
, an English observer with the Austrian army, noted that Beaulieu seemed to expect too much from his soldiers, was irritated, and tended to blame the failure of his plans on others for not properly executing his orders. Graham also deplored the "petty intrigue" among the Austrian officers.
. Beaulieu went into retirement after the 1796 campaign. In 1794, he had become proprietor of a Walloon
regiment. The Beaulieu Infantry Regiment # 58 served in the Danube
theater during the War of the Third Coalition and the War of the Fifth Coalition
. Beaulieu died in Linz
, Austria
in 1819.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n military officer. He joined the Austrian army and fought against the Prussians
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
during the Seven Years War. A cultured man, he later battled Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
rebels and earned promotion to general officer. 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...
he fought against the First French Republic and attained high command. In 1796, a young Napoleon Bonaparte won some of his first victories against an army led by Beaulieu. He retired and was the Proprietor (Inhaber)
Proprietor (Inhaber)
A Proprietor, or Inhaber, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the Inhaber who also acted as...
of an Austrian infantry regiment until his death.
Early career
Born in Lathuy Castle, JodoigneJodoigne
Jodoigne is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Jodoigne had a total population of 12,440...
in the Austrian Netherlands (now Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant is a province of Wallonia in Belgium. It borders on the province of Flemish Brabant and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut . Its capital is Wavre...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) in 1725, Beaulieu joined the Austrian army in 1743 and fought in the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
. During the Seven Years War he served first as an infantry officer and later on the staff of Feldmarschall Leopold Daun
Leopold Josef Graf Daun
Count Leopold Joseph von Daun , later Prince of Thiano, Austrian field marshal, was born at Vienna, as son of Count Wirich Philipp von Daun.- Background :...
. Beaulieu was wounded in the Battle of Kolin
Battle of Kolin
-Results:The battle was Frederick's first defeat in this war. This disaster forced him to abandon his intended march on Vienna, raise his siege of Prague, and fall back on Litoměřice...
and also fought at the battles of Leuthen
Battle of Leuthen
In the Battle of Leuthen or Lissa, fought on 5 December 1757, Frederick the Great's Prussian army used maneuver and terrain to decisively defeat a much larger Austrian army under Charles of Lorraine, thus ensuring Prussian control of Silesia during the Seven Years' War.- Background :While Frederick...
, Hochkirch
Battle of Hochkirch
The Battle of Hochkirch was a battle fought on October 14, 1758 during the Seven Years' War between a Prussian army of 30,000-36,000 commanded by Frederick the Great and an Austrian army of 80,000 commanded by Marshal Leopold Josef Graf Daun...
, Maxen
Battle of Maxen
The Battle of Maxen was a battle at Maxen, Saxony in present-day Germany during the Seven Years' War. It resulted in surrender of prussian corps....
, and other actions. He received the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
in 1760. "As a young man, his bold and fiery character combined with his great energy and constant activity had made him well-suited to the military life."
Beaulieu married Marie-Louise Robert in 1763; in 1776 she died. He was artistically inclined. He designed improvements for several palaces, designed and laid out a formal garden, and collected art work. He became a General-Major
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in 1789 and helped crush the Brabant Revolt
Brabant Revolution
The Brabant Revolution took place between January 1789 and December 1790, when a popular revolt broke in the Austrian Netherlands against the unpopular reforms of the Emperor Joseph II...
against Austrian rule, though his only son was killed during the uprising. For his services, in 1790, the Austrian army promoted him to Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and awarded him the Commander's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa.
1792-1795
In the years from 1792 to 1795, Beaulieu fought against France in the Flanders CampaignFlanders Campaign
This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War...
and later on the Rhine. On 28–29 April 1792, he won one of the first engagements of the War of the First Coalition at Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
. With 5,000 Austrian troops and 18 artillery pieces, he defeated Armand Louis de Gontaut
Armand Louis de Gontaut
Armand Louis de Gontaut, Duc de Lauzun, later duc de Biron, and usually referred to by historians of the French Revolution simply as Biron was a French soldier and politician, known for the part he played in the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars.-Early titles:Born in...
's 7,500 soldiers and 36 guns, inflicting 400 casualties for a loss of only 30. He bested the French in another clash at Harelbeke
Harelbeke
Harelbeke is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2006 Harelbeke had a total population of 26,172...
on 23 June. On this occasion he led a corps of 11,050 men and 10 guns against 7,000 Frenchmen and 6 guns from Nicolas Luckner
Nicolas Luckner
Nikolaus, Count Luckner was a German in French service who rose to become a Marshal of France. ....
's army. At the unsuccessful siege of Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
from 25 September to 8 October, he commanded a division in the army of Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen. His command included three and a half infantry battalions under Karl von Biela, nine cavalry squadrons led by Ludwig Franz Civalart d'Happoncourt, eight squadrons commanded by Charles Eugene, Prince of Lambesc
Charles Eugene, Prince of Lambesc
Charles Eugène of Lorraine was a member of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine, he was an officer in the French and Habsburg military during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars....
, and Karl Friedrich von Lindenau
Karl Friedrich von Lindenau
Karl Friedrich von Lindenau, born 1746 – died 21 February 1817, served in the Prussian army before an incident compelled him to switch allegiance to Habsburg Austria in 1789. A staff officer at the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, he was asked to mentor the young Archduke Charles,...
's sappers and pontonniers.
On 6 November 1792, Beaulieu led Saxe-Teschen's left wing at the Battle of Jemappes
Battle of Jemappes
The Battle of Jemappes took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Belgium, near Mons. General Charles François Dumouriez, in command of the French Revolutionary Army, defeated the greatly outnumbered Austrian army of Field Marshal Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen and his second-in-command...
. His command included one battalion of the Hohenlohe
Friedrich Wilhelm, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg
Friedrich William, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg was born in Kirchberg, Hohenlohe, on 2 December 1732...
Infantry Regiment # 17, two battalions of the Stuart Infantry Regiment # 18, five companies of the Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
, and one squadron of the Blankenstein Hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
Regiment # 16. He led a force during the successful defense of Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
in December 1792. With 5,000 troops, including five battalions and four squadrons, he repulsed an 8,000-man French attack on Wervik
Wervik
Wervik is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Wervik and the town of Geluwe. On January 1, 2006 Wervik had a total population of 17,607. The total area is 43.61 km² which gives a population density of 404 inhabitants per km²....
on 28 August 1793. He participated in the siege of Le Quesnoy
Le Quesnoy
Le Quesnoy is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.Le Quesnoy's inhabitants are known as Quercitains.- Economy :The town of Le Quesnoy has somehow missed much of the Industrial Revolution. Unlike the neighboring towns of Valenciennes or Maubeuge, iron/steel works did not take hold...
from 28 August to 13 September. In this successful action in which 5,000 French soldiers were killed or captured, he was subordinate to François Sébastien de Croix de Clerfayt.
On 26 June 1794, he commanded the fifth column in the Battle of Fleurus
Battle of Fleurus (1794)
In the Battle of Fleurus on 26 June 1794, the army of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan faced the Coalition Army commanded by Prince Josias of Coburg in the most decisive battle of the Flanders Campaign in the Low Countries during the French Revolutionary Wars...
. This powerful column consisted of 16 battalions, 22 squadrons, and 18 guns. After the defeat at Fleurus, Prince Josias of Coburg
Prince Josias of Coburg
Prince Frederick Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was a general in the Austrian service.-Biography:...
, who disliked Beaulieu, dismissed him. From 1792 to 1794, he was Proprietor (Inhaber)
Proprietor (Inhaber)
A Proprietor, or Inhaber, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the Inhaber who also acted as...
of Infantry Regiment # 31, a Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
unit. On 7 July 1794, he received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa.
1796
On 4 March 1796, Beaulieu was promoted to FeldzeugmeisterFeldzeugmeister
Feldzeugmeister was a military rank in various European armies , especially in the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found in the beginning of the 20th century in some European countries...
and transferred to command the 32,000-strong Austrian army in 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...
. He faced a French army with a newly-created commander, Napoleon Bonaparte. Together with a 17,000-man army from the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, Beaulieu's task was to defend the crest of the Ligurian Alps
Ligurian Alps
The Ligurian Alps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. A small part is located in France. They form the south-western extremity of the Alps, separated from the Apennines by the Colle di Cadibona. The Col de Tende separates them from the Maritime Alps...
and the northern Apennines in order to keep the French armies from entering the Po River
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...
basin of northern Italy. Secret orders from the Austrian government warned him that his Sardinian ally might soon change sides, and was not to be trusted. These instructions prevented Beaulieu from effectively cooperating with the Sardinian commander, Michelangelo Colli-Marchi
Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi
Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi, or Michele Angelo Alessandro Colli-Marchei or Michael Colli, joined the Austrian army, became a general officer, and led the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont for three years, including its unsuccessful campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte in...
, a personal friend.
In the event, Bonaparte outmaneuvered Beaulieu during the Montenotte Campaign
Montenotte Campaign
The Montenotte Campaign began on 10 April 1796 with an action at Voltri and ended with the Armistice of Cherasco on 28 April. In his first army command, Napoleon Bonaparte's French army separated the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont under Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi from the allied...
. After the French mauled his right wing in battles at Montenotte
Battle of Montenotte
The Battle of Montenotte was fought on 12 April 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, between the French army under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian corps under Count Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau. The battle was fought near the village of Cairo Montenotte, in northwestern Italy, and...
and Dego
Second Battle of Dego
The Second Battle of Dego was fought on 14 and 15 April 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars between French forces and Austro-Sardinian forces...
, Beaulieu watched in stunned inactivity as the French knocked Sardinia out of the war at the battles of Millesimo
Battle of Millesimo
The Battle of Millesimo, fought on 13 and 14 April 1796, was the name that Napoleon Bonaparte gave in his correspondence to one of a series of small battles that were fought in Piedmont, Northern Italy between the armies of France and the allied armies of Austria and of the Kingdom of...
, Ceva
Battle of Ceva
In the Battle of Ceva on 16 April 1796, troops of the First French Republic under Pierre Augereau fought against part of the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont led by General Giuseppe Felice, Count Vital. Augereau assaulted the strong defensive position without success...
, and Mondovì
Battle of Mondovi
The Battle of Mondovì was fought on 21 April 1796 between the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte and the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont led by Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi. The French victory meant that they had put the Ligurian Alps behind them, while the plains of Piedmont lay...
. Beaulieu withdrew his army behind the Po, hoping the river would stop the French advance. But Bonaparte marched west to cross the river near Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
, behind the Austrian left flank. The French defeated Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud
Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud
Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud , also Anton Liptai or Anton Liptay, served in the Austrian army, attained general officer rank, and fought in several battles against the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars.-Early career:Born in Nógrád, Hungary in 1745, Lipthay joined...
at the Battle of Fombio
Battle of Fombio
The Battle of Fombio was fought between the French Army of Italy led by Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austrian army under Feldzeugmeister Johann Peter Beaulieu between 7 and 9 May 1796. It was the decisive strategic point of the campaign, as Bonaparte crossed the Po River at Piacenza in Beaulieu's...
on 7 to 9 May 1796. Hastily, Beaulieu withdrew his army to the east, dropping off a force under Karl Philipp Sebottendorf
Karl Philipp Sebottendorf
Karl Philipp Sebottendorf van der Rose enrolled in the Austrian army at the age of 18, became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars, and commanded a division against Napoleon Bonaparte in several notable battles during the Italian campaign of 1796.-Early career:Sebottendorf was...
to hold the bridge over the Adda River
Adda River
The Adda is a river in North Italy, a tributary of the Po. It rises in the Alps near the border with Switzerland and flows through Lake Como. The Adda joins the Po a few kilometres upstream of Cremona. It is 313 kilometres long...
at Lodi. Bonaparte seized the bridge in the Battle of Lodi
Battle of Lodi
The Battle of Lodi was fought on May 10, 1796 between French forces under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian rear guard led by Karl Philipp Sebottendorf at Lodi, Lombardy...
on 10 May, driving back Sebottendorf with losses of 2,000 casualties and 14 guns. The Austrians abandoned 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...
and pulled back to the Mincio
Mincio
Mincio is a river in the Lombardy region of northern Italy.Called the Sarca River before entering Lake Garda, it flows from there about 65 km past Mantua into the Po River....
River. A minor defeat at the Battle of Borghetto
Battle of Borghetto
The Battle of Borghetto, near Valeggio sul Mincio in the Veneto of northern Italy, occurred during the War of the First Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars. On 30 May 1796, a French army led by General Napoleon Bonaparte forced a crossing of the Mincio River in the face of opposition...
on 30 May forced Beaulieu to abandon the Mincio line and retreat north to the Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. Before leaving the Po valley, he left a strong garrison in the fortress of 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...
. The Siege of Mantua
Siege of Mantua (1796-1797)
In the Siege of Mantua, which lasted from 4 July 1796 to 2 February 1797 with a short break, French forces under the overall command of Napoleon Bonaparte besieged and blockaded a large Austrian garrison for many months until it surrendered...
would become the focus of many battles during the remainder of 1796. During the retreat, Beaulieu relieved Lipthay from command of the rearguard for retreating too quickly. Thomas Graham
Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch
General Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch, GCB, GCMG, GCTE was a Scottish aristocrat, politician and British Army officer....
, an English observer with the Austrian army, noted that Beaulieu seemed to expect too much from his soldiers, was irritated, and tended to blame the failure of his plans on others for not properly executing his orders. Graham also deplored the "petty intrigue" among the Austrian officers.
Retirement
After Borghetto, Emperor Francis II replaced Beaulieu with Dagobert Sigmund von WurmserDagobert Sigmund von Wurmser
Dagobert Sigismund, Count Wurmser was an Austrian field marshal during the French Revolutionary Wars. Although he fought in the Seven Years War, the War of the Bavarian Succession, and mounted several successful campaigns in the Rhineland in the initial years of the French Revolutionary Wars, he...
. Beaulieu went into retirement after the 1796 campaign. In 1794, he had become proprietor of a Walloon
Walloons
Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon...
regiment. The Beaulieu Infantry Regiment # 58 served in the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
theater during the War of the Third Coalition and the War of the Fifth Coalition
War of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
. Beaulieu died in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1819.