Battle of Calliano

Overview

The Battle of Calliano on 6 and 7 November 1796 saw an Austrian corps commanded by Paul Davidovich rout a French division directed by Claude Belgrand de Vaubois. The engagement was part of the third Austrian attempt to relieve the French siege of Mantua during the French Revolutionary Wars. The battle was preceded by a clash at Cembra on 2 November and followed by actions at Rivoli Veronese on 17 and 21 November.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Calliano on 6–7 November 1796 was a significant reverse for French forces during the third Austrian attempt to relieve the siege of Mantua. Davidovich's corps routed Vaubois's division, inflicting roughly 4,400 French casualties against Austrian losses of under 3,600 — a notably lopsided exchange given that the French force of 10,500 was already substantially outnumbered by the Austrian 19,474. The defeat formed part of a sustained Austrian operational sequence bracketed by the clash at Cembra on 2 November and subsequent actions at Rivoli Veronese in late November. By routing the French covering force, Austria advanced its effort to break the siege of Mantua, the strategically pivotal fortress whose relief was the central objective of this phase of the Italian campaign. The outcome at Calliano thus threatened French control of the siege lines and forced further French operational responses before the relief effort was ultimately contained.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)