Battle of Chiari

Overview

The Battle of Chiari was fought on 1 September 1701 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement was part of Prince Eugene of Savoy's campaign to seize the Spanish controlled Duchy of Milan in the Italian peninsula, and had followed his victory over Marshal Catinat at the Battle of Carpi in July. Marshal Villeroi replaced Catinat as commander of the Franco–Spanish–Savoyard forces in the theatre, carrying with him orders from King Louis XIV to push the Imperialists out of Italy.

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

Significance

The Battle of Chiari was an engagement in the opening Italian campaign of the War of the Spanish Succession, fought as part of Prince Eugene of Savoy's drive to seize the Spanish-controlled Duchy of Milan. It came on the heels of Eugene's earlier victory over Marshal Catinat at the Battle of Carpi in July 1701, which had already weakened the Franco-Spanish-Savoyard position in the theatre. Marshal Villeroi had been sent to replace Catinat carrying explicit orders from Louis XIV to expel the Imperialists from Italy, making Chiari a direct test of that directive. French casualties of between 2,000 and 3,800 against an Austrian force of 22,000 facing a Franco-Spanish-Savoyard army of 38,000 indicate a costly repulse for the larger force, frustrating Louis XIV's instructions and reinforcing Eugene's operational grip on the Italian theatre in the war's early phase.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)