Second Battle of Bassano

Overview

The Second Battle of Bassano on 6 November 1796, saw a Habsburg army commanded by József Alvinczi fight Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army of Italy between Bassano del Grappa and Cittadella. The Austrians repulsed persistent French attacks in a struggle in which both sides suffered heavy losses. The engagement, which happened two months after the more famous Battle of Bassano, marked the first tactical defeat of Bonaparte's career and occurred near Bassano del Grappa in Northern Italy during the French Revolutionary Wars. The action was part of the third relief of the siege of Mantua during the War of the First Coalition.

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

Significance

The Second Battle of Bassano on 6 November 1796 marked the first tactical defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte's career, as Habsburg forces under Alvinczi repulsed repeated French attacks between Bassano del Grappa and Cittadella. Despite fielding roughly 19,500–21,000 troops against an Austrian force of around 28,000, the French Army of Italy failed to break through, suffering approximately 3,000 casualties against Austrian losses estimated between 2,823 and 5,600. The engagement was part of the third Austrian attempt to relieve the siege of Mantua during the War of the First Coalition, a strategic objective the Habsburgs pursued across multiple campaigns throughout 1796. Coming two months after the French victory at the more famous First Battle of Bassano, the outcome demonstrated that Alvinczi's army could absorb and deflect Bonaparte's offensive pressure, keeping the question of Mantua's relief unresolved and prolonging French operational strain in northern Italy.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)