In the Battle of Rivoli on 14 and 15 January 1797, the French Army of Italy led by Napoleon Bonaparte crushed the main Austrian army led by Jozsef Alvinczi. The battle occurred during the fourth Austrian attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua. After crippling Alvinczi's army on the 14th, Bonaparte left Barthélemy Joubert and Gabriel Rey to finish off the Austrians and raced south with André Masséna to deal with a relief column led by Giovanni di Provera. On 16 January, Masséna, Pierre Augereau, and Jean Sérurier trapped Provera near the Mantua siege lines and forced his surrender.
France Army of Italy: Napoleon Bonaparte (43,610)Fiebeger, p 20Boycott-Brown, p 494-495 Division: André Masséna (8,851 including 2 cavalry regiments) Brigade: Jean-Charles Monnier 18th Demi-Brigade (1,604) 32nd Demi-Brigade (1,848) Brigade: Guillaume Brune 75th Demi-Brigade (2,373) 25th Demi-Brigade (1,226) Brigade: Charles Leclerc 1st Cavalry Regiment (216) 15th Dragoon Regiment (203) 18th Light Infantry Demi-Brigade (1,150) Artillery: 6 guns Division: Pierre Augereau (8,665 including 4 cavalry regiments) Brigade: Jean Guieu Brigade: François Point Brigade: Jean-Antoine Verdier Brigade: Frédéric Walther (cavalry) Division: Barthélemy Joubert (10,250 including 1 cavalry regiment) Brigade: Honoré Vial 4th Light Infantry Demi-Brigade (792) 17th Light Infantry Demi-Brigade (784) 22nd Light Infantry Demi-Brigade (1,332) Brigade: Claude Lebley 29th Light Infantry Brigade (1,258) 33rd Demi-Brigade (1,965) 85th Demi-Brigade (1,386) Brigade: Thomas Sandos 14th Demi-Brigade (1,358) 39th Demi-Brigade (978) 22nd Light Cavalry Regiment (205) Artillery: 12 guns Division: Gabriel Rey (4,156 including 2 cavalry regiments) Brigade: Antoine Veaux 8th Dragoon Regiment (207) 12th Light Infantry Demi-Brigade (529) Brigade: Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers 59th Demi-Brigade (2,814) 11th Light Infantry Demi-Brigade (254) Brigade: Joachim Murat Guides Regiment (322) Artillery: 6 guns Division: Jean Sérurier (10,230 including 2 cavalry regiments) Alexandre Dumas and Claude Dallemagne each led small divisions under the supervision of Sérurier. It is unknown which brigades were assigned to each division. Brigade: Jean Davin Brigade: Sextius Miollis Brigade: André Monleau Brigade: Emmanuel de Serviez Brigade: Jean de La Salcette Reserve: Bonaparte Brigade: Charles Dugua (658) 3rd Dragoon Regiment 10th Light Cavalry Regiment Brigade: Claude Victor (1,800 including 1 cavalry regiment) Brigade: Jean Lannes (2,000)
Austria Field Army: FZM Jozsef Alvinczi (28,022)Boycott-Brown, p 492. Independent columns: Brigade 1: OB Franz de Lusignan (4,556) 4,556 in 4 bns and 12 coys Brigade 2: GM Anton Lipthay (5,065) 5,065 in 4 bns and 6 coys Brigade 3: GM Samuel Köblös (4,138) 4,138 in 5 bns and 6 coys Brigade 6: GM Josef Vukassovich (2,871) 2,795 in 3 bns and 5 coys, 76 in 1/2 sqn Division: FML Peter Quasdanovich Brigade 4: GM Joseph Ocskay (3,521) 2,692 in 4 bns, 829 in 8 sqns Brigade 5: GM Heinrich XV, Prince of Reuss-Plauen (7,871) 6,986 in 9 bns, 885 in 5-1/2 sqns Corps at Vicenza: GM Adam Bajalics (6,241) 6,081 in 6 bns, 160 in 1 sqn Corps at Padua: FML Giovanni di Provera (9,097) 8,379 in 10 bns, 718 in 8-1/2 sqns Corps at Borgo Valsugana: GM Anton Mittrowsky (3,570) 3,497 in 4 bns, 73 in 1/2 sqn Mantua Garrison: FM Dagobert von Wurmser (18,493, including 9,800 fit for service)Boycott-Brown, p 490
Key FM: Feldmarschall, army commander FZM: Feldzeugmeister, army or corps commander FML: Feldmarschal-Leutnant, corps or division commander GM: General-major, brigade commander OB: Oberst or colonel bns: infantry battalions coys: light infantry companies sqns: cavalry squadrons
References Boycott-Brown, Martin. The Road to Rivoli: Napoleon's First Campaign. London: Cassell, 2001. Chandler, David. Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. New York: Macmillan, 1979. Fiebeger, G. J. The Campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte of 1796-1797. West Point, NY: U.S. Military Academy Printing Office, 1911. Nafziger, George F. "French & Austrian Forces Battle of Rivoli 14 January 1797." 1996. Accessed April 30, 2018. https://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/CGSC/CARL/nafziger/797AAA.PDF.
Footnotes
External links Austrian general names by Digby Smith, compiled by Leopold Kudrna French general names Rivoli: Austrian order of battle by Stephen Millar French & Austrian Forces, Battle of Rivoli, 14 January 1797 by George F. Nafziger