Second Battle of Novi (1799)

This article is about one of the battles in 1799. For the famous battle in August 1799, see Battle of Novi (1799).

Second Battle of Novi (1799)
Part of the War of the Second Coalition
Date 24 October 1799 Location Novi Ligure, present-day Italy 44°45′42″N8°47′26″E / 44.76167°N 8.79056°E / 44.76167; 8.79056 Result French victory
Belligerents
France Polish Legions	Habsburg monarchy
Commanders and leaders
L. Gouvion Saint-Cyr Jan Dąbrowski	Andreas Karaczay
Strength
12,000	5,000
Casualties and losses
1,200	1,300, 4 guns

War of the Second Coalition:
Italy

50km
31miles

12

Marengo

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Verona

   

  current battle

  Napoleon in command

  Napoleon not in command

The Second Battle of Novi or Battle of Bosco (24 October 1799) saw a Republican French corps under General of Division Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr face a division of Habsburg Austrian soldiers led by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Andreas Karaczay. For several hours the Austrians defended themselves stoutly, relying on their superior cavalry and artillery. By the end of the day the French and allied Poles routed the Austrians from their positions in this War of the Second Coalition action. Novi Ligure is south of Alessandria, Italy.

A string of defeats, culminating with the Battle of Novi on 15 August 1799 left the French Army of Italy clinging to Genoa, Cuneo and the crests of the Ligurian Alps. An Austrian threat to Genoa was met with Saint-Cyr's strong thrust north through Novi against Karaczay's division at Bosco Marengo. Farther west, Jean Étienne Championnet with the main body of the Army of Italy clashed with Michael von Melas's Austrians at Genola on 4 November.

References

• Acerbi, Enrico (2008). "The 1799 Campaign in Italy: The Last Battles & the End of the Directory's Wars August-December 1799: Battle at Bosco". The Napoleon Series.
• Duffy, Christopher (1999). Eagles Over the Alps: Suvarov in Italy and Switzerland, 1799. Chicago, Ill.: The Emperor's Press. ISBN   1-883476-18-6.
• Phipps, Ramsay Weston (2011) [1939]. The Armies of the First French Republic and the Rise of the Marshals of Napoleon I: The Armies of the Rhine in Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Egypt, and the Coup d'Etat of Brumaire (1797-1799). Vol. 5. Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN   978-1-908692-28-3.
• Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN   1-85367-276-9.