Battle of Novi

Battle of Novi
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Alexander Kotzebue. Battle of Novi
Date 15 August 1799 Location Novi Ligure, Piedmont, present-day Italy Result Decisive Austro-Russian victory
Belligerents
France	Russian Empire Austria
Commanders and leaders
Barthélemy Catherine Joubert †, Jean Victor Marie Moreau	Alexander Suvorov
Strength
35,000, 2,000 Cavalry, 43 Guns	44,000 Infantry, 7,000 Cavalry, 66 Guns
Casualties and losses
12,000 killed and wounded, 4,600 prisoners, 37 guns, 28 powder transports	1,300 killed, 4,700 wounded

The Battle of Novi was a battle near Novi Ligure, Italy. It was fought on August 15, 1799 in the French Revolutionary Wars. The Austrians and Russians under Fieldmarshal Alexander Suvorov defeated the French under General Barthelemy Catherine Joubert.

In 1799, Second Coalition forces had defeated French troops in Italy, left by Napoleon during his Egyptian campaign. After the defeat at the Battle of Cassano, French and Cisalpine Italian troops retreated into the Ligurian Republic for a final resistance on the plateau immediately south of the town of Novi, a few miles to the southeast of Marengo.

On 15 August, the Austro-Russian army, led by Suvorov, attacked French positions. In the early moments of the battle, Joubert died, shot in a skirmish line action, but the French resisted the Austrian attack and counter-attacked. The battle is characterized by several coalition attacks, repelled by French forces, until afternoon, when a final blow ordered by Suvorov caused the French to retreat in disorder through the mountains to the Ligurian coast.

Prelude: Russian and Austrian forces under Suvorov swept across the Po River valley, in effect recapturing lands that had previously been taken by Napoleon. All that lay in the Allies way were scattered French forces around Genoa and the fortress of Tortona. On August 4th Joubert and his reinforcements landed at Genoa and gathered at Novi. The French Directory had chosen Joubert to command as they saw him as a potential rival to Napoleon's tactical genius. Thinking Joubert was advancing to Tortona, Suvorov and the Allies attacked.

References

• The map of the battle of Novi. Aug. 15, 1799

http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/ehost/detail?sid=d91a2f12-2768-4075-9b1e-047c4c519380%40sessionmgr110&vid=2&hid=123&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=9609226480

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010)

This article about a battle of the Napoleonic Wars is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a battle in Austrian history is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a battle in French history is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a battle in Russian history is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e