Battle of Bassignana (1799)

This article is about the battle in 1799. For the battle in 1745, see Battle of Bassignano.

Date	12 May 1799
Location	Bassignana, present-day Italy
Result	French victory

Belligerents

Republican France

Russian Empire

Commanders and leaders

Jean Moreau

Andrei Rosenberg

Prince Constantine

Strength

12,000

3,500–7,000

Casualties and losses

617

992–2,000, 2 guns

War of the Second Coalition

French Revolutionary Wars – Italian Campaigns

1st Saorgio Epierre 2nd Saorgio 1st Dego Loano Voltri Montenotte Millesimo 2nd Dego Ceva Mondovì Fombio Lodi Borghetto Lonato Castiglione Rovereto 1st Bassano 2nd Bassano Calliano Caldiero Arcole Rivoli 1st Mantua Faenza Valvasone Tarvis Veronese Easter Verona Magnano Cassano Bassignana Modena Trebbia 2nd Mantua Novi Genola Genoa Montebello Marengo Pozzolo

The Battle of Bassignana (12 May 1799) saw an Imperial Russian army led by Andrei Grigorevich Rosenberg attempt to establish a bridgehead on the south bank of the Po River in the presence of a Republican French army under Jean Victor Marie Moreau. The French rapidly massed superior strength and forced the Russians to abandon their foothold with serious losses. This War of the Second Coalition action occurred near the town of Bassignana, located in the angle between the Po and Tanaro Rivers, about 19 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Alessandria, Italy.

The Austrian victory over the French at Magnano and Alexander Suvorov's Austro-Russian triumph over Moreau at Cassano allowed the capture of Milan and other northern Italian cities. Suvorov ordered his lieutenant Rosenberg to join him on the south bank of the Po below its confluence with the Tanaro. Probably overruled by the Tsar's son Grand Duke Constantine, Rosenberg unwisely crossed above the confluence with the Tanaro. Two of Moreau's divisions under Paul Grenier and Claude Victor-Perrin soon counterattacked and defeated the Russians. The Bassignana action was only a minor setback for the Allies. After another clash with the French, Suvorov's army marched up the north bank of the Po to seize Turin.

References

Acerbi, Enrico (2007). "The 1799 Campaign in Italy: Waiting for MacDonald's Army (May-June 1799), the Battles of Bassignana and Marengo". 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.
Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.

Coordinates: 45°0′8″N 8°43′55″E / 45.00222°N 8.73194°E / 45.00222; 8.73194

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