The Siege of Mantua (1796–1797) was a military operation during the French Revolutionary Wars, specifically part of the Italian Campaign of 1796–1797 within the War of the First Coalition. French forces under the overall command of Napoleon Bonaparte besieged and blockaded a large Austrian garrison at the fortress city of Mantua, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, from 4 June 1796 to 2 February 1797, with a brief interruption. The siege was the focal point of the Italian Campaign, lasting the vast majority of the campaign and determining which side would control northern Italy.
Background
After defeating the Austrian army under Feldzeugmeister Johann Beaulieu at the Battle of Borghetto, the French drove the Austrians from the line of the Mincio River. The Austrians left a strong garrison in the fortress of Mantua and retreated north to Trento. The French invested the fortress on 3 June 1796. Mantua was part of the Quadrilateral of fortresses (along with Legnago, Verona, and Peschiera). The city was nearly surrounded by water formed by the Mincio River and was connected to the mainland by causeways leading to the fortified suburbs of Cittadella to the north and San Giorgio to the east.
The Siege and Blockade
Bonaparte assembled a siege train of 179 heavy guns by requisitioning cannon from across northern Italy. Siege operations began on 4 June 1796 under the command of General of Division Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier. The Austrian garrison, initially numbering approximately 14,000 men, was commanded by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Joseph Canto d'Irles.
The Austrians made four separate attempts to relieve the fortress, each of which failed:
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First relief (July–August 1796): Feldmarschall Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser launched a three-pronged attack with approximately 49,000 men. The French were forced to lift the siege on 1 August, but Wurmser was subsequently defeated at the Battles of Lonato (3–4 August) and Castiglione (5 August). Before retreating, Wurmser reinforced the garrison with additional troops and supplies.
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Second relief (September 1796): Wurmser marched down the Brenta valley toward Bassano. Bonaparte defeated him at the Battle of Bassano on 8 September, and Wurmser was forced to retreat into Mantua with his remaining forces. The garrison now numbered nearly 30,000 men, but was cut off from outside help, and disease and starvation began to take a heavy toll.
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Third relief (November 1796): Feldzeugmeister József Alvinczi led a new relief attempt from the northeast. Alvinczi defeated the French at the Second Battle of Bassano (6 November) and the Battle of Caldiero (12 November). However, Bonaparte crossed the Adige and defeated Alvinczi at the Battle of Arcole (15–17 November), forcing the Austrians to withdraw.
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Fourth relief (January 1797): Alvinczi advanced with his main army from the north while sending two smaller columns to threaten the French from the northeast. Bonaparte inflicted a severe defeat on the Austrian main army at the Battle of Rivoli (14–15 January 1797). One of the flanking columns, under Feldmarschall-Leutnant Giovanni Provera, was surrounded and surrendered at La Favorita on 16 January.
Capitulation
With no hope of further relief, Wurmser surrendered Mantua on 2 February 1797. The Austrians reported 16,333 killed, wounded, or dead from disease during the siege and blockade. Only approximately 16,000 Austrians were fit enough to march out under their own power. The fortress, with 325 cannon, passed into French control. Historian David G. Chandler reports that as many as 18,000 Austrians and 7,000 French died during the siege.
Aftermath and Significance
The surrender of Mantua, together with the heavy losses incurred during the four unsuccessful relief attempts, led to Napoleon's invasion of Austria and contributed to the Austrians suing for peace in 1797. The siege is widely regarded as a decisive episode in Napoleon's first Italian campaign, demonstrating both his strategic skill and the strategic error of the Austrian high command, which repeatedly divided its forces in attempts to relieve the fortress. Historian David G. Chandler noted that "the lure of Mantua continued to exert a fatal attraction over the Austrian field forces and led them to one costly failure after another."
