Battle of Marengo

The Battle of Marengo was fought on 14th June 1800 between the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austrian army under Michael von Melas near Alessandria in northern Italy. After crossing the Alps, Bonaparte spread his forces in search of the Austrians, and Melas surprised him with a larger force, driving the French back through the morning. The battle seemed lost until late in the afternoon, when General Louis Desaix arrived with fresh divisions and launched a counterattack that broke the Austrian columns. The Austrians retreated, leaving thousands of prisoners. French losses were around four to five thousand, including Desaix himself, who was killed at the moment of victory. The Austrians lost roughly six thousand killed and wounded plus eight thousand captured. The victory restored French control of Lombardy and led to the Convention of Alessandria. Marengo secured Bonaparte's position as First Consul and became one of the founding legends of his military reputation.