HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHAPTER XX. CAMPAIGN OF 1796 IN ITALY. ARGUMENT. Birth and Parentage of Napoleon-His Character, Residence, and Habits, when in Corsica Removed to the Military School at Brienne-His Disposition there-Is sent to the Ecole Militaire at Paris-Progress and Development of his Character-Enters the Army-and with his Regiment espouses the cause of the Revolution-His first service in Corsica-and at the Siege of Toulon-His first acquaintance with JunotIs attached to Dumorbion's Army in the Maritime Alps-Sent to Genoa, where he is arrested and liberated-Returns to Paris-His destitute condition there-Receives the Command from the Directory on the 13th Vendemiaire-His Marriage with JosephineHer History, and remarkable Adventure at the Fall of Robespierre-and CharacterHe marries her, and receives the command of the Army of Italy-State of Italy at this period-Its geographical divisions-The plain of Lombardy- The Central Appenines The plains on the coast-The magnificence of Rome-Other cities of Italy-Its undiminished population-Causes of this great division of land in the Appenines-Political weakness of Italy-Loss of military spirit by its inhabitants-State of the Italian military force-Description of the plain of Piedmont in a military point of view-and of Lombardy-State of the French Army when Napoleon assumed the command-Character and early history of its Officers-Berthier-Massena-Augereau-Serrurier-Amount of the Allied Forces-Napoleon's first Proclamation to his Soldiers-His plan of the Campaign-Battle of Montenotte-Heroic conduct of Colonel Rampon-Success of the French-Action at Millesimo, and at Dego-Bold advance of Wuckassowich to Dego, which, at first successful, being unsupported, at length fails-Arrival of the Republicans on the heights of Monte Zemolo-Actions of Serrurier with Colli-Danger of Napoleon -Action at Mondovi-Immense Advantages gained to the French by these Operations -Consternation of the Court of Turin-They resolve to submit to France-Armistice -Its conditions, followed by a Treaty of Peace between France and Sardinia-Its immense importance to Napoleon-His triumphant Proclamation to his Soldiers-Intoxication at Paris on this Intelligence-Designs of Napoleon-He crosses the Po, and proceeds against Beaulieu-Action at Pombio-Capitulation of the Grand Duke of Parma-Commencement of Napoleon's System of Levying Contributions of the Works of Art-Terrible Passage of the Bridge of Lodi-Napoleon enters Milan-His Proclamation there to his troops-Enthusiasm excited by these Successes among the PopuVOL. III. A CHAP. XX. 1796. СНАР. 1796. lar Party in Italy-Cruel dispelling of the illusion by the French Contributions-War made to support War-The Directory, jealous of his power, orders Napoleon to proceed to Rome-He refuses-Alarming Insurrection at Pavia-Storm and Sack of that City by the French Troops-Napoleon enters Brescia and the Venetian TerritoryDebates in the Venetian Senate on what should be done-They merely deprecate the hostility of France-Massena enters Verona, and Napoleon is established on the Adige -Description and Blockade of Mantua-Napoleon resolves to proceed against Florence and Rome before the Austrian Succours arrive-Castle of Milan taken-Genoese Fiefs subdued-Enters Modena and Bologna-Submission of the Pope-Violation of the neutral territory of Tuscany, and Seizure of Leghorn-Massacre of the Peasants at Lugo-Efforts of the Austrians for the relief of Mantua -Advance of Wurmser through the Tyrol with thirty thousand men--Description of the Theatre of War-Austrian Plan of attack, and great success in the outset-Extreme peril of Napoleon-He raises the Siege of Mantua-Napoleon resumes the offensive, and stops QuasdanowichWurmser enters Mantua-Battles of Lonato and Castiglione-Surrender of four thou sand Austrians to Napoleon's Staff and twelve hundred men-Decisive Battle at Medola-Retreat of the Austrians-Blockade of Mantua resumed-Formation of the Polish Legion-Wurmser again advances, and the French issue forth to meet him--Defeat of Davidowich near Calliano-Napoleon advances against Wurmser-Action near Primo Lano in the Val Sugana-Wurmser defeated near Bassano by Massena, and throws himself into Mantua-Results of these actions-Vast Efforts of both sides to recruit their forces-Alvinzi again advances-Defeat of Vaubois by the Imperialists -Napoleon hastens in person to the Plateau of Rivoli-Returns to Caldiero, and is defeated there by Alvinzi-His desperate situation-His new designs-He moves down the Adige to turn the position of Caldiero by Arcola-Dreadful struggle there-Operations of Davidowich-Result of these Actions-Extraordinary joy at Paris-Mission of Clarke to negotiate for Peace-Thwarted by Napoleon-Vast efforts of the Austrians -They make a fourth attempt to relieve Mantua-Advance to Rivoli- Decisive Victory of Napoleon-He hastens to the Lower Adige-Operations of Provera there, who is forced to surrender-Results of these Battles-Surrender of Mantua-Napoleon marches towards Rome-Treaty of Tolentino between France and the Pope-Retrospect of the Campaign-Extraordinary Composition of the French Army-Great Genius of Napoleon-His System of War-But it will not succeed against troops equally brave and skilful-Causes of the Disasters of the Austrians-General Reflections on the Result of the Campaign-Unconquerable Tenacity of the Austrians. NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE was born at Ajaccio, in Corsica, on the 15th August 1769.* The Duke of Wellington was born in the same month. "Providence," said Louis XVIII., "owed us that counterpoise." His family, though noble, had not been dis *Some authorities state that he was born on 5th February 1768, and subsequently gave out that he was born in August 1769, as, in the interim, Corsica had been incorporated with the French monarchy.— ODELEBEN, i. 230, and Histoire de France, par M. SALGUES, i. 3, 4. XX. 1796. tinguished, and had suffered severely from misfor- CHAP. tune. He was too great a man to attempt to derive distinction from any adventitious advantages which did not really belong to him, and could afford to discard all the lustre of patrician descent. When the Emperor of Austria endeavoured, after he became Birth and his son-in-law, to trace his connexion with some of family of Napoleon. the obscure Dukes of Treviso, he answered that he was the Rudolph of Hapsburg of his family; and when the genealogists were engaged in deducing his descent from an ancient line of Gothic princes, he1 Las Cas. i. cut short their labours by declaring that his patent 137. Bour. of nobility dated from the battle of Montenotte.1 108, 112, i. 18, 23. Napoleon's His mother, who was distinguished by great beauty, and no common firmness and intrepidity of mind, His Moshared in the fatigues and dangers of her husband ther, and during the civil dissensions which distracted the birth. island at the time of his birth, and had recently before been engaged in some expeditions on horseback with him. His father died at the age of thirtyeight, of a cancer in the stomach, a complaint hereditary in his family, and which also proved fatal to Napoleon himself; but the want of paternal care was more than supplied by his mother, to whose early education and solicitude he, in after life, mainly ascribed his elevation.* Though left a widow in the prime of life, she had already borne thirteen children, of whom five sons and three daughters survived their father. She lived to see one of them wearing the Crown of Charlemagne, and another 117, 119, seated on the throne of Charles V. On the day of 120 his birth, being the festival of the Assumption, she ii. 100. had been at church, and was seized with her pains 376, 377. "My opinion," said Napoleon, " is, that the future good or bad conduct of a child depends entirely on the mother."-O'MEARA, ii. 100. 2 Las Cas. i. O'Meara, D'Abr. ii. CHAP. during high mass. She was brought home hastily, XX. and, as there was not time to prepare a bed, laid 1796. upon a couch covered with tapestry representing the heroes of the Iliad, and there the future conqueror 1 D'Abr. ii. 377. Las was brought into the world.1 Cas. i. 116, 120. O'Meara, ii. 100. His early In the years of infancy he exhibited nothing remarkable, excepting irritability and turbulence of temper; but these qualities, as well as the decision with which they were accompanied, were so powercharacter. ful, that they gave him the entire command of his eldest brother Joseph, a boy of a mild and unassuming character, who was constantly beaten, pinched, or tormented by the future ruler of the world. But even at that early period it was observed that he never wept when chastised; and on one occasion, when he was only seven years of age, having been suspected unjustly of a fault, and punished when innocent, he endured the pain, and Subsisted in disgrace for three days on the coarsest food, rather than betray his companion, who was really in fault. Though his anger was violent, it was generally of short endurance, and his smile from the first was like a beam of the sun emerging from the clouds. But, nevertheless, he gave no indications of extraordinary capacity at that early age; and his mother was freD'Abr. i. quently heard to declare, that, of all her children, he Las Cas. i. Was the one whom she would least have expected to have attained any extraordinary eminence.2 49, 52, 54. 126. racter, re The winter residence of his father was usually at His cha- Ajaccio, the place of his birth, where there is still sidence, preserved the model of a cannon, weighing about and habits, thirty pounds, the early plaything of Napoleon. Corsica. But in summer the family retired to a dilapidated villa near the isle Sanguiniere, once the residence of a relation of his mother's, situated in a romantic when in XX. spot on the sea-shore. The house is approached by CHAP. an avenue, overhung by the cactus and acacia, and other shrubs which grow luxuriantly in a southern 1796. climate. It has a garden and a lawn, shewing vestiges of neglected beauty, and surrounded by a shrubbery permitted to run to wilderness. There, enclosed by the cactus, the clematis, and the wild olive, is a singular and isolated granite rock, beneath which the remains of a small summer-house are still visible, the entrance to which is nearly closed by a luxuriant fig-tree. This was the favourite retreat of the young Napoleon, who early shewed a love of solitary meditation, during the periods when the vacations at school permitted him to return home. We might suppose that there were perhaps formed those visions of ambition and high resolves, for which the limits of the world were ere long felt to be insufficient, did we not know that childhood can hardly anticipate the destiny of maturer years; and that, in Cromwell's1 Benson's words, a man never rises so high as when he does e. Scott, iii. not know where his course is to terminate.1 Corsica, 4, 10, his charac At an early age he was sent to the Military School, first of Angers, and latterly of Brienne. It is re- Removed markable that the Duke of Wellington also learned to the Military School the rudiments of the art of war at the first of these at Brienne; seminaries. His character there underwent a rapid ter there. alteration. He became thoughtful, studious, contemplative, and diligent in the extreme. His proficiency, especially in mathematics, was soon remarkable; but the quickness of his temper, though subdued, was not extinguished. On one occasion, having been subjected to a degrading punishment by his master, that of dining on his knees at the gate of the refectory, the mortification he experienced was so ex→ cessive, that it produced a violent vomiting and a uni |