062. The Battle of Magnano - WDS Campaign Marengo

5 April 1799 - Historical - Intended to be played Head to Head - The War of the Second Coalition began in early March after the breaking of the Treaty of Campo Formo. The forces of General Kray met those of General Schérer south of Verona. The French were holding Mantua, the Austrians were holding Verona and Schérer looked for a way to outflank Kray and defeat his army or cause it to retire into the Tyrol or east towards Montebello and Bassano thus eliminating the present threat to Mantua. Schérer devised a plan whereby three wings and a reserve would advance north towards Kray's positions but the latter was already setting his army in motion to attack the French. Thus the Battle of Magnano is a meeting engagement. At first the French did well on the left and center but later in the afternoon they met with stubborn resistence. The French right wing ran into Kray's forces and after a stiff fight were made to retire. With the Rright in retreat there was nothing else to do for the Center and Left to do the same. The battle was the first major engagement of the War of the Second Coalition in Italy. Soon the great Russian marshall, Suvorov, would arrive along with his army and help put the French to flight throughout all of Northern Italy.