Battle of Verona (1805)

Battle of Verona (1805)
Part of the War of the Third Coalition
French assault on Castelvecchio Bridge, painting by Prosper Lafaye, 1834-1837
Date 18 October 1805 Location Verona, modern-day Italy 45°26′00″N 10°59′00″E / 45.43333°N 10.98333°E / 45.43333; 10.98333 Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Austrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
André Masséna	Archduke Charles Josef Vukassovich
Strength
13 battalions 15 guns[1]	6 battalions 1 squadron 12 guns[1]
Casualties and losses
323[2]–450[1]	1,152[2]–1,622 4 guns lost[1]

The Battle of Verona was fought on 18 October 1805 between the French Army of Italy under the command of André Masséna and an Austrian army led by Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. By the end of the day, Massena seized a bridgehead on the east bank of the Adige River, driving back the defending troops under Josef Philipp Vukassovich. The action took place near the city of Verona in northern Italy during the War of the Third Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

In the fall of 1805, Emperor Napoleon I of France planned for his powerful Grande Armée to fall upon and crush the Austrian Empire army in southern Germany. The French emperor hoped to win the war in the Danube valley. To help accomplish this purpose, Napoleon wanted Masséna to hold Archduke Charles' large army in Italy for as long as possible.

In order for Masséna to grapple with his enemies, it was necessary to establish a bridgehead on the east bank of the Adige. During the battle, the French attacked across the river, cleared two suburbs, and seized some high ground on the opposite bank. The Austrians suffered considerably more casualties than the French in the encounter. This clash set the stage for the subsequent Battle of Caldiero on 29 to 31 October.