The Battle
On 15 August, the Austro-Russian army, led by Suvorov, attacked French positions. In the early moments of the battle, Joubert died, shot in a skirmish line action, but the French resisted the Austrian attack and counter-attacked. The battle is characterized by several coalition attacks, repelled by French forces, until afternoon, when a final blow ordered by Suvorov caused the French to retreat in disorder through the mountains to the Ligurian coast.
Russian and Austrian forces under Suvorov swept across the Po River valley, in effect recapturing lands that had previously been taken by Napoleon. All that lay in the Allies way were scattered French forces around Genoa and the fortress of Tortona. On August 4th Joubert and his reinforcements landed at Genoa and gathered at Novi. The French Directory had chosen Joubert to command as they saw him as a potential rival to Napoleon's tactical genius. Thinking Joubert was advancing to Tortona, Suvorov and the Allies attacked.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Novi (1799)
Famous quotes containing the word battle:
“In a battle all you need to make you fight is a little hot blood and the knowledge that it’s more dangerous to lose than to win.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“War consisteth not in battle only, or the act of fighting; but in a tract of time, wherein the will to contend by battle is sufficiently known.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679)