by B. Voylkowitsch
Published by the author, (Vienna 1998) 96pp 85 Illus. and 17 Maps ATS 270 (incl. Surface postage)

Aside from some re-enactments in Italy, it has been a great pity that little has been done to mark the bicentennials of the First Coalition. Even Napoleon's fans have made no real effort to examine his formative first campaign in Italy, which knocked

Sardinia/Piedmont out of the war and drove Austria to make terms within a year of Bonaparte assuming command of the Army of Italy in April 1796. Of the four famous actions: Lodi, Castiglione, Arcole and Rivoli, it is Castiglione (3rd-5th August 1796) that is the least well-known, despite being discussed by Dr. Chandler in Campaigns of Napoleon (pp. 191-201) precisely to illustrate Napoleon's favourite methods of fighting battles.

Having read that, this booklet takes up the story in much more detail in a high quality publication, which is similar to the Osprey Campaign series, but in a larger A4 size. This allows better use of landscape photographs (including 14 in colour) to illustrate the terrain over which the campaign was fought. These are certainly more imaginative than the 'picture of open field' photos which appear in many books. Aside from some contemporary plans of Mantua, the maps are mostly b/w contoured maps of the late 19th century, with colour blocks representing the opposing units down to regiment-size. There is one particularly interesting colour map of part of the battle, apparently a French contemporary illustration.

More than an Osprey, this booklet runs through the series of small actions during the preceding week, including very detailed Orders of Battle. The three day battle of Castiglione is not only supported with OBs including artillery pieces for a welcome change, but also casualty figures and some interesting contemporary reports reproduced verbatim. However, the overall format doesn't allow much precise tactical detail below regimental level.

The field action is usually the focal point of a campaign book, but it was Napoleon's failure to capture Mantua, the main Austrian fortress in northern Italy, for many months, which scuppered his boast just before Lodi (10th May) that after defeating the Austrians, he would "follow up immediately .... take all of Lombardy and within a month, I hope to be in the mountains of the Tyrol, to seek out the Army of the Rhine and together with them carry the war into Bavaria." Instead it prompted four Austrian attempts to relieve it between August 1796 and January 1797, which Napoleon had to fight off in succession, so there is an assessment of the fortress and the siege operations.

The booklet also includes a handy reference section covering the two armies and many commanders, which reveals a great deal about the type of leaders involved. On the French side the emphasis is on the early careers of future Marshals and of those such as Joubert, who but for an early demise would have joined the Marshalate. Austrian commanders are virtually unknown in the English-speaking world and their careers are followed more evenly through to the more famous campaigns.

It has been some time coming, but material is now emerging from Austria on the Continental campaigns, taking in both printed and archival documents in the Vienna collections. Nevertheless, the author has rightly followed the Germanic tradition by utilising considerable French material (including from Vincennes). The result is a very thorough balanced assessment of the whole of this key campaign, featuring the small clashes alongside the main action, which should perhaps be more accurately known as First Solferino, the site overlapping with the famous 1859 battle. It concludes with a guide to the state of the area today and additional reading, albeit that demonstrates how much original work this author has had to do.

By referring in his publicity to the fact that even the Austrian Staff works provide limited information connected with this campaign, the author may have inadvertently created the impression that this booklet is in German. It is solely in English and is a welcome contribution to the coverage of the Continental wars in the English language. All enthusiasts will find this a useful and reasonably-priced purchase, especially those interested in the development of Napoleon's style of war. No.2 will cover Marengo in the bicentennial year. Obtainable from the author at Wienerbruckstrasse 87/5, A2344 Maria Enzersdorf, Austria or bernhardghelmet.at for Netheads (best paid by credit card).

More Book Reviews

Napoleon's Letters
Battle Studies in the Peninsula: May 1808 - January 1809
Castiglione 1796