Rivoli
January 14th, 1797
In early 1797, during the War of the First Coalition, Austrian forces under Field Marshal József Alvinczi sought to relieve the besieged city of Mantua by launching an offensive against Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army in Northern Italy. Alvinczi aimed to break the French siege and reclaim lost territories, concentrating his troops near Rivoli Veronese to challenge the French positions.
On January 14, 1797, the battle commenced with Alvinczi’s forces attacking the division of General Barthélemy Joubert. The Austrians advanced in multiple columns, attempting to outflank and overwhelm the French defenses. Despite being outnumbered, the French troops utilized the terrain effectively, positioning artillery to dominate key approaches. A critical moment occurred when French forces, including a daring cavalry charge led by Antoine Charles de Lasalle with just 26 horsemen, captured an entire Austrian battalion and seized five enemy flags. By midday, reinforcements under Generals André Masséna and Gabriel Rey arrived, bolstering the French counterattacks. The Austrians, unable to sustain their offensive, began a disorderly retreat, suffering heavy casualties.
The French victory at Rivoli was decisive, resulting in approximately 3,200 French casualties compared to the Austrians’ 12,000 to 14,000 losses, including many prisoners. This triumph solidified French control over Northern Italy and led to the surrender of Mantua. The battle showcased Napoleon’s tactical brilliance and the effectiveness of his commanders, contributing significantly to his rising prominence in European military affairs.
Belligerants
France
Command 3*
Leaders 1*
Austria
Command 3*
Leaders 1*
Scale
One Space = ~ 300 meters
One Unit = ~ 1000 infantry / 500 cavalry / 6 guns
Starting deployment
Special rules
Austrian Columns – The Austrian army arrived on the battlefield divided into three columns from three different directions. When the space on the Reinforcements track requires a roll of a die, with a result of 1-3 the Lusignan units (from space B) will enter, while with a 4-6 the Quasdanovich units (from space C) will enter. In the subsequent marked space the remaining units will enter (without rolling).
Bonaparte – Napoleon is in command of the French army. Once per game the French player can decide to place an available Order tokens on the ‘Coup de Foudre’ (lightning strike) space to distribute the Activation markers as desired and activate units of choice (as if it were a ‘Leader action’ extended to all the battliefield). The Order token placed on the ‘Coup de Foudre’ space is not recovered when a Rally is performed.
The road to Mantua – It was vital for the Austrian army to break through the French line-up to bring relief to the besieged garrison in Mantua, and the village of Rivoli is crucial in blocking this route. Each time the Austrian player rallies, the French player gains 1 Victory point for each Objective marker in the village of Rivoli under French control.
Faq & Errata
- In the historical introduction text, you can find the word ‘Wikipedia’ between the second and third paragraph. It is, of course, a typo. I leave it to your speculation to explain this….
- The map and battle board show two different dates for the battle. The correct one is shown on the board (14 January). This is a rather stupid mistake, and the absurd thing is that it also happened on another map (Austerlitz).