The Battle of Rivoli 14 January 1797

The Austrian columns in the Adige valley were finally ready to do their part and after Vukassovich’s artillery, positioned in the flat land in front of the small village of Ceraino, had been allowed time to pound the French defending the Pontare, Reuss’ men set off in a massed charge overrunning each and every entrenchment along the steep road with so much fervour that even his cavalry units were committed to the fight.

For Napoleon it was the grimmest hour of the day. Every other local front along the line of defence was ready to burst and just as things couldn't get any worse a long-delayed Austrian column appeared at the French rear. Luck was on Napoleon's side though.

The sunken road of the Pontare channelled all French fugitives towards the hamlet of Zuane di Sopra, where it was easy to rally them and thereby stop the rout at the valley outlet to spread to the plateau. Further, the Austrian officers had lost control of their men who, drunk on victory, came tumbling down the hills towards the French defences.

Napoleon moved to take advantage of the Austrian tilt. At 12pm he had 200 cavalrymen under the command of Lasalle and Leclerc thrown forward.

When the first few Austrian cries of French cavalry, French cavalry! echoed across the field, the already scattered Austrians turned on their heels and took off in wild flight. Quite a few of the fugitives dove into the Pontare and what a few minutes ago had been a busy road now transformed into a chaotic muddle of soldiers, horses and canons ruining every chance of warding off the French.

Joubert’s infantry dared to leap forward from what just a few minutes before had also been a last desperate line of defence and, closely followed by LaSalle’s cavalry, he fell on the defenceless Austrians trapped in the Pontare driving the Austrians back into the Adige valley.

In just 30 minutes the Austrians had lost everything.