Battle of Cassano (1705)

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Battle of Cassano
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date 16 August 1705
Location Cassano d'Adda, Lombardy, present-day Italy
Result Tactical French victory[1]
Belligerents
 France  Habsburg Austria
 Prussia
Commanders and leaders
Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme Eugene of Savoy
Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Strength
22,000[2] 24,000[2]
Casualties and losses
5,000[3] 4,000+[4]

Flemish and Rhine campaigns
Friedlingen – Kehl – Ekeren – Höchstädt – Speyerbach – Schellenberg – Blenheim – Elixheim – Ramillies – Stollhofen – Oudenarde – Beachy Head – Lizard Point – Wijnendale – Lille – Malplaquet – Bouchain – Denain
Italian campaigns
Carpi – Chiari – Cremona – Luzzara – Cassano – Nice – Calcinato – Turin – Castiglione – Toulon – Gaeta – Cesana – Campo Maior – Syracuse
Spanish and Portuguese campaigns

Cádiz – Vigo Bay – Cap de la Roque – Gibraltar – Ceuta – Málaga – Cabrita Point – Montjuïc – 1st Barcelona – Badajoz – 2nd Barcelona – Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Almansa – Xàtiva – Ciudad Rodrigo – Tortosa – Minorca – La Gudina – Almenar – Saragossa – Brihuega – Villaviciosa – 3rd Barcelona

The Battle of Cassano, fought on 16 August 1705, was a hard fought battle in the Italian theatre of the War of the Spanish Succession. Both sides suffered serious casualties, but the French were victorious.

Contents

[edit] The battle

In 1705, Vendôme's army and a fresh corps from France were engaged in the attempt to subdue Victor Amadeus and his new Austrian allies; they were so successful that the duke implored the emperor to send a fresh army. Eugene commanded this army, opposed to which was a force under Vendôme's brother Philippe, called the Grand Prior. This man, a lazy amateur, let himself be surprised by Eugene's fierce attack on the line of the Adda. The day was restored however, the Austrians were prevented from crossing the river, thanks to Vendôme's opportune arrival and dauntless courage.

[edit] Aftermath

Eugene of Savoy was wounded during the battle and left Italy for treatment in Austria. Dessau was also wounded and his Prussian contingent was decimated. The Austrian army had finally to retire towards Tyrol for the winter.

Eugene's activity had greatly relieved the pressure on Piedmont, enabled Turin to hold out and kept the half-hearted Duke of Savoy true to his new alliance. Indeed, the French put off the subjugation of Piedmont until the following year, on Louis's orders.

Despite the great loss of life, the battle is all but forgotten. In total 4,000 men were killed, at least 6,000 were wounded and an unknown number of soldiers drowned in the river.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Wars of the age of Louis XIV, 1650-1715: an encyclopedia of global warfare, Ed. Cathal J. Nolan, (ABC-CLIO, 2008), 72.
  2. ^ a b Lynn (1999), p. 301
  3. ^ Jones, 286.
  4. ^ Jones, Archer, The art of war in the Western world, (University of Illinois Press, 1987), 286.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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