When Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Nice on March 27, 1796, to take command of the French Army of Italy, he was just 26 years old. His army was underfed, poorly equipped, and demoralized. Within two weeks, he'd accomplished what no French commander had managed in years.

A Lightning Campaign

The Montenotte campaign opened on April 12, 1796. By April 26—just 15 days later—Napoleon had forced the King of Piedmont-Sardinia to accept his terms. What made this even more remarkable? French commanders had been trying to achieve this same objective since 1792 without success.

Napoleon's strategy was brilliant in its simplicity: move fast, hit hard, and keep the enemy off-balance. He divided and conquered the Austrian and Piedmontese forces before they could unite, winning battles at Montenotte, Millesimo, and Mondovì in rapid succession.

The Bridge at Lodi

On May 10, 1796, Napoleon led his troops across a narrow bridge at Lodi under heavy Austrian fire. The daring assault became legendary, cementing his reputation for personal courage. Years later, Napoleon himself called it the moment he realized he might accomplish extraordinary things.

The victories kept coming. By the time Napoleon turned 27 in August 1796, he controlled most of northern Italy. The campaign wouldn't officially end until October 1797, when the Treaty of Campo Formio gave France control of the Austrian Netherlands and northern Italy.

From Nobody to Legend

Before Italy, Napoleon was a relatively unknown artillery officer with good political connections. After Italy, he was France's most celebrated general. The campaign netted France not just territory, but enormous wealth—Napoleon sent millions in gold and priceless artworks back to Paris.

But perhaps more importantly, it revealed Napoleon's genius for warfare. His use of speed, concentration of force, and psychological warfare would define European battlefields for the next two decades. All of this from a 26-year-old who'd never commanded an army before.

The Italian campaign launched Napoleon from obscurity to superstardom in less than a year. Not bad for someone barely old enough to rent a car by today's standards.

Related Tags