War of the Second Coalition
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French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars |
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First Coalition – Invasion of Egypt – Second Coalition – Third Coalition – Fourth Coalition – Gunboat War – Peninsular War – Fifth Coalition – Invasion of Russia – Sixth Coalition – Hundred Days |
War of the Second Coalition |
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1st Stockach –Cassano – 1st Zürich – Montebello – Trebbia – Novi – Bergen – 2nd Zürich – Castricum – Genoa – 2nd Stockach – Marengo – Hochstadt – Hohenlinden – Copenhagen – Algeciras – Alexandria |
The name "Second Coalition" (1799–1802) designates the second major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France.
The Coalition comprised:
- Holy Roman Empire/Austrian Empire (at war with France since 1792)
- French Royalists
- Kingdom of Great Britain (at war with France since 1793)
- Kingdom of Naples and Sicily (had been at war with France 1793-96)
- Russian Empire (left coalition October 1799)
- Ottoman Empire
After Napoleon Bonaparte mounted an expedition to Egypt and, in spite of several land victories, was unable to transport his army back by sea after the Battle of the Nile, a number of France's enemies prepared a new alliance with Britain to undo his previous conquests. Austria and Russia raised fresh armies for campaigns in Germany and Italy in 1799.
[edit] 1799
See also: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1799
In Italy, Russian general Aleksandr Suvorov won a string of victories driving the French under Moreau out of the Po Valley, and forcing them back on the French Alps and the coast around Genoa. However, the Russian armies in Helvetic Republic (Switzerland) were defeated by Andre Massena, and Suvorov's army was eventually withdrawn for political reasons.
In Germany, Archduke Charles of Austria drove the French under Jean-Baptiste Jourdan back across the Rhine, and won several victories in Switzerland. Jourdan was replaced by Massena.
Russia leaves the coalition after British insistence that they would have right to search any vessel on the sea.
By the end of the year, Napoleon had returned from Egypt, leaving his army behind, and took control of France in a coup d'etat. He reorganized the French armies and command for the next year's campaign.
[edit] 1800
See also: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1800
In 1800, Napoleon took personal command of the army in Italy, and eventually won a victory at the Battle of Marengo against the Austrian general Michael Melas, driving the Austrians back towards the Alps.
In Germany, General Moreau defeated Archduke Charles at the Battle of Hohenlinden, forcing him to sign an armistice.
In February 1801 the Austrians signed the Treaty of Lunéville, accepting French control up to the Rhine and the French client republics in Italy and the Netherlands. The subsequent Treaty of Amiens between France and Britain began the longest break in the war between France and Britain during the Napoleonic period.