The Battle of Pozzolo also known as the Battle of the Mincio River and Monzambano (25–26 December 1800) was fought during the War of the Second Coalition. A French army under General Guillaume Brune crossed the Mincio River and defeated an Austrian force under General Heinrich von Bellegarde. The Austrians were subsequently pushed back to Treviso where the Armistice of Treviso was signed. This truce would lead to the Treaty of Lunéville and the withdrawal of Austria from the war.
Background
Bellegarde had concentrated 50,000 troops at the Mincio river in anticipation of crossing to attack French forces on the other side. However, he postponed his attack following news of the Austrian defeat at the Battle of Hohenlinden in Germany on 3 December 1800. Taking advantage of this delay, General Brune, who commanded 70,000 men, launched his own attack. He intended to make a decoy assault upon Pozzolo while his main force would cross at Mozambano.
Forces
Brune's Army of Italy consisted of Right, Center, and Left Wings, an Advanced Guard, and a Reserve. Antoine Guillaume Delmas led the Advance Guard which numbered 10,510 soldiers, including 1,240 cavalry and 160 gunners with 12 artillery pieces. Pierre Dupont de l'Étang commanded the Right Wing which counted 9,760 infantry, 810 cavalry, and 380 artillerists with 28 guns. The Right Wing included two divisions under Jean-Charles Monnier and François Watrin. Louis-Gabriel Suchet directed the Center with 12,360 infantry, 1,120 cavalry, and no guns. The Center had two divisions under Louis Henri Loison and Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan de la Peyrière. Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey led the Left Wing which numbered 13,020 infantry, no cavalry, and 420 gunners with 17 artillery pieces. The Left Wing's two divisions were under Jean Boudet and Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau. Louis-Nicolas Davout and Claude Ignace François Michaud commanded the Reserve with 10,910 infantry, 4,380 cavalry, and 1,100 artillerists with 103 guns. Gaspard Amédée Gardanne led one division and François Étienne de Kellermann led the heavy cavalry division.
Battle
Dupont's corps crossed the river near Pozzolo on Christmas Day 1800 under heavy Austrian artillery fire. This force made a feint on Pozzolo whilst a temporary bridge was constructed at nearby Molino della Bolta. Bellegarde withdrew his troops further to attempt to join with some reinforcements which allowed the French to cross the Adige river unopposed. The cessation of hostilities was made permanent with the Treaty of Lunéville on 9 February 1801, which ended the Austrian involvement in the war.