The Battle of Rivoli

Part of the First Italian Campaign, the Battle of Rivoli (14 and 15 January 1797) opposed the French army, led by General Napoleon Bonaparte, to the Austrian army at Rivoli Veronese. This brilliant and decisive victory enabled the French to secure the siege of Mantua and to crush the Austrian offensives in northern Italy.
Outnumbered (23,000 men on the French side, 28,000 for the Austrian forces), Bonaparte, who had arrived as reinforce during the night, skilfully concentrated his artillery and organised rapid troop movements which contained and scattered the enemy divisions. The surrender of the stronghold of Mantua followed shortly afterwards.
This tactical success, one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s most admired achievements, cemented his military genius.
The famous Rue de Rivoli in Paris commemorates this victory.