1 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:24,840 In the summer of 1793, the French  Revolution was entering its fourth year,   2 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,920 and France was on the verge of anarchy. 3 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:36,040 In Paris, political extremists had  seized control of the Revolution. 4 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,440 They'd guillotined the king... 5 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,400 and imposed a Reign of Terror that dealt summary   6 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:47,960 justice to all suspected  enemies of the Revolution. 7 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:55,320 Hoping to unify the new republic, France'  leaders had declared war on the Habsburg Empire. 8 00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:00,400 But the conflict quickly widened, and  soon France was facing the combined   9 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:09,240 might of Europe's leading powers, determined to  stamp out her dangerous political experiment. 10 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,840 Meanwhile, whole regions of France  had come out in open revolt,   11 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,640 horrified by the new extremism of the Revolution. 12 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,400 In August, the Republic suffered a further,   13 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:28,240 potentially fatal, blow, when the  city of Toulon joined the revolt. 14 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:33,600 Toulon was France's largest and most  important naval base in the south,   15 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,960 home to a third of the entire French navy. 16 00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:42,960 But now rebels welcomed their old  enemy, the British Royal Navy,   17 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:50,920 into the port, led by Admiral  Lord Hood aboard HMS Victory. 18 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:56,759 It was an extraordinary coup – without a  shot being fired, the Allies had crippled   19 00:01:56,759 --> 00:02:05,280 French naval power in the Mediterranean, and  gained a vital toehold on the French coast. 20 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,360 All French forces in the area were immediately   21 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:14,240 diverted to face this new threat,  and lay siege to the rebel port... 22 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:21,079 19,000 troops in all - but since most French  officers had been aristocrats, who were now   23 00:02:21,079 --> 00:02:27,240 fleeing the Revolution in large numbers, they  were seriously short of professional leadership. 24 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:32,440 Their commander, General Jean-Francois  Carteaux, was a loyal Republican,   25 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:37,960 but a court painter by trade,  with no military training. 26 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,960 To make matters worse, one of  his few professional officers,   27 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:47,520 his artillery commander Colonel Donmartin, had  been badly wounded on the approach to Toulon. 28 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:55,160 Antoine Saliceti, a Corsican deputy  of the National Convention in Paris,   29 00:02:55,160 --> 00:03:00,880 recommended as his replacement a fellow  countryman... a 24-year-old artillery   30 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:12,240 officer who was passing Toulon en route to the  front, named Napoleone Buonaparte, or Bonaparte. 31 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:18,920 Bonaparte was a professional soldier, but he'd  seen almost no active service. Nevertheless,   32 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:24,800 Saliceti was impressed by his manner, and  most of all, his politics – Bonaparte had   33 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,800 just written a political pamphlet: a short  story about a young artillery officer,   34 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:35,600 who berates his fellow diners for  their disloyalty to the Republic. 35 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:53,320 General Carteaux thought it wise to  accept Deputy Saliceti's recommendation. 36 00:03:53,320 --> 00:04:02,240 The great port of Toulon was well defended by city  walls and a dozen outlying forts and redoubts. 37 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:08,680 They were held by 2,000 British soldiers  and sailors, 6,000 Spanish troops,   38 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:14,560 6,000 Neapolitans, and 800 Sardinians. 39 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:20,600 Artillery would be the key to  overcoming these formidable defences. 40 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:25,440 But when Bonaparte was put in command  of the artillery on 16th September, he   41 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:33,120 found himself with few cannon, not enough trained  gun-crews, and a shortage of gunpowder and shot. 42 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:39,000 With relentless energy and determination,  Bonaparte transformed the situation,   43 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:46,240 requisitioning unused guns, training infantrymen  to work them, setting up a new forge and workshop,   44 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:54,400 and arranging transport from Marseilles of  100,000 sandbags, for constructing new batteries. 45 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:59,880 Through hard work, he was ultimately  able to build his force up to 64 officers   46 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:07,080 and fifteen hundred men, manning  100 cannon, howitzers and mortars. 47 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:13,200 Within days Bonaparte had established two new  forward batteries, with good revolutionary   48 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:20,960 names – La Montagne and Sans-Culottes – which  brought Toulon's inner harbour within range,   49 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:27,600 and forced Admiral Hood to move  all his ships closer to the port. 50 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:33,120 Bonaparte also came up with a plan – one  that would allow the French to bypass most   51 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:42,680 of Toulon's defences, and secure the rapid  victory the Republic so desperately needed. 52 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:49,880 Bonaparte argued that if Fort L'Eguilette could  be captured, which looked out across the harbour,   53 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:57,200 he could fill it with heavy guns, and shell  the British and Spanish fleet at anchor. 54 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,600 Admiral Hood would be forced to abandon the port,   55 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:08,440 and take with him the Allied soldiers  that Toulon relied on for its defence. 56 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:12,520 General Carteaux saw the  merits of Bonaparte's plan,   57 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:18,240 and on 22nd September, French  forces attacked Mont Caire. 58 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:24,160 But to Bonaparte's exasperation, while  he'd argued for an attack by 3,000 men,   59 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:29,560 the indecisive Carteux committed only 400. 60 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:38,240 Not only was the attack easily repulsed,  but it alerted the Allies to the danger:   61 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:43,600 within 48 hours, they'd reinforced  Mont Caire with thousands more troops,   62 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:50,480 and built a new fort, named Fort  Mulgrave, bristling with 20 cannon. 63 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:59,520 The position was now so strong the  French nicknamed it, 'Little Gibraltar'. 64 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,400 Finally, in mid-November, an experienced,   65 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:16,760 professional soldier arrived to take  command of French forces, General Dugommier. 66 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:25,120 He saw at once that Bonaparte's plan was the only  way to take Toulon, and gave it his full backing. 67 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:31,600 Bonaparte, promoted to Major, got to work,  overseeing construction of several more   68 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:38,200 batteries in preparation for the decisive assault. 69 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,840 One forward battery was so exposed  to enemy fire that men refused to   70 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:50,640 be sent there. So Bonaparte renamed it 'La  Batterie des Hommes sans Peur' – the Battery   71 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:57,360 of Men Without Fear... and suddenly,  there was no shortage of volunteers. 72 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:03,480 It was an early display of Napoleon's  genius for inspiring his soldiers - one   73 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:08,680 that would serve him well in the years ahead. 74 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:15,680 On 30th November, the Allied land forces  commander, British General Charles O'Hara,   75 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,240 tried to seize back the initiative,   76 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:25,400 leading an assault on the new French  batteries facing Fort Malbousquet. 77 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,680 At first, the attack was successful: the batteries   78 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:36,120 were overrun and the French guns spiked, but  a counterattack, with much greater numbers,   79 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:48,040 and led in person by General Dugommier and  Major Bonaparte, drove back the Allies. 80 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:55,800 General O'Hara himself was shot through  the hand and captured. Twelve years before,   81 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,880 he'd surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown,   82 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:19,160 during the American War of Independence. Now  he got to surrender to Napoleon Bonaparte. 83 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:25,400 In the early hours of 18th December,  in howling wind and driving rain,   84 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,360 the French launched a major  assault on Fort Mulgrave. 85 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:37,480 The wet conditions made muskets useless,  except as clubs, or with bayonets. 86 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:44,080 Bonaparte led the second wave in person. Amid  fierce hand-to-hand fighting, his horse was   87 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:49,080 killed under him, and he was bayonetted in  the thigh by a British sergeant – a wound   88 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:58,200 that came within inches of ending his life  and radically changing the course of history. 89 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:06,520 Finally the Allied garrison was overwhelmed,  and Mulgrave fell to the French. 90 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:16,240 Fort L'Eguilette and Tour de la Balaquier  were soon also in French hands... 91 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:21,560 By the following afternoon, the French  had 10 heavy guns in L'Eguilette,   92 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:26,880 placing the Allied ships within range. 93 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:33,680 Admiral Hood could not expose his valuable  ships-of-the-line to such a threat. He had no   94 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:41,920 option but to order an immediate evacuation  of the fleet and garrison from Toulon. 95 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:46,440 Small Spanish and British teams  raced to destroy all the French   96 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,840 ships and naval stores that  they couldn't take with them. 97 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,280 But amid the chaos of their departure,   98 00:10:53,280 --> 00:11:03,560 18 ships-of-the line were allowed to fall back  into French hands – a badly missed opportunity. 99 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:08,360 Many French citizens of Toulon were  desperate to escape aboard the Allied   100 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:14,960 ships, knowing that the Republicans would  inflict terrible reprisals on the city. 101 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,160 British and Spanish ships  took as many as they could,   102 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:25,640 about 14,000 in all – but scores were  drowned amid chaotic and desperate scenes. 103 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,240 Others were left to face the  wrath of the Revolution... 104 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:37,280 Republican troops entered the city the  next morning, and executions and firing   105 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:46,680 squads began almost immediately. For the next  two weeks, about 200 were executed every day. 106 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:51,000 Allied propaganda later blamed  Bonaparte for the atrocities,   107 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:59,240 but there's no evidence he was directly involved. 108 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:11,720 France's young republic was now fighting back  on all fronts. And with the fall of Toulon,   109 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:17,200 the Allies had lost a golden opportunity  – a chance to stir up further revolt,   110 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:25,080 deal a lasting blow to French naval power...  perhaps even overturn the Revolution. 111 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:31,720 But instead, the French Republic had weathered  one of its greatest storms.... In no small part,   112 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:39,480 thanks to the remarkable judgement, energy, and  courage of one 24-year-old artillery officer,   113 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:47,560 now promoted Brigadier General in recognition  of his extraordinary service at Toulon. 114 00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:59,120 Napoleon Bonaparte had taken his  first step on the path to greatness. 115 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:07,960 In 1796, at the height of the  French Revolutionary Wars,   116 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:14,480 a young French general took charge of a  ragged, demoralised army in northern Italy. 117 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:19,680 It was his first command.  Many expected him to fail. 118 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:25,520 Instead, in just one month, he  won his first brilliant campaign. 119 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:33,560 With astonishing self-confidence, boldness and  energy… he led his army to victory after victory…   120 00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:42,400 transforming the war in Europe… winning praise  from a grateful Republic… and forging a legend… 121 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:56,040 This is the story of Napoleon Bonaparte’s  first campaign, and the dawn of a new age. 122 00:13:56,040 --> 00:14:04,400 1792. Europe is plunged into  conflict by revolution in France. 123 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:11,800 At first, it seems this infant republic will  be quickly snuffed out by her neighbours. 124 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:16,920 Incredibly, France clings on,  thanks to mass mobilisation,   125 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:21,920 patriotic fervour, and her  traditional military power. 126 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:31,320 In 1795, France occupies the Low Countries…  while Prussia and Spain withdraw from the war. 127 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:36,040 But the French Republic still faces  a powerful coalition of enemies,   128 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:41,960 which includes the Austrian Empire.. and  Kingdoms of Piedmont-Sardinia.. Naples.. and   129 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:50,280 Great Britain.. as well as a counter-revolutionary  revolt in the Vendée region of western France. 130 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:57,680 In Paris, the most extreme revolutionaries  had been toppled, sent to the guillotine,   131 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:00,560 as they had sent so many before them. 132 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:06,240 France is now governed by ‘the Directory’  – a more moderate five-man committee..   133 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:12,440 which quickly wins a reputation  for corruption and inefficiency. 134 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:17,520 Nevertheless, in 1796 they plan  a major military offensive,   135 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:22,800 to knock their most dangerous  adversary – Austria - out of the war. 136 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,880 The two main efforts will be made along the Rhine,   137 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:31,600 by powerful armies under General  Jourdan.. and General Moreau. 138 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:38,600 A third effort – of which much less is  expected – will be made in Northern Italy. 139 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:44,560 The French ‘Army of Italy’ is a poor  cousin – starved of money and supplies,   140 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:49,040 stripped of troops to reinforce  French forces on the Rhine. 141 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:54,560 But its fortunes are about to change. 142 00:15:54,560 --> 00:16:02,040 On 2nd March 1796, the Directory appoint  a new commander to lead the army - one   143 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:19,920 of France’s youngest generals, Napoleon Bonaparte. 144 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:27,080 Napoleon arrives at the Army of Italy’s  headquarters in Nice on 25th March. 145 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:28,920 He is just 26 years old. 146 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:36,880 2 years have passed since he masterminded  French victory at the siege of Toulon. 147 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:43,880 Since then, his fortunes have been mixed: a  short spell as artillery commander in Italy;   148 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:50,440 ten days in jail when his political patrons  fell from power; he then refused to serve in the   149 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:57,920 Vendée, fighting French counter-revolutionaries  –leading to several months’ unemployment in Paris. 150 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:02,040 Then, an extraordinary break: 151 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:08,119 13 Vendémiaire, Paris. A royalist  mob threatens to storm the national   152 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:17,680 government. Napoleon is the closest general  to hand, and put in charge of its defence. 153 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:25,480 He disperses the crowds with brutal efficiency…  and is acclaimed, ‘Saviour of the Revolution’. 154 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:30,000 A grateful Directory promotes  Napoleon to General of Division,   155 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:34,680 and awards him command of the Army of Italy. 156 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,840 On 9th March he marries his great love,   157 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:45,600 Joséphine de Beauharnais…. and  leaves for the front two days later. 158 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:52,080 There are French generals in Italy with  a better claim to command than Napoleon: 159 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:57,760 Sérurier, a professional soldier who  first saw action in the Seven Years’ War,   160 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,720 a decade before Napoleon was born. 161 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:09,400 Augereau, a tough, experienced soldier,  bold tactician and committed republican. 162 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:13,320 And Masséna, risen from the ranks, fearless,   163 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:20,120 tireless, hero of the Battle of Loano  against the Austrians the year before. 164 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:26,440 All three would later become  Marshals of Napoleon’s empire. 165 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:34,000 For now, Napoleon seems to these veterans young  and under-qualified… a political appointment,   166 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,960 embarrassingly infatuated with his new wife. 167 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:41,160 But there is something about the Corsican. 168 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:47,640 As Masséna observed, “His small size and  puny face did not put him in their favour…   169 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:54,520 but as soon as he donned his general’s  hat, he seemed to grow by two feet.” 170 00:18:54,520 --> 00:19:02,200 Napoleon impresses above all with his  tireless energy. And he has much to do. 171 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:09,040 His army is organised into Masséna’s Advance Guard  of two divisions, one led by a hard-fighting Swiss   172 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:15,960 general La Harpe, the other by Meynier,  whom Napoleon soon decides is incompetent. 173 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:20,560 The main body comprises the  divisions of Augereau, Sérurier,   174 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:25,120 and two smaller divisions  under Macquard and Garnier. 175 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:28,720 The cavalry is led by General Stengel. 176 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:36,840 But the Army of Italy has been shockingly  neglected by the Directory. The men are hungry   177 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:45,960 and unpaid, with a few units on the verge of  mutiny. Some men don’t even have shoes or muskets. 178 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,920 Napoleon inspects the troops and studies reports. 179 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:53,840 He enforces discipline and breaks up rotten units. 180 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,360 He is assisted by his aides-de-camp - Junot,   181 00:19:57,360 --> 00:20:03,040 Marmont and a dashing cavalry  colonel, Joachim Murat. 182 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:11,120 As Emperor, Napoleon will make two  of these men Dukes, and one, a King. 183 00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:17,040 His most valuable assistant is his new Chief  of Staff, General Berthier, who helps him to   184 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:24,400 reorganise the army’s supply system, and scour  southern France for food, transport and forage. 185 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,800 The situation begins to improve. 186 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:33,240 But Napoleon knows what will really  rejuvenate his ragged divisions:   187 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:55,080 victory in battle, and the promise of plunder. 188 00:20:55,080 --> 00:21:00,240 Napoleon has spent two years studying  the situation in Northern Italy,   189 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:04,040 and the history of past wars here. 190 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:12,640 He has developed clear plans on how the campaign  must be fought. Now he will put them into action. 191 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:20,080 Napoleon - with 38,000 troops - outnumbers  the Piedmontese and the Austrian army. 192 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:26,360 But if they combine, he will be outnumbered.  So he must prevent this at all costs. 193 00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:33,080 His plan bears all the hallmarks of what will  become known as the Napoleonic art of war: 194 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:39,760 A bold, rapid advance… not against  the expected target, Genoa, but Dego. 195 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:45,880 Here he will occupy ‘the central  position’... and prise his enemies apart. 196 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:47,680 He knows that when threatened,   197 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:55,080 the Piedmontese will retreat on their  capital, Turin; the Austrians, on Milan. 198 00:21:55,080 --> 00:22:03,280 With his enemies divided, unable to support  each other, he can defeat each in detail. 199 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:09,240 Napoleon’s plan will be aided by the  fragility of the Austro-Piedmontese alliance;   200 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:16,720 they regard each other with deep  distrust after years of rivalry. 201 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:23,360 The new Austrian commander, General Beaulieu, is  experienced, and was once considered energetic. 202 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:28,040 But he is now 70 years old…  and does not know Italy. 203 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:32,040 He is convinced the French will  target Genoa – the port used by   204 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,520 the British to supply their coalition allies... 205 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:42,280 So much so, that he rejects Piedmontese  plans for close co-operation. Their troops   206 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:48,560 remain scattered across mountain passes,  in a general defence against invasion. 207 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:53,520 On 4th April, Napoleon moves his  headquarters forward to Albenga,   208 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:57,200 in preparation for his offensive. 209 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,600 But Beaulieu strikes first. 210 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:07,000 On 10th April, Austrian troops take Voltri, to  disrupt the expected French attack on Genoa. 211 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:13,640 The small French garrison falls back to  join Masséna’s advance guard at Savona. 212 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:19,520 But Beaulieu’s fixation with Genoa  is playing into Napoleon’s hands. 213 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:24,880 Dego – with its vital crossroads that link  the Piedmontese and Austrian armies – is   214 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,440 covered by just 8,000 men of Argenteau’s corps. 215 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,080 Mountainous terrain means Beaulieu can only march   216 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:37,160 to Argenteau’s aid via Acqui –  more than 20 miles to the north. 217 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:42,160 What’s more, Argenteau has orders to  take French positions at Montenotte,   218 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:46,440 as a diversion for the attack at Voltri. 219 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:53,800 But the French cling on courageously. Corporal  Rouach particularly distinguishes himself,   220 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:58,640 exposing himself to enemy fire  to shoot down on the enemy. 221 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:02,240 His commander, Colonel Rampon, tells his men,   222 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:11,120 “Here, we must conquer or die.” – a moment  which quickly enters French military folklore. 223 00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:16,600 It’s the perfect set up for Napoleon - the  enemy’s attention is focused on Voltri,   224 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,880 and Argenteau’s corps has  been left dangerously exposed. 225 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:27,640 He swings into action… sending La Harpe’s division  to reinforce Rampon’s troops, while Masséna makes   226 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:36,080 a tough night march across steep ravines, in  rain and fog, to turn Argenteau’s right flank. 227 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:47,680 By dawn the Austrians are outnumbered, outflanked,  and under heavy attack… They retreat in disarray. 228 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:56,440 Napoleon orders Masséna to move on Dego, while  he turns his attention to the Piedmontese. 229 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:02,200 But Augereau’s advance gets held up at Cosseria. 230 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:07,720 The old castle is held by Piedmontese  and Croatian grenadiers. The French   231 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:14,040 launch frontal attacks into withering  fire, and suffer hundreds of casualties. 232 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:17,880 When the colonel of the  18th Demi-Brigade is killed,   233 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:23,440 a 26-year-old Louis-Gabriel  Suchet takes over command. 234 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:28,320 “I have never seen fire like it,”  wrote Marmont, Napoleon’s aide-de-camp. 235 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:38,040 Despite heroic resistance, the hopelessly  outnumbered garrison surrenders the next day. 236 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:43,160 With Sérurier’s division also advancing  from the south, Piedmontese commander   237 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:48,840 General Colli has little choice but to  abandon his position at Montezemolo. 238 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:55,800 The same day, under Napoleon’s  watchful eye, Masséna takes Dego. 239 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:59,840 But while La Harpe’s division  moves off to reinforce Augereau,   240 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:06,280 hungry French troops left in  Dego turn to plunder and pillage. 241 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:15,160 No one spots Colonel Vukassovich, a tough Croatian  commander, approaching with 3,000 reinforcements. 242 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:21,520 He attacks at dawn, routing the  French and retaking Dego with ease. 243 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,520 It requires the recall of La Harpe’s division,   244 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:30,800 and another day of heavy combat, before  Vukassovich can be driven out of Dego. 245 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:41,600 A bayonet charge led by 27-year-old Colonel Lannes  wins particular praise from General Bonaparte. 246 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:45,960 Napoleon has won three victories in 4 days. The   247 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:52,960 marches and battles have been gruelling.  But he has achieved his first objective: 248 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:58,240 The Austrians are regrouping at Acqui,  and will soon retreat to Alessandria. 249 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,760 They can offer no support to the Piedmontese. 250 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:07,200 And so General Colli orders another withdrawal,   251 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:12,200 to a strong defensive position  behind the Corsaglia River. 252 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:16,960 Napoleon orders an immediate attack:  Augereau’s division on the right,   253 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:21,880 Sérurier on the left, Masséna in support. 254 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:28,160 But the French, under heavy fire, struggle to  cross the swollen river with its steep banks.   255 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:32,680 When Sérurier’s troops  finally get into San Michele,   256 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:38,920 they immediately begin looting the town,  and are thrown out by a counterattack. 257 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,920 Despite his success, Colli is  still heavily outnumbered and   258 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:50,080 fears encirclement. The following evening,  he begins a covert withdrawal to Mondovì. 259 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:54,480 But Napoleon is not deceived  by the fake campfires…  260 00:27:54,480 --> 00:28:00,280 Patrols confirm his suspicions - the  Piedmontese are pulling back. Though   261 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:08,920 his troops are exhausted, wet and hungry,  he launches them after the fleeing enemy. 262 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:14,240 Colli’s troops are caught before they  can establish a new defensive line... 263 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:18,960 The brave and popular General Dichat is killed… 264 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:23,480 Retreat turns to rout. 265 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:45,680 The French enter Mondovì in triumph… where  at last, briefly, they can eat and rest. 266 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:52,680 General Colli, his defeated troops scattered  and demoralised, requests an armistice. 267 00:28:52,680 --> 00:29:01,040 Napoleon declines, as his troops descend from the  mountains, into the fertile plain of Piedmont. 268 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:09,160 Destitute and starved, French soldiers now  plunder the Italian countryside freely. 269 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:14,560 Brigadier General Joubert is among  those frustrated by the men’s conduct. 270 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:18,440 “Everything would go very well if the  soldiers did not abandon themselves   271 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:24,480 to pillage. Not a day passes without some  looters being shot. Despite this severity,   272 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:30,400 the mania doesn’t stop: the rural  folk are arming themselves…” 273 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:37,400 Napoleon condemns such behaviour, but his orders  have limited impact - especially as everyone   274 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:44,080 knows generals Masséna and Augereau  to be two of the greatest offenders. 275 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:53,360 On 25th April, French troops enter Cherasco, just  30 miles south of the Piedmontese capital, Turin. 276 00:29:53,360 --> 00:30:01,720 Meanwhile, General Beaulieu is at long last  marching to Piedmont’s aid. But he is a week late. 277 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:05,600 And when he learns that Piedmont has  opened negotiations with the enemy,   278 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:12,640 he withdraws his troops in disgust, planning  to take up new positions along the Po River. 279 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:18,440 Austrian troops join in the plunder  of Piedmontese villages as they go. 280 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,400 Victor Amadeus the Third,  King of Piedmont-Sardinia,   281 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:27,600 sees no option but to accept  Bonaparte’s terms for an armistice. 282 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:34,760 Piedmont must give up the strategic fortresses  at Cuneo, and either Alessandria or Tortona,   283 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:39,320 leaving the country virtually defenceless. 284 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:43,160 The final peace treaty, signed  three weeks later in Paris,   285 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:50,640 cedes Nice and Savoy to France, and  grants free passage to French armies. 286 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:57,920 Napoleon has ended the four-year war  with Piedmont in less than 3 weeks. 287 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:19,800 The Army of Italy has little time to  rest on its laurels. Four days later,   288 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:27,040 having received 7,000 reinforcements and  fresh supplies, it’s on the move again. 289 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,840 Napoleon plans to invade the  rich province of Lombardy,   290 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:36,640 ruled by the Emperor of Austria,  and defeat Beaulieu’s army. 291 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:43,640 But first he must cross the Po River, which  is closely watched by Austrian forces. 292 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:47,760 It will prove one of Napoleon’s  most brilliant manoeuvres. 293 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:53,880 Masséna is ordered to make conspicuous  preparations to cross the river near Sale,   294 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:58,280 assembling boats, and building gun batteries. 295 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:05,680 Meanwhile, Napoleon has formed a new elite  brigade: 5,000 grenadiers, carabiniers and   296 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:12,200 chasseurs, to act as the army’s advance guard,  under the command of General Dallemagne. 297 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:20,840 This force is ordered to march rapidly east to  Piacenza, and cover 40 miles in just 36 hours. 298 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:27,440 They are followed by La Harpe’s  division, then Augereau, and the cavalry. 299 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:33,280 Beaulieu receives reports that French troops  are moving east, and begins to redeploy his   300 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:38,760 forces – while remaining conscious that there  are still French troops that might cross the   301 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:47,240 Po as far west as Valenza. This uncertainty makes  it impossible for him to concentrate his forces. 302 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:55,360 What’s more, he’s completely underestimated  the scale and speed of Napoleon’s move. 303 00:32:55,360 --> 00:33:01,760 The French Advance Guard, with Colonel Lannes  in the lead, crosses the Po on 7th May,   304 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:08,600 chasing off Austrian patrols  that are the only opposition. 305 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:13,800 By the next morning, most of La Harpe’s  and Augereau’s divisions, and the cavalry,   306 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,240 are across, consolidating the French bridgehead… 307 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:22,600 while Masséna and Sérurier move to  the crossing as fast as they can. 308 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:28,160 Men of General Lipthay’s division  are the closest Austrian troops. 309 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:35,880 They take up defensive positions at Fombio,  but are overwhelmed by the French attack. 310 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,920 That evening, Beaulieu’s advance guard arrives,   311 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:46,120 expecting to reinforce Lipthay. Instead  they blunder into La Harpe’s division. In   312 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:53,400 confused night fighting, General La Harpe  is shot dead, possibly by friendly fire. 313 00:33:53,400 --> 00:34:00,680 Napoleon regards him as one of the army’s  best generals, and his loss, a great blow. 314 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:03,520 Beaulieu, realising that the French have crossed   315 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:10,360 the Po in force and now threaten to cut  him off, orders a rapid withdrawal east. 316 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:18,520 Milan is to be sacrificed. The great  fortress of Mantua will be his next refuge. 317 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,679 The French Advance Guard is soon in pursuit. 318 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:27,719 On the morning of 10th May, they  catch the Austrian rearguard at Lodi. 319 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:36,199 French troops chase the Austrians across town..   320 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:41,760 and over the town’s 200-yard  bridge over the River Adda. 321 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:45,920 But when they try to follow, they  find the bridge is swept by fire   322 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:53,920 from 14 guns. Its far end is held by  3 battalions of Croatian infantry. 323 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:57,720 Several more battalions and  cavalry squadrons are behind them,   324 00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:03,160 in reserve – around 6,500 men in total. 325 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:10,600 Napoleon soon arrives, and positions guns  to bombard the Austrians on the far bank. 326 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:16,120 An artillery duel rages for much of the afternoon. 327 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:21,160 Napoleon sends Beaumont’s cavalry  brigade upstream to look for a ford,   328 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:25,840 so they can cross the river and  flank the Austrian defences. 329 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:27,640 But he grows impatient. 330 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:32,080 Masséna’s division has begun  to arrive from the south,   331 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:37,520 bringing his strength up  to 15,000 men and 30 guns. 332 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:41,360 Napoleon makes a speech to  the infantry, taunting them,   333 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:46,520 daring them to take the bridge  – then orders them forward. 334 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:54,200 To cries of ‘Vive la Republique’, the hardened  2nd Carabinier battalion leads the charge. 335 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:57,640 They come under torrential  fire from the Austrian guns. 336 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:03,000 But urged on by Napoleon, Berthier, Masséna,   337 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:12,760 Lannes and others, French infantry surge  across, under and around the bridge. 338 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:15,160 Faced with this irresistible onslaught,   339 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:21,400 the Austrian front line crumbles. And with  French cavalry across the river to the north,   340 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:27,560 the rest of the Austrian rearguard  begins an orderly withdrawal. 341 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:50,680 Five days after his victory at Lodi, Napoleon  leads his army into the city of Milan. 342 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:57,800 They are welcomed by cheering crowds –  though in reality, Italians are deeply   343 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:02,960 divided in their attitudes towards the French. 344 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:08,320 After Lodi, French soldiers have a new  nickname for their general - ‘le petit   345 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:15,480 caporal’, the little corporal. It’s a term  of affection, because he get his hands dirty,   346 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:22,320 even aiming the guns himself -  the job of an artillery corporal. 347 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:29,240 In just a month, Napoleon has transformed a  war-weary, dishevelled and demoralised army   348 00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:38,080 into a victorious fighting force, brimming with  esprit de corps and eager for further conquests. 349 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:42,560 While he, in his first campaign,  has demonstrated extraordinary   350 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:53,080 energy… mastery of detail… brilliant military  intuition… above all, indomitable self-belief. 351 00:37:53,080 --> 00:38:00,040 It is this quality that inspires his  soldiers to risk their lives… for glory,   352 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:13,920 for the republic… and for the man they  will one day acclaim their emperor. 353 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:20,880 May 1796. The French Revolutionary  Wars have entered their fifth year. 354 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:27,440 And on what most consider to be a secondary  front, there has been a stunning development… 355 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:31,560 A 26-year-old General of the French Republic,   356 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:37,560 Napoleon Bonaparte, has waged a lightning  campaign across northern Italy… defeating   357 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:44,000 the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia.. and  driving the Austrians across Lombardy. 358 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:49,040 2,000 Austrian troops remain  holed up in Milan’s citadel,   359 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:56,320 but they cannot prevent his triumphal  entry into the city on 15th May. 360 00:38:56,320 --> 00:39:00,880 Now the French general holds  court at the Palazzo Serbelloni,   361 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:08,880 issuing decrees on behalf of the Directory in  Paris, while his troops enjoy several days’ rest. 362 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:16,040 Lombardy is to be reorganised as a French  client-state, known as the Lombardic Republic. 363 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:19,920 Political and economic reforms  sweep away the old Austrian   364 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:25,880 state.. to the delight of Italian  intellectuals in cities like Milan. 365 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:32,000 But the French also demand 20 million francs  to help pay for the war… while their troops   366 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:38,320 requisition vast quantities of  food, horses, cattle and boots. 367 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:43,880 Most inflammatory, are their attacks on the  property and dignity of the Catholic church,   368 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:52,680 which enrage Italian priests and peasants...  and are a gift to anti-French propagandists. 369 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:57,320 On 23rd May, as Napoleon’s troops  set off in pursuit of the Austrians…   370 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:01,920 revolt breaks out in Pavia. 371 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:05,760 The next day there are riots in Milan. 372 00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:12,040 Napoleon races back to the city,  where order is soon restored. 373 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:19,440 But on the road to Pavia, at Binasco,  he encounters a thousand armed rebels. 374 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:27,320 Colonel Lannes’ grenadiers rout the peasants,  killing a hundred, and burning the village.   375 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:36,040 “A terrible example, which will  be effective,” Napoleon writes. 376 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:41,080 Pavia is retaken the next  day with little opposition. 377 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:47,280 A score of ringleaders, including  several priests, are shot. 378 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:56,600 Hundreds of hostages are taken from prominent  local families, to ensure future co-operation. 379 00:40:56,600 --> 00:41:01,680 Napoleon resumes his advance  east, his army now organised   380 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:10,720 into four divisions – Kilmaine’s Advance  Guard.. Augereau.. Masséna.. and Sérurier. 381 00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:15,760 General Beaulieu’s Austrian army  holds the line of the Mincio River,   382 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:21,520 with Lake Garda on his right, and the  great fortress of Mantua on his left. 383 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:27,520 This, together with the fortresses at  Peschiera.. Verona.. and Legnago.. forms   384 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:36,240 the famous ‘Quadrilateral’ – four bastions  that cement Austria’s grip on northern Italy. 385 00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:43,080 But once more, Beaulieu can’t get a read on  Napoleon’s movements. He scatters his troops,   386 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:46,640 trying to defend four potential crossing points,   387 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:52,600 and is further distracted by fake  preparations to cross Lake Garda by boat. 388 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:59,440 In fact, Napoleon has decided to cross the Mincio  at Borghetto… and when Kilmaine’s Advance Guard   389 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:08,040 arrives, they find the bridge defended by a single  battalion of infantry, and handful of hussars. 390 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:11,360 The Austrians are soon driven back… but a sudden   391 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:15,640 counterattack nearly bags  General Bonaparte himself. 392 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:25,240 A possibly dramatised account has him hopping  over fences with one boot on to evade the hussars. 393 00:42:25,240 --> 00:42:27,520 This lucky escape leads to the formation   394 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:33,240 of an elite cavalry detachment to  act as Napoleon’s personal escort. 395 00:42:33,240 --> 00:42:38,120 They are named the Compagnie des  Guides à Cheval; their commander   396 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:43,480 is a young cavalry captain  named Jean-Baptiste Bessières. 397 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:49,200 In time, this unit will become the famous  Chasseurs à Cheval of the Imperial Guard,   398 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:57,120 the Emperor’s ever-present bodyguard on campaign. 399 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:11,160 Taken by surprise by the crossing at Borghetto,   400 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:18,040 Beaulieu begins a withdrawal to a new  defensive line in the Adige Valley. 401 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:22,600 However at Mantua, he leaves  behind a reinforced garrison,   402 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:27,120 well-supplied, and ready to withstand  a siege of at least two months. 403 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:36,160 Napoleon cannot bypass Mantua  – its garrison is too powerful. 404 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:40,040 But the fortress-city will be  a tough nut to crack – its old   405 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:44,280 walls surrounded on three sides  by a lake, and on the other,   406 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:52,120 by malarial marshland. “The most unhealthy  place in Italy,” Napoleon tells the Directory. 407 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:57,200 His biggest problem is his lack of  heavy, siege artillery. Most of these   408 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:04,400 guns are in Milan, bombarding the  Austrians still holed up in the citadel. 409 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:10,280 More guns were supposed to arrive by sea, but  have been intercepted by British warships,   410 00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:16,560 commanded by a certain Commodore Horatio Nelson. 411 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:21,280 Since April, Napoleon has launched  three successful offensives,   412 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:26,080 marched more than 200 miles, and won ten battles. 413 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:33,600 But finally, outside the walls of  Mantua, he is brought to a halt. 414 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:37,840 And the demands on his limited force are growing. 415 00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:42,880 He must maintain the siege of Mantua,  even though its guns outnumber his own,   416 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:46,000 and no direct assault can be made. 417 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,640 He must protect his lines of communication back to   418 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:53,960 France.. and guard against  further revolt in Lombardy. 419 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,520 And he must be ready to face the Austrians,   420 00:44:56,520 --> 00:45:06,640 who are receiving reinforcements from  Germany, and will soon counter-attack. 421 00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:10,800 To add to his problems, the French  Directory demands that he lead an   422 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:13,760 expedition to central and southern Italy. 423 00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:16,480 He’s to threaten military occupation,   424 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:22,400 unless these states cough up huge sums  to help fund the French war effort. 425 00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:27,080 Napoleon vehemently opposes  the idea. Marching troops   426 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:34,440 the length of Italy in high summer, he  warns, will end in ‘sickness and death.’ 427 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:40,120 Fortunately, strong words alone  persuade Naples to sign an armistice... 428 00:45:40,120 --> 00:45:44,200 And in the end, Napoleon doesn’t  even have to go as far as Rome. 429 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:50,600 The French march through the Duchy of Modena,  the Papal States, and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany,   430 00:45:50,600 --> 00:45:56,920 raising more than 40 million francs in tribute  from states that are powerless to resist. 431 00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:05,960 Napoleon dines in Florence with the Grand Duke  before returning to Milan. There he is reunited   432 00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:15,480 with his wife Josephine, who’s arrived from  Paris, discreetly accompanied by her new lover. 433 00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:19,840 Napoleon does not linger in Milan. 434 00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:25,160 Its citadel has finally fallen,  freeing up his siege guns. His   435 00:46:25,160 --> 00:46:31,400 troops have seized another 150 guns  from the forts of central Italy. 436 00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:36,000 Napoleon can now make  serious plans to take Mantua. 437 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:39,480 And he has no time to lose. 438 00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:47,640 In the Tyrol, the reinforced Austrian army  is beginning to stir, under a new commander. 439 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:57,240 Beaulieu is gone. Now 72-year-old Field Marshal  Count von Wurmser is in command, a courageous   440 00:46:57,240 --> 00:47:17,200 cavalryman, vigorous beyond his years - and  determined to avenge Austrian defeats in Italy. 441 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:23,880 Since crossing the Mincio, Napoleon has  reorganised and redeployed his forces. 442 00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:28,920 General Masséna’s division is near  Rivoli, watching the road to the Tyrol. 443 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:35,640 Two of his brigades, under General Sauret, are  at Salò, watching the western side of Lake Garda. 444 00:47:35,640 --> 00:47:40,520 General Despinois’ division  is in support at Peschiera. 445 00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:45,480 General Augereau’s division is around  Legnago, watching the eastern approaches... 446 00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:49,320 While Kilmaine’s cavalry mounts patrols. 447 00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:56,480 General Sérurier’s division carries  out the siege of Mantua itself. 448 00:47:56,480 --> 00:48:02,080 But Napoleon’s hopes for a rapid  conclusion to the siege are in vain. 449 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:06,400 The Austrian garrison conducts  a skilful and active defence,   450 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:11,560 raiding French entrenchments and seizing supplies. 451 00:48:11,560 --> 00:48:16,800 Murat - recently promoted to Brigadier  General - plans to lead a group of men   452 00:48:16,800 --> 00:48:22,640 in Austrian uniform across the lake at  night, to take the guards by surprise.   453 00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:26,760 But the operation’s abandoned when  the water level suddenly drops. 454 00:48:28,720 --> 00:48:32,120 The French step up their bombardment of the city,   455 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:38,840 firing more than a thousand cannonballs  and mortar shells in one 6-hour period. 456 00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:47,280 Mantua is being battered to pieces,  but its walls are not yet breached. 457 00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:50,280 Napoleon is out of time. 458 00:48:50,280 --> 00:48:55,080 Field Marshal Wurmser is finally  marching to Mantua’s aid. 459 00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:58,240 He has divided his army into four columns - 460 00:48:58,240 --> 00:49:04,400 Two central columns are advancing down  the Adige valley, directly towards Mantua. 461 00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:09,280 Another column to the east is  making a wide flanking march… 462 00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:16,120 While a fourth column under General Quosdanovich  advances down the western shore of Lake Garda,   463 00:49:16,120 --> 00:49:21,520 planning to seize Brescia, and  cut Napoleon’s line of retreat. 464 00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:24,080 Masséna comes under heavy attack,   465 00:49:24,080 --> 00:49:30,080 and severely outnumbered, abandons  Rivoli and begins a fighting retreat. 466 00:49:30,080 --> 00:49:36,200 As soon as the news reaches Napoleon, he  races to Castelnuovo, ordering Augereau,   467 00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:41,600 Despinois and Kilmaine to  join him as fast as possible. 468 00:49:41,600 --> 00:49:46,960 But suddenly, it is Quosdanovich’s column  that’s emerging as the greatest threat. 469 00:49:46,960 --> 00:49:52,720 General Sauret’s troops at Salò  are heavily outnumbered. They put   470 00:49:52,720 --> 00:49:56,640 up a stiff resistance, but are forced to withdraw. 471 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:05,200 The next day, Austrian troops surprise  the French at Brescia. They take the town,   472 00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:12,440 as well as an army hospital containing  2,000 French sick and wounded. 473 00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:21,120 Even Napoleon’s wife Josephine, en route to  Brescia, is nearly captured in the chaos.  474 00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:24,280 Wurmser has wrongfooted Napoleon. 475 00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:28,360 Already outnumbered, he’s lost 5,000 casualties;   476 00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:34,560 his left flank is in tatters, and there’s  a real possibility he may be encircled. 477 00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:37,400 It’s the greatest crisis he has faced as an army   478 00:50:37,400 --> 00:50:56,640 commander – and will force him  to make an agonising decision. 479 00:50:57,400 --> 00:51:03,520 On 31st July, after two months  of blood, sweat and sacrifice,   480 00:51:03,520 --> 00:51:09,080 General Sérurier is ordered to  abandon the siege of Mantua. 481 00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:14,080 He is to send two of his brigades  to reinforce Masséna and Augereau,   482 00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:18,960 and withdraw with the rest of his troops  to guard the army’s line of retreat. 483 00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:24,640 179 guns, plus ammunition and  supplies which cannot be moved,   484 00:51:24,640 --> 00:51:30,280 are to be buried, or tipped into the marshes. 485 00:51:30,280 --> 00:51:35,800 Napoleon needs every man he can get.  Because in the midst of the crisis,   486 00:51:35,800 --> 00:51:38,960 he has spotted an opportunity. 487 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:42,960 Quosdanovich’s advance has caught him off guard. 488 00:51:42,960 --> 00:51:47,560 But Lake Garda separates him from  the rest of the Austrian army. 489 00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:51,160 Napoleon will concentrate his  forces against Quosdanovich,   490 00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:56,520 beat him in battle, then pivot  again, to take on Wurmser. 491 00:51:57,240 --> 00:52:00,600 The French divisions are soon on the move. 492 00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:08,640 Quosdanovich’s troops reach Lonato, but  here they encounter Masséna’s vanguard. 493 00:52:08,640 --> 00:52:11,440 The Austrians come under heavy attack,   494 00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:19,440 and with French reinforcements  arriving, they have to pull back. 495 00:52:19,440 --> 00:52:26,520 The next day the French retake Brescia, along  with most of their supplies, sick and wounded. 496 00:52:27,600 --> 00:52:33,080 Then Napoleon catches a lucky break. 497 00:52:33,080 --> 00:52:39,840 Wurmser has been on Masséna’s heels,  harrying his rearguard as far as Peschiera. 498 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:46,280 But now he receives reports there are French  forces massing between him and Mantua. 499 00:52:46,280 --> 00:52:50,840 Mantua is his priority, so he swings south – away   500 00:52:50,840 --> 00:52:56,720 from Quosdanovich – towards a city  Napoleon has already abandoned. 501 00:52:56,720 --> 00:53:01,600 By the time Wurmser realises  his error, it’s too late. 502 00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:24,880 He has gifted Napoleon 24 crucial hours  – a blunder for which he will pay dearly. 503 00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:30,520 3rd August sees confused  fighting west of Lake Garda. 504 00:53:30,520 --> 00:53:34,760 One French brigade slips through  the wooded ravines unnoticed,   505 00:53:34,760 --> 00:53:40,280 straight into Salò, causing  havoc behind the Austrian lines. 506 00:53:40,280 --> 00:53:46,480 But the Austrians repel three attacks on  Gavardo – and all seems to be going well,   507 00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:53,800 until their own advance meets  Masséna’s division at Lonato. 508 00:53:53,800 --> 00:53:58,080 Masséna’s counter-attack is  led by the 32nd Demi-Brigade,   509 00:53:58,080 --> 00:54:03,920 which is becoming known as one of the  Army of Italy’s most feared units. 510 00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:12,920 “Bayonets only,” Napoleon calls out, “and  you, 32nd, maintain your glorious reputation.” 511 00:54:12,920 --> 00:54:16,320 The lead Austrian brigade is routed. 512 00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:22,720 Colonel Junot, though wounded six times,  accepts their commander’s surrender. 513 00:54:22,720 --> 00:54:25,760 Quosdanovich’s force has been mauled. 514 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:30,400 Fearing for the rest of his command,  and with no word from Wurmser,   515 00:54:30,400 --> 00:54:37,840 he decides he must march back around  Lake Garda, to rejoin the army. 516 00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:44,640 The same day, 15 miles to the south, General  Augereau’s division fights an aggressive rearguard   517 00:54:44,640 --> 00:54:52,440 action near Castiglione - keeping Wurmser at  bay, while Napoleon deals with Quosdanovich. 518 00:54:52,440 --> 00:54:57,400 Augereau begins with a bold attack  on General Lipthay’s vanguard,   519 00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:03,480 driving it back to high ground near Solferino. 520 00:55:03,480 --> 00:55:11,360 But here, Lipthay receives steady reinforcements,  as the rest of the Austrian army begins to arrive. 521 00:55:11,360 --> 00:55:17,680 Augereau keeps up the pressure,  preventing an Austrian advance. 522 00:55:17,680 --> 00:55:22,680 And though there’s a late scare when  enemy cavalry sweep around his left flank,   523 00:55:22,680 --> 00:55:26,320 they are unsupported, and soon pull back. 524 00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:34,720 For Augereau and his men, it is a  long day of heroic action against   525 00:55:34,720 --> 00:55:40,760 a superior force - one which  Napoleon will never forget. 526 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:46,720 12 years later, as Emperor, he will  make Augereau Duke of Castiglione,   527 00:55:46,720 --> 00:55:53,760 and always remind his critics,  ‘he saved us that day’. 528 00:55:53,760 --> 00:56:00,120 Nevertheless, by nightfall, Augereau’s  division is at breaking point. 529 00:56:00,120 --> 00:56:04,360 “Our soldiers are exhausted from  fatigue and hunger. If you don’t   530 00:56:04,360 --> 00:56:10,440 send me reinforcements, I  won’t be able to hold out.” 531 00:56:10,440 --> 00:56:14,680 Next morning, French troops  renew the attack on Quosdanovich,   532 00:56:14,680 --> 00:56:19,000 and quickly discover he’s beating a hasty retreat. 533 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:21,800 A major disaster is narrowly avoided,   534 00:56:21,800 --> 00:56:29,160 when three lost Austrian battalions stumble  into Napoleon’s headquarters at Lonato. 535 00:56:29,160 --> 00:56:32,200 They call on the general to surrender. 536 00:56:32,200 --> 00:56:37,640 Napoleon responds by loudly ordering his  grenadiers and artillery into position,   537 00:56:37,640 --> 00:56:43,720 then demands that the Austrians  surrender to him, or be put to the sword. 538 00:56:43,720 --> 00:56:48,800 It’s a bold bluff – few of his  troops are anywhere near – but   539 00:56:48,800 --> 00:56:53,560 the Austrians meekly lay down their arms. 540 00:56:53,560 --> 00:56:59,280 As Napoleon swings his army round to take  on Wurmser, the Austrian must decide whether   541 00:56:59,280 --> 00:57:05,560 to stand his ground, or fall back to a  stronger line behind the Mincio River. 542 00:57:05,560 --> 00:57:10,920 He chooses to stay put. By engaging  Napoleon, he hopes to buy time for   543 00:57:10,920 --> 00:57:18,040 Quosdanovich to regroup and resume his  advance, and for Mantua to be resupplied. 544 00:57:18,040 --> 00:57:23,320 His reasoning is sound, but his  intelligence is out of date...   545 00:57:23,320 --> 00:57:43,760 and he’s underestimated the speed at  which Napoleon’s forces will move. 546 00:57:43,760 --> 00:57:50,600 At dawn on 5th August, the Austrian  army is 4 miles east of Castiglione,   547 00:57:50,600 --> 00:57:56,120 formed up in two lines - its northern flank  anchored on the village of Solferino..   548 00:57:57,240 --> 00:58:04,160 its southern flank, on a well-fortified  redoubt at Monte Medolano. 549 00:58:04,160 --> 00:58:07,600 Napoleon faces him with  Massena’s division in the north,   550 00:58:07,600 --> 00:58:12,560 Augereau’s division in the centre,  and Kilmaine’s cavalry in the south. 551 00:58:12,560 --> 00:58:20,440 He’s also formed an elite unit of grenadiers and  cavalry, to be held back for the decisive moment. 552 00:58:20,440 --> 00:58:25,680 Napoleon doesn’t seem to  have much of an advantage. 553 00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:31,400 But he has 10,000 more troops  converging rapidly on the battlefield. 554 00:58:31,400 --> 00:58:36,360 5,000 under General Despinois,  marching from Brescia… 555 00:58:36,360 --> 00:58:43,240 5,000 more under General  Fiorella, coming from the south. 556 00:58:43,240 --> 00:58:49,760 To buy time for these reinforcements to  arrive, and to lure Wurmser out of position,   557 00:58:49,760 --> 00:58:55,640 Napoleon orders Masséna and Augereau to attack. 558 00:58:55,640 --> 00:58:59,880 There is a short exchange of fire. 559 00:58:59,880 --> 00:59:04,840 Then the French begin a feigned retreat. 560 00:59:04,840 --> 00:59:10,440 The Austrians take the bait - some  units advancing off the high ground...   561 00:59:10,440 --> 00:59:17,440 while Wurmser extends his right wing,  looking to outflank Masséna’s division. 562 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:22,680 Around 9am, the sound of gunfire  from the south alerts both sides   563 00:59:22,680 --> 00:59:26,040 to Fiorella’s arrival, behind  the Austrian left flank. 564 00:59:28,640 --> 00:59:36,320 Napoleon immediately orders Augereau  and Masséna to attack again, in earnest. 565 00:59:36,320 --> 00:59:40,680 Despinois’ troops arrive to join the assault. 566 00:59:40,680 --> 00:59:44,800 But Napoleon has sprung his trap too early. 567 00:59:44,800 --> 00:59:50,600 Wurmser is not yet fully committed,  and reacts swiftly. He organises a   568 00:59:50,600 --> 00:59:56,040 new line to fend off Fiorella, and  hurriedly recalls his right wing. 569 00:59:57,640 --> 01:00:02,840 But he cannot save the redoubt at Monte Medolano. 570 01:00:02,840 --> 01:00:11,320 Napoleon’s aide-de-camp, Major Marmont, leads  forward a battery to blast the position. 571 01:00:11,320 --> 01:00:19,760 His guns open a devastating cannonade, clearing  the way for an attack. Around 10 am, the reserve   572 01:00:19,760 --> 01:00:25,960 grenadiers charge forward with bayonets  fixed, sweeping the Austrians off the hill. 573 01:00:27,960 --> 01:00:33,120 Meanwhile to the north, the 4th  and 5th Demi-Brigades surge onto   574 01:00:33,120 --> 01:00:39,840 the Solferino heights, and seize  the redoubt before Pozzo Catena. 575 01:00:39,840 --> 01:00:46,120 Carried forward by their momentum, they  storm the Solferino tower and village beyond,   576 01:00:46,120 --> 01:00:54,200 the shaken enemy falling back in disarray. The Austrians are hard-pressed along the line,   577 01:00:54,200 --> 01:01:00,880 and now French cavalry and Fiorella’s  troops threaten to cut off their retreat. 578 01:01:00,880 --> 01:01:09,440 While Napoleon is active, energised, urging  troops forward - Wurmser seems to go into shock. 579 01:01:09,440 --> 01:01:16,280 A French émigré serving with him recalled, “He  watched without seeing anything, saying anything,   580 01:01:16,280 --> 01:01:25,920 hearing anything. This brave old man, his head  covered with white hair, did not think anymore.” 581 01:01:27,040 --> 01:01:33,000 Finally, Wurmser orders a general  retreat, back across the Mincio river,   582 01:01:33,000 --> 01:01:38,880 covered by their cavalry, and  some late Austrian reinforcements. 583 01:01:38,880 --> 01:01:43,520 The French pursuit quickly peters out. 584 01:01:43,520 --> 01:01:47,080 After a week of forced marches in stifling heat,   585 01:01:47,080 --> 01:01:52,920 with little to eat or drink,  Napoleon’s men are close to collapse. 586 01:01:52,920 --> 01:02:17,680 But their general is content  with what they have achieved. 587 01:02:17,680 --> 01:02:23,280 Wurmser’s army finds temporary  refuge behind the Mincio River. 588 01:02:23,280 --> 01:02:28,160 But Napoleon immediately resumes  the attack. Masséna is sent north,   589 01:02:28,160 --> 01:02:34,600 to relieve the French garrison at Peschiera,  and threaten Wurmser’s line of retreat. 590 01:02:34,600 --> 01:02:37,600 The Austrian general has had enough. 591 01:02:37,600 --> 01:02:42,960 After ensuring the garrison of Mantua  is fully resupplied and reinforced,   592 01:02:42,960 --> 01:02:48,240 he begins his withdrawal to the  Tyrol, to regroup, and rethink. 593 01:02:48,240 --> 01:02:54,480 The French nip at his heels all the way. 594 01:02:54,480 --> 01:03:00,680 Napoleon has just endured his toughest  challenge yet as an army commander. 595 01:03:00,680 --> 01:03:05,280 And though initially wrongfooted by  his adversary, he’s displayed brilliant   596 01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:13,880 flexibility, and his usual energy, to  weather the crisis, and then triumph. 597 01:03:13,880 --> 01:03:19,160 But Mantua remains the key to Italy.  And while it stands unconquered,   598 01:03:19,160 --> 01:03:25,040 the Austrians will do everything  in their power to save it. 599 01:03:25,040 --> 01:03:29,520 Wurmser will be back... and when  he returns, he’ll find himself   600 01:03:29,520 --> 01:03:43,800 on a collision course with Napoleon.. as he  launches his own attack... on Austria itself. 601 01:03:43,800 --> 01:03:47,360 August 1796. 602 01:03:47,360 --> 01:03:55,320 The war between France’s infant republic and the  coalition seems to be tipping in France’s favour. 603 01:03:55,320 --> 01:03:59,840 In the Vendée, General Hoche has  brought the three-year royalist   604 01:03:59,840 --> 01:04:08,760 revolt to an end. This appalling civil  war has cost an estimated 165,000 lives,   605 01:04:08,760 --> 01:04:15,000 and is the bloodiest chapter  of the French Revolution. 606 01:04:15,000 --> 01:04:18,600 Bourbon Spain allies with France – they will   607 01:04:18,600 --> 01:04:24,040 combine forces against their  common enemy, Great Britain. 608 01:04:24,040 --> 01:04:27,560 In Germany, the armies of General Jourdan.. and   609 01:04:27,560 --> 01:04:33,960 General Moreau.. have crossed the  Rhine, and are advancing on Vienna. 610 01:04:33,960 --> 01:04:39,120 While in Italy, Napoleon’s stunning  victory at Castiglione has sent the   611 01:04:39,120 --> 01:04:44,240 Austrians scurrying back to the Tyrol. 612 01:04:44,240 --> 01:04:52,360 Napoleon can now resume his siege  of Mantua, the ‘key to Italy’. 613 01:04:52,360 --> 01:04:56,840 But he’ll have to start over…. The  Austrians have used the interlude   614 01:04:56,840 --> 01:05:04,360 to drag away his heavy guns,  and demolish his siege works. 615 01:05:04,360 --> 01:05:10,720 In summer, the pestilential marshes  that surround the city are lethal. 616 01:05:10,720 --> 01:05:18,560 The Austrian garrison has been  decimated by disease - mostly malaria. 617 01:05:18,560 --> 01:05:25,960 General Sérurier, commanding the French  siege, also contracts the disease. He   618 01:05:25,960 --> 01:05:32,280 returns to France to recover, and  is replaced by General Sahuguet. 619 01:05:32,280 --> 01:05:39,120 Sickness and a shortage of equipment once  more plague the French army in Italy. 620 01:05:39,120 --> 01:05:46,120 Even the heroic General Masséna asks to be  replaced, citing ill health and exhaustion. 621 01:05:46,120 --> 01:05:51,120 Napoleon rejects his request. 622 01:05:51,120 --> 01:05:56,840 Despite these problems, the Directory  in Paris orders Napoleon to attack,   623 01:05:56,840 --> 01:06:01,400 as part of a grand strategic  offensive against Austria. 624 01:06:01,400 --> 01:06:06,480 He is to breakthrough to Innsbruck..  join forces with Moreau’s Army of the   625 01:06:06,480 --> 01:06:17,040 Rhine.. then together, invade Austria, and  force Emperor Francis to sue for peace. 626 01:06:17,040 --> 01:06:22,240 Napoleon faces an enemy of roughly equal size. 627 01:06:22,240 --> 01:06:26,720 So he plans to use speed,  and concentration of force,   628 01:06:26,720 --> 01:06:34,760 to fall upon Austrian troops in the Adige  Valley, and clear the path northwards. 629 01:06:34,760 --> 01:06:43,520 His opponent, Austrian Field Marshal von Wurmser,  is under immense pressure to relieve Mantua. 630 01:06:43,520 --> 01:06:48,720 His staff believe that recent fighting  has left the French army shattered,   631 01:06:48,720 --> 01:06:52,000 and incapable of offensive operations. 632 01:06:52,000 --> 01:06:55,520 So the Austrians plan to make their own advance. 633 01:06:57,280 --> 01:07:02,200 Rather than try to force his way past  French troops in the Adige valley,   634 01:07:02,200 --> 01:07:07,440 Wurmser will keep Davidovich in a  defensive role… while he leads a   635 01:07:07,440 --> 01:07:15,680 wide outflanking march.. via the Brenta valley  and Bassano.. to reach Mantua from the east. 636 01:07:15,680 --> 01:07:18,880 There, he will link up with its garrison. 637 01:07:18,880 --> 01:07:25,520 And when Napoleon comes south to face him, he  will be caught between two Austrian armies. 638 01:07:42,720 --> 01:07:47,400 The Austrians begin their  advance on 1st September. 639 01:07:47,400 --> 01:07:51,920 French forces begin their  advance the following day. 640 01:07:51,920 --> 01:07:59,360 Masséna pushes up the Adige valley, with Augereau  taking a tougher, mountainous route on his right. 641 01:07:59,360 --> 01:08:07,720 General Vaubois marches around Lake Garda to  join them, with one brigade crossing by boat. 642 01:08:07,720 --> 01:08:11,360 The forward Austrian outposts are driven in. 643 01:08:11,360 --> 01:08:14,120 And by the 4th, three French divisions are   644 01:08:14,120 --> 01:08:21,680 converging on Davidovich’s heavily  outnumbered force, near Rovereto. 645 01:08:21,680 --> 01:08:30,120 General Victor leads the main attack straight  up the road, driving back the enemy centre. 646 01:08:30,120 --> 01:08:36,880 Meanwhile French light infantry swarm up the  sides of the valley to outflank the enemy. 647 01:08:36,880 --> 01:08:40,359 It’s a tactic the French will use again and again,   648 01:08:40,359 --> 01:08:48,279 to force the Austrians out of strong  positions in the narrow passes. 649 01:08:48,279 --> 01:08:55,439 The Austrians are driven up the valley,  towards Davidovich’s main camp at Calliano. 650 01:08:57,120 --> 01:09:02,920 As Napoleon remarks, this position should  have been impregnable – sheer mountains,   651 01:09:02,920 --> 01:09:07,840 either side of a valley floor that’s  just a few hundred yards wide. 652 01:09:07,840 --> 01:09:14,240 A small castle and wall add to  the formidable natural defences. 653 01:09:14,240 --> 01:09:17,080 But its defence has been left to a single,   654 01:09:17,080 --> 01:09:22,240 shaken Austrian regiment, which  is given no time to prepare. 655 01:09:22,240 --> 01:09:27,800 When the French hit them with  speed and numbers, they give way. 656 01:09:27,800 --> 01:09:31,479 Masséna’s troops breakthrough  to the main Austrian camp,   657 01:09:31,479 --> 01:09:37,840 where soldiers – expecting a much  longer respite – are preparing dinner. 658 01:09:37,840 --> 01:09:42,560 The arrival of the French  sparks chaos and confusion. 659 01:09:42,560 --> 01:09:49,399 The Austrian escape route is immediately  jammed with fleeing troops, wagons and guns. 660 01:09:49,399 --> 01:10:00,400 The French round up around 3,000 prisoners,  alongside 25 guns and 7 standards. 661 01:10:00,400 --> 01:10:05,840 Napoleon had thought that he faced  the whole Austrian army around Trento. 662 01:10:05,840 --> 01:10:10,920 But now, speaking with prisoners and  locals, he learns that Wurmser and   663 01:10:10,920 --> 01:10:18,240 half his army have set off down the  Brenta valley – destination unknown. 664 01:10:18,240 --> 01:10:20,680 With typical speed and decisiveness,   665 01:10:20,680 --> 01:10:26,920 Napoleon tears up the plan to join Moreau  at Innsbruck.. and orders a pursuit. 666 01:10:26,920 --> 01:10:48,920 If he can catch and destroy Wurmser before he  reaches safety, the war in Italy will be won. 667 01:10:48,920 --> 01:10:55,360 When Wurmser receives news of the fiasco  at Calliano, his troops are already strung   668 01:10:55,360 --> 01:11:00,800 out along the Brenta valley, with  his vanguard approaching Vicenza. 669 01:11:00,800 --> 01:11:04,280 There is nothing to gain by turning back. 670 01:11:04,280 --> 01:11:08,480 He orders Davidovich to hold the  passes north – assuming they are   671 01:11:08,480 --> 01:11:13,120 Napoleon’s objective – and pushes on to Mantua. 672 01:11:13,120 --> 01:11:15,880 But Napoleon is not going north. 673 01:11:15,880 --> 01:11:22,120 He orders Vaubois to pursue Davidovich and keep  him blocked in.. while Augereau’s division leads   674 01:11:22,120 --> 01:11:30,480 the rest of the army down the narrow, funnel-like  Brenta valley, in pursuit of the Austrians. 675 01:11:30,480 --> 01:11:34,480 The Army of Italy is brimming  with confidence and momentum,   676 01:11:34,480 --> 01:11:39,200 and marches much faster than the Austrians. 677 01:11:39,200 --> 01:11:48,240 A small force at Levico offers token resistance,  before it’s bundled down the Brenta valley. 678 01:11:48,240 --> 01:11:55,320 The next day, French light infantry rout a  3,000 strong Austrian rearguard at Primolano,   679 01:11:55,320 --> 01:11:58,360 taking most of them prisoner. 680 01:11:58,360 --> 01:12:08,040 Wurmser decides to make another stand at  Bassano, where the valley opens into flat plains. 681 01:12:08,040 --> 01:12:10,600 With Colonel Lannes leading the charge,   682 01:12:10,600 --> 01:12:18,320 the Austrians are driven back, then  chased into town by Murat’s cavalry. 683 01:12:18,320 --> 01:12:25,160 Amid panic, chaos and blocked roads,  the French take another 2,000 prisoners,   684 01:12:25,160 --> 01:12:30,720 including an Austrian general, and 30 guns. 685 01:12:30,720 --> 01:12:37,320 Wurmser is in disarray - down to  12,000 men, outnumbered two-to-one,   686 01:12:37,320 --> 01:12:42,600 with part of his force retreating in  the wrong direction towards Trieste. 687 01:12:42,600 --> 01:12:47,280 His only hope is to reach Mantua. 688 01:12:47,280 --> 01:12:52,400 The two armies are in a footrace - but  for the first time in the campaign,   689 01:12:52,400 --> 01:13:02,200 Austrian soldiers outmarch their  exhausted French counterparts. 690 01:13:02,200 --> 01:13:09,840 Wurmser leaves a small garrison at the fortress  of Legnago, to slow Augereau’s pursuit. 691 01:13:09,840 --> 01:13:16,560 Forging ahead, Masséna manages to  block the Austrians’ path at Cerea. 692 01:13:16,560 --> 01:13:21,160 But General Ott makes a determined  attack and clears the road,   693 01:13:21,160 --> 01:13:30,440 taking 700 French prisoners and seven  guns. It is a rare defeat for Masséna. 694 01:13:30,440 --> 01:13:36,000 With the help of a local informant,  Wurmser then finds an intact, unguarded   695 01:13:36,000 --> 01:13:44,400 bridge across the Tione River, and reaches  the outskirts of Mantua on 13th September. 696 01:13:44,400 --> 01:13:55,040 His army has been saved from  destruction, by the skin of its teeth. 697 01:14:07,640 --> 01:14:12,800 Napoleon has failed to prevent  Wurmser reaching Mantua. 698 01:14:12,800 --> 01:14:16,440 But he knows that if he can  bottle him up inside the city,   699 01:14:16,440 --> 01:14:20,600 it will put intolerable strain on its supplies. 700 01:14:20,600 --> 01:14:25,040 For that reason, Wurmser wants to  keep his army outside the city walls,   701 01:14:25,680 --> 01:14:35,480 free to manoeuvre, and crucially, forage  for supplies in the surrounding country. 702 01:14:35,480 --> 01:14:41,720 The next morning, as Augereau accepts the  surrender of the Austrian garrison at Legnago,   703 01:14:41,720 --> 01:14:47,600 Masséna tries a surprise attack at Due Castelli. 704 01:14:47,600 --> 01:14:53,440 But it’s overambitious. His men have not  had time to recover from their long march,   705 01:14:53,440 --> 01:14:55,000 and the Austrians fight bravely. 706 01:14:58,000 --> 01:15:07,520 The following day, Napoleon launches  a much larger, co-ordinated attack. 707 01:15:07,520 --> 01:15:12,640 Sahuguet’s division advances on the  right. His troops are soon in heavy   708 01:15:12,640 --> 01:15:19,120 fighting with Ott’s brigade  around the Villa La Favorita. 709 01:15:19,120 --> 01:15:25,160 Augereau’s division, under temporary command  of General Bon, advances along the Mincio   710 01:15:25,160 --> 01:15:29,960 River, trying to turn the Austrian right flank. 711 01:15:29,960 --> 01:15:34,880 When Wurmser sends reserves from his  centre to strengthen both flanks…   712 01:15:34,880 --> 01:15:40,200 Masséna’s concealed division launches its attack. 713 01:15:40,200 --> 01:15:45,960 Victor and Rampon lead the way  with their veteran demi-brigades.   714 01:15:45,960 --> 01:15:51,640 Austrian cavalry hurl themselves  at the French but are beaten off. 715 01:15:51,640 --> 01:15:56,880 Heavy fighting rages on the outskirts  of Mantua for much of the afternoon. 716 01:15:56,880 --> 01:16:04,280 Finally, Wurmser’s centre begins to  crumble, and the French take San Giorgio. 717 01:16:04,280 --> 01:16:09,800 Much of the Austrian right wing is  cut off. Many are forced to surrender,   718 01:16:09,800 --> 01:16:15,120 while others flee into the lake. 719 01:16:15,120 --> 01:16:17,160 With the Austrian line shattered,   720 01:16:17,160 --> 01:16:24,920 Wurmser orders his men to fall back..  to the safety of Mantua’s citadel. 721 01:16:33,440 --> 01:16:41,960 The troops that were to have rescued Mantua..  are now trapped alongside its garrison. 722 01:16:41,960 --> 01:16:49,200 By early October, the French have cut  off the city, and resumed their siege. 723 01:16:49,200 --> 01:16:56,040 Conditions inside Mantua deteriorate  rapidly. Disease, wounds and malnutrition   724 01:16:56,040 --> 01:17:03,840 kill – on average - nearly 100 Austrian  soldiers every day... for six weeks. 725 01:17:03,840 --> 01:17:09,440 Civilians are reduced to eating rats and horses. 726 01:17:09,440 --> 01:17:16,280 Napoleon, meanwhile, returns to Milan, sending  his aide-de-camp Major Marmont to Paris,   727 01:17:16,280 --> 01:17:23,960 to present 22 captured Austrian  standards to the Directory. 728 01:17:23,960 --> 01:17:29,920 But elsewhere, the war has not  been going so well for France. 729 01:17:29,920 --> 01:17:34,080 Archduke Charles, younger  brother of the Emperor Francis,   730 01:17:34,080 --> 01:17:39,680 has defeated General Jourdan’s  army twice in two weeks. 731 01:17:39,680 --> 01:17:50,440 It, and General Moreau’s Army of the Rhine,  are forced to retreat back to the frontier. 732 01:17:50,440 --> 01:17:58,920 These setbacks mean Napoleon will get very few  of the reinforcements he’s so urgently requested. 733 01:17:58,920 --> 01:18:03,840 He and his men are exhausted.  Many of them are sick. 734 01:18:03,840 --> 01:18:09,600 They must contain an enormous and  increasingly desperate garrison in Mantua... 735 01:18:09,600 --> 01:18:17,440 With the certain knowledge that the Austrians  will try again soon to save the city. 736 01:18:17,440 --> 01:18:23,160 And there are diplomatic concerns  which also trouble Napoleon. 737 01:18:23,160 --> 01:18:27,200 In Rome, the Pope stirs  animosity against the French,   738 01:18:27,200 --> 01:18:34,160 citing their treatment of the Catholic  church in the territories they administer. 739 01:18:34,160 --> 01:18:38,000 These now include the Cispadane  Republic, formed in part from   740 01:18:38,000 --> 01:18:44,720 the Duchy of Modena – which Napoleon has  abolished for colluding with the enemy. 741 01:18:44,720 --> 01:18:47,560 There is also the lingering threat that Naples   742 01:18:47,560 --> 01:18:53,560 may re-join the war at a critical  moment, to stab him in the back. 743 01:18:53,560 --> 01:18:58,360 So to secure his southern flank,  Napoleon concludes a comprehensive   744 01:18:58,360 --> 01:19:05,640 peace treaty with Naples, without  bothering to consult the Directory. 745 01:19:05,640 --> 01:19:11,080 Its actions like this that feed the  whispers in Paris – this popular,   746 01:19:11,080 --> 01:19:20,920 young general’s ambition seems limitless… might  he not one day prove a dangerous political player? 747 01:19:20,920 --> 01:19:27,520 But such talk will be moot,  if Napoleon fails in Italy. 748 01:19:27,520 --> 01:19:33,560 That autumn, as Austrian troops march  once more to the relief of Mantua,   749 01:19:33,560 --> 01:19:38,200 he will face his most skilled  opponent yet – Feldzeugmeister   750 01:19:38,200 --> 01:19:54,800 József Alvinczi – the first man to  defeat Napoleon Bonaparte in battle. 751 01:19:54,800 --> 01:19:58,400 October 1796. 752 01:19:58,400 --> 01:20:01,120 Six months have passed since General Napoleon   753 01:20:01,120 --> 01:20:07,040 Bonaparte took command of  the French Army of Italy. 754 01:20:07,040 --> 01:20:11,200 In that time, he’s led a series  of brilliant operations against   755 01:20:11,200 --> 01:20:15,240 the Austrians, and won a string of battles. 756 01:20:15,240 --> 01:20:20,240 Now he appears close to final victory. 757 01:20:20,240 --> 01:20:27,720 He’s driven Austrian field forces off the  plains of Northern Italy, back towards the Alps… 758 01:20:27,720 --> 01:20:37,120 While his troops have the great fortress-city of  Mantua – the ‘key to Italy’ – under close siege. 759 01:20:37,120 --> 01:20:44,960 Mantua’s oversized Austrian garrison is  nearing starvation, and riddled with disease. 760 01:20:44,960 --> 01:20:49,320 Napoleon appeals to its commander,  Field Marshal von Wurmser,   761 01:20:49,320 --> 01:20:58,040 to surrender. “The brave should be facing  danger, not swamp plague!” he gibes. 762 01:20:58,040 --> 01:21:08,400 But Wurmser is a tough old veteran. He will  not yield while any glimmer of hope remains. 763 01:21:08,400 --> 01:21:18,600 And he knows that to the north.. Austria is  gathering fresh troops to march to his aid. 764 01:21:18,600 --> 01:21:24,680 True, many are Grenz battalions – a  type of Hapsburg frontier militia,   765 01:21:24,680 --> 01:21:27,960 poorly drilled and short of officers. 766 01:21:27,960 --> 01:21:34,840 But they help raise the strength of  the Austrian field army to 44,000. 767 01:21:34,840 --> 01:21:39,000 And they have a new general to  lead them – Feldzeugmeister,   768 01:21:39,000 --> 01:21:43,080 or Lieutenant-General, József Alvinczi. 769 01:21:43,080 --> 01:21:49,760 The 61-year-old Hungarian was once  military tutor to Emperor Francis himself,   770 01:21:49,760 --> 01:21:54,520 and is regarded as diligent, sharp, and brave. 771 01:21:57,080 --> 01:22:04,680 He and his staff draw up plans for a fresh  offensive to rescue Wurmser and Mantua. 772 01:22:04,680 --> 01:22:10,760 Alvinczi and Quosdanovich will lead  the main column, 26,000 strong,   773 01:22:10,760 --> 01:22:17,080 from Friuli to Bassano, then onwards to Mantua. 774 01:22:17,080 --> 01:22:23,280 Davidovich’s corps, reinforced  to 18,000, will retake Trento,   775 01:22:23,280 --> 01:22:26,720 and push south through the Adige valley. 776 01:22:26,720 --> 01:22:31,400 The two forces will link up  at the earliest opportunity. 777 01:22:31,400 --> 01:22:36,800 Meanwhile Wurmser, who can muster  just 12,000 fit men from the Mantua   778 01:22:36,800 --> 01:22:44,440 garrison - will launch powerful sorties to  pin down as many French units as possible. 779 01:22:44,440 --> 01:22:52,160 Napoleon, by contrast, has received very few  reinforcements from France. His weary divisions   780 01:22:52,160 --> 01:23:00,320 are suffering from shortages and sickness  – and will be outnumbered on every front. 781 01:23:00,320 --> 01:23:05,760 Alvinczi begins his advance on 22nd October. 782 01:23:05,760 --> 01:23:14,840 The following day, the heavens open – drenching  troops, swelling rivers and reducing roads to mud. 783 01:23:14,840 --> 01:23:20,120 For the time being, Napoleon is content  to observe the enemy struggle forward in   784 01:23:20,120 --> 01:23:27,240 such conditions, knowing the effort will  exhaust his infantry and disrupt supplies. 785 01:23:27,240 --> 01:23:31,560 On 2nd November, fighting  breaks out north of Trento,   786 01:23:31,560 --> 01:23:36,920 where Napoleon has ordered Vaubois to attack. 787 01:23:36,920 --> 01:23:40,840 He wants to keep Davidovich  bottled up, but Vaubois is   788 01:23:40,840 --> 01:23:46,640 heavily outnumbered, and his attack fails. 789 01:23:46,640 --> 01:23:51,520 Vaubois begins pulling back  to Calliano… while Masséna   790 01:23:51,520 --> 01:23:56,240 gives up Bassano, and withdraws towards Vicenza. 791 01:23:56,240 --> 01:24:00,200 But now Alvinczi’s advance becomes strung out,   792 01:24:00,200 --> 01:24:05,360 slowed by the heavy rain, and  poor fitness of his recruits. 793 01:24:05,360 --> 01:24:11,440 And it is against Napoleon’s nature  to remain passive for so long. 794 01:24:11,440 --> 01:24:16,000 As the Austrians cross the Brenta,  he orders Masséna to attack General   795 01:24:16,000 --> 01:24:24,440 Lipthay’s division at Fontaniva.. while  Augereau attacks Hohenzollern at Bassano. 796 01:24:24,440 --> 01:24:31,000 The French launch dozens of separate assaults.  But for all their poor march discipline,   797 01:24:31,000 --> 01:24:36,120 the Austrian recruits stand  their ground, and fight hard. 798 01:24:36,120 --> 01:24:41,600 With around 3,000 casualties on each  side, the Second Battle of Bassano   799 01:24:41,600 --> 01:24:51,520 is the bloodiest day’s fighting so far in the  Italian campaign – and a failure for Napoleon. 800 01:24:51,520 --> 01:24:56,880 Hours later, he receives dire news from Vaubois. 801 01:24:56,880 --> 01:24:59,520 During heavy fighting at Calliano,   802 01:24:59,520 --> 01:25:08,120 some Croatian troops get behind the  French line, triggering panic, and a rout. 803 01:25:08,120 --> 01:25:12,120 Vaubois loses nearly half his division killed,   804 01:25:12,120 --> 01:25:18,680 wounded or missing, before  he can regroup at Rivoli. 805 01:25:18,680 --> 01:25:22,520 The French are falling back on all fronts. 806 01:25:22,520 --> 01:25:26,560 And unless Napoleon can  conjure something remarkable,   807 01:25:26,560 --> 01:25:54,320 he seems destined to suffer  a major strategic defeat. 808 01:25:54,320 --> 01:26:01,160 Napoleon’s position is perilous. But his enemies’  cautious pursuit affords him some respite. 809 01:26:02,600 --> 01:26:09,760 Four whole days pass while Alvinczi and  Davidovich co-ordinate their next moves. It’s   810 01:26:09,760 --> 01:26:15,400 not a delay Napoleon would have tolerated,  if the shoe had been on the other foot. 811 01:26:15,400 --> 01:26:19,600 When the Austrians finally advance, it’s bungled:   812 01:26:19,600 --> 01:26:26,240 Hohenzollern’s vanguard approaches Verona  to investigate reports of a French retreat. 813 01:26:26,240 --> 01:26:31,720 This isolated division is too  tempting for Napoleon to ignore. 814 01:26:31,720 --> 01:26:35,360 He orders Augereau and Masséna to attack. 815 01:26:35,360 --> 01:26:42,280 They inflict 400 casualties. But Hohenzollern  escapes to a ridge near Caldiero. 816 01:26:42,280 --> 01:26:48,040 The next day, Napoleon orders renewed attacks. 817 01:26:48,040 --> 01:26:50,800 But conditions are atrocious. 818 01:26:50,800 --> 01:26:57,480 The French struggle uphill into driving rain  and hail, their boots slipping in the mud,   819 01:26:57,480 --> 01:27:04,400 under fire from Austrians dug-in on the ridgetop. 820 01:27:04,400 --> 01:27:12,680 Around noon, Colonel Dupuy’s 32nd  Demi-Brigade finally gets onto the ridge. 821 01:27:12,680 --> 01:27:19,480 It looks like the French may be able to  lever the Austrians out of their position. 822 01:27:19,480 --> 01:27:23,680 But then, the Austrian army  begins to arrive in force,   823 01:27:23,680 --> 01:27:28,880 to support Hohenzollern’s hard-pressed division. 824 01:27:28,880 --> 01:27:34,720 The French are in danger of  being outflanked on both wings. 825 01:27:34,720 --> 01:27:41,080 They take up new defensive positions,  and hold the line until darkness...   826 01:27:41,080 --> 01:27:50,400 when Napoleon cuts his losses,  and orders a retreat to Verona. 827 01:27:50,400 --> 01:28:00,760 It has been an unequivocal French  defeat – Napoleon’s first in battle. 828 01:28:00,760 --> 01:28:06,400 The following day, he writes  furiously to the Directory in Paris. 829 01:28:06,400 --> 01:28:10,000 He has no doubt that they  are to blame for his defeat,   830 01:28:10,000 --> 01:28:14,600 for repeatedly failing to send reinforcements: 831 01:28:14,600 --> 01:28:20,640 “We may be on the verge of losing Italy.  None of the expected help has arrived… 832 01:28:20,640 --> 01:28:24,120 The Army of Italy, reduced to  a handful of men, is worn out… 833 01:28:25,320 --> 01:28:30,000 The heroes of Lodi, Millesimo,  Castiglione and Bassano have   834 01:28:30,000 --> 01:28:35,880 died for their country or are in the  hospitals. The men have nothing left   835 01:28:35,880 --> 01:28:45,920 but their reputation and their pride…We  are abandoned in the depths of Italy.” 836 01:28:45,920 --> 01:28:54,440 But despite his apparent despair, Napoleon  has already devised a plan to strike back – a   837 01:28:54,440 --> 01:29:15,720 breathtakingly bold move, that will spawn  one of the greatest of Napoleonic legends. 838 01:29:15,720 --> 01:29:19,920 With the Austrians converging  on Verona … Napoleon decides   839 01:29:19,920 --> 01:29:24,040 to risk everything on a daring, surprise attack. 840 01:29:25,360 --> 01:29:32,360 Leaving Macquard to cover Verona, he will circle  south with the rest of the army.. cross the Adige   841 01:29:32,360 --> 01:29:38,320 River.. and swing north, threatening to  cut Alvinczi’s lines of communication,   842 01:29:38,320 --> 01:29:43,040 and capture his artillery, baggage and supplies. 843 01:29:43,040 --> 01:29:49,520 Such losses will force Alvinczi  to abandon his advance. 844 01:29:49,520 --> 01:29:58,240 Marching overnight, Augereau and  Masséna arrive undetected at Ronco. 845 01:29:58,240 --> 01:30:05,320 Augereau’s men cross the Adige on a  pontoon bridge, and begin moving north. 846 01:30:05,320 --> 01:30:09,600 But with marshland on all sides,  they have to stick to the narrow,   847 01:30:09,600 --> 01:30:13,880 raised causeway, just 20 yards wide... 848 01:30:13,880 --> 01:30:18,800 And when they reach Arcole, where they  must cross the bridge to continue north,   849 01:30:18,800 --> 01:30:23,440 they find it held by two Croatian battalions. 850 01:30:23,440 --> 01:30:25,960 Horribly exposed on the causeway,   851 01:30:25,960 --> 01:30:34,280 and under heavy fire, the French troops  take cover behind its reverse slope. 852 01:30:34,280 --> 01:30:36,560 Reinforcements are sent up,   853 01:30:36,560 --> 01:30:44,080 but they too are pinned down by the  weight of fire from the far bank. 854 01:30:44,080 --> 01:30:48,560 Colonel Lannes had discharged himself  from hospital that morning in order   855 01:30:48,560 --> 01:30:53,920 not to miss the battle. He now attempts  to lead a charge, but is hit in the leg. 856 01:30:55,680 --> 01:31:02,360 The fiery Augereau refuses to accept defeat,  and orders another attack. But his men are   857 01:31:02,360 --> 01:31:06,800 exhausted and demoralised,  with three generals wounded. 858 01:31:06,800 --> 01:31:11,920 The attack at Arcole has stalled. 859 01:31:11,920 --> 01:31:18,080 When Alvinczi hears gunfire from the south,  he assumes the French are making a feint,   860 01:31:18,080 --> 01:31:22,680 to divert him from his own  planned attack on Verona. 861 01:31:22,680 --> 01:31:27,720 But then comes alarming news that the  French have crossed the Adige in force,   862 01:31:27,720 --> 01:31:30,560 and are behind his left flank. 863 01:31:30,560 --> 01:31:32,800 He sends two brigades to attack the   864 01:31:32,800 --> 01:31:41,960 French bridgehead.. and diverts  Mittrovsky to reinforce Arcole. 865 01:31:41,960 --> 01:31:46,840 Masséna’s division, moving northwest  to protect the flank of the advance,   866 01:31:46,840 --> 01:31:51,760 runs straight into the Austrians at Bionde. 867 01:31:51,760 --> 01:31:59,840 At first the Austrians have the better of  it, but a disastrous friendly fire incident   868 01:31:59,840 --> 01:32:08,760 triggers panic… and Masséna drives  the Austrians back up the causeway. 869 01:32:08,760 --> 01:32:14,360 Napoleon is increasingly concerned  by the holdup at Arcole.   870 01:32:14,360 --> 01:32:23,000 If they cannot break through, Alvinczi will have  ample time to redeploy, and prevent any advance. 871 01:32:23,000 --> 01:32:29,240 He now orders General Guieu to take two  regiments, cross the Adige at Albaredo,   872 01:32:29,240 --> 01:32:35,440 and lead them up the eastern bank of the  Alpone river, to hit Arcole from the south. 873 01:32:35,440 --> 01:32:41,800 He himself rides to the bridge,  to try to get the attack moving. 874 01:32:41,800 --> 01:32:46,200 He finds hundreds of French troops  sheltering behind the causeway,   875 01:32:46,200 --> 01:32:51,240 unwilling to face the Austrian fire. 876 01:32:51,240 --> 01:32:54,200 General Augereau grabs a standard and begins   877 01:32:54,200 --> 01:33:02,200 to advance. This highly romanticised  depiction was painted two years later. 878 01:33:02,200 --> 01:33:06,960 “Grenadiers!” he cries,  “Come and seek your colour!” 879 01:33:06,960 --> 01:33:12,920 In reality, none had the courage to follow him. 880 01:33:12,920 --> 01:33:18,280 Then the commander of the Army  of Italy himself draws his sabre,   881 01:33:18,280 --> 01:33:21,960 picks up a standard, and runs forward. 882 01:33:21,960 --> 01:33:26,120 There is withering fire all around. Several men   883 01:33:26,120 --> 01:33:32,200 fall wounded. His aide-de-camp  Colonel Muiron is killed. 884 01:33:32,200 --> 01:33:37,800 Another aide-de-camp, a Polish  officer named Sulkowski, recalls: 885 01:33:37,800 --> 01:33:41,560 “The soldiers saw him... and none of them imitated   886 01:33:41,560 --> 01:33:50,440 him. I was witness to this extraordinary  cowardice, and I cannot conceive it.” 887 01:33:50,440 --> 01:33:54,000 With the French infantry refusing  to follow their officers,   888 01:33:54,000 --> 01:33:59,240 the assault on the bridge ends in abject failure. 889 01:33:59,240 --> 01:34:06,720 A well-timed Austrian counter-attack  drives them back down the causeway. 890 01:34:06,720 --> 01:34:13,760 In the rout, Napoleon’s horse loses  its footing. He tumbles into the swamp,   891 01:34:13,760 --> 01:34:19,960 and has to be hauled out by his aides. 892 01:34:19,960 --> 01:34:26,120 That evening, General Guieu launches  his attack on Arcole from the south.   893 01:34:26,120 --> 01:34:32,880 The defences are less formidable on this side,  and his men fight their way into the village. 894 01:34:32,880 --> 01:34:37,280 Arcole, at last, has fallen. 895 01:34:37,280 --> 01:34:42,280 But that night, Guieu’s men  are ordered to pull back… 896 01:34:42,280 --> 01:34:48,000 Napoleon.. is preparing to retreat. 897 01:34:48,000 --> 01:34:54,080 If, as he expects, Davidovich has continued  his advance down the Adige Valley,   898 01:34:54,080 --> 01:34:58,680 Napoleon must withdraw now, or face encirclement. 899 01:34:58,680 --> 01:35:03,800 His bold manoeuvre appears to have failed. 900 01:35:03,800 --> 01:35:11,320 Then at 4am, Napoleon receives a report  from Rivoli that changes everything. 901 01:35:11,320 --> 01:35:18,560 Not only does Vaubois still hold the  town – he hasn’t even been attacked yet. 902 01:35:18,560 --> 01:35:23,640 Napoleon’s line of retreat remains  secure - for at least a few days more. 903 01:35:25,400 --> 01:35:44,440 It’s all the reassurance he needs. He immediately  cancels his retreat, and issues orders to attack. 904 01:35:44,440 --> 01:35:48,360 Napoleon has lost the element of surprise. 905 01:35:48,360 --> 01:35:52,400 And Alvinczi is now planning  his own counter-attack. 906 01:35:52,400 --> 01:35:57,600 Overnight, his troops edge  forward - Provera to Belfiore   907 01:35:57,600 --> 01:36:02,040 di Porcile.. Mittrovsky back into Arcole.. 908 01:36:02,040 --> 01:36:06,680 Both armies are on the move before dawn. 909 01:36:06,680 --> 01:36:12,040 Masséna sends skirmishers into the  marshland. When the Austrians arrive,   910 01:36:12,040 --> 01:36:17,160 bunched up on the causeway,  they make easy targets. 911 01:36:17,160 --> 01:36:21,320 After a sharp fight, in which  an Austrian general is killed,   912 01:36:21,320 --> 01:36:27,440 Masséna’s men are driving the enemy before them. 913 01:36:27,440 --> 01:36:35,040 Augereau, however, cannot get  close to Arcole. The causeway   914 01:36:35,040 --> 01:36:41,880 is still swept by Austrian musket-fire  and canister from across the Alpone. 915 01:36:41,880 --> 01:36:45,200 Napoleon orders troops to cross downstream at   916 01:36:45,200 --> 01:36:52,920 Albaredo – but the Austrians now have two  battalions guarding the crossing point. 917 01:36:52,920 --> 01:36:59,400 French attempts to float or swim  across the river come to naught. 918 01:36:59,400 --> 01:37:04,160 Day two of the battle ends in stalemate. 919 01:37:04,160 --> 01:37:11,080 Many soldiers have to camp amid the marshes,  and get what food and rest they can. 920 01:37:11,080 --> 01:37:23,520 Napoleon will try once more to break  through.. but he is running out of time. 921 01:37:26,120 --> 01:37:32,600 Davidovich, who by now has received several  urgent requests from Alvinczi to advance,   922 01:37:32,600 --> 01:37:36,960 finally attacks on 17th November. 923 01:37:36,960 --> 01:37:45,240 Vaubois’ outgunned division breaks. The  Austrians take Rivoli and 1,000 prisoners,   924 01:37:45,240 --> 01:37:48,960 and nearly capture Vaubois himself. 925 01:37:48,960 --> 01:37:58,560 With Davidovich on the move at last, Napoleon  must force a decision at Arcole, or retreat. 926 01:37:58,560 --> 01:38:02,960 The bridge at Arcole has  proved too tough to crack. 927 01:38:02,960 --> 01:38:06,160 So Napoleon switches tactics. 928 01:38:06,160 --> 01:38:13,360 Augereau’s division will cross the Alpone,  and attack Arcole from the south in force… 929 01:38:13,360 --> 01:38:17,920 A column is sent 10 miles  south to cross at Legnago,   930 01:38:17,920 --> 01:38:22,600 then race back up the eastern bank to support him. 931 01:38:22,600 --> 01:38:30,160 Masséna will advance up the causeway in  support.. while also protecting the left flank. 932 01:38:30,160 --> 01:38:34,280 That night, the French assemble  a pontoon bridge over the Alpone. 933 01:38:34,280 --> 01:38:40,080 Augereau’s division begins crossing before dawn. 934 01:38:40,080 --> 01:38:45,560 But at sunrise, Austrian gunners  in Albaredo spot the bridge,   935 01:38:45,560 --> 01:38:49,120 and score a hit, knocking it out of action. 936 01:38:49,120 --> 01:38:58,880 Only the 51st demi-brigade is across –  though it gamely begins to advance on Arcole. 937 01:38:58,880 --> 01:39:04,720 Masséna’s advance is also hamstrung  by a broken pontoon bridge. 938 01:39:04,720 --> 01:39:12,240 To add to the crisis, the Austrians launch  an attack on the fragile French bridgehead. 939 01:39:12,240 --> 01:39:17,640 Napoleon gathers every available  gun to blast the Austrians,   940 01:39:17,640 --> 01:39:23,360 who fall back under a withering barrage. 941 01:39:24,520 --> 01:39:29,320 The bridges are quickly repaired. 942 01:39:29,320 --> 01:39:39,960 But as the French advance, they encounter  stubborn opposition on both sides of the Alpone. 943 01:39:39,960 --> 01:39:46,200 A bloody see-saw battle surges back  and forth along the causeways. Neither   944 01:39:46,200 --> 01:39:53,440 side can deploy its troops, nor gain an advantage. 945 01:39:53,440 --> 01:40:03,160 Around 3pm, the French column from Legnago  arrives, threatening to turn the Austrian flank. 946 01:40:03,160 --> 01:40:05,920 Just as Arcole seems about to fall,   947 01:40:05,920 --> 01:40:11,040 the Austrians launch a ferocious  counterattack across the bridge. 948 01:40:11,040 --> 01:40:18,160 Brigadier General Robert is killed  - his troops fall back in disarray. 949 01:40:18,160 --> 01:40:26,040 The panic is contagious. Augereau’s men lose  their nerve, and fall back to the bridge. 950 01:40:26,040 --> 01:40:29,400 The moment of crisis has arrived. 951 01:40:29,400 --> 01:40:34,360 But while the enemy has just used  his last reserves, Napoleon can   952 01:40:34,360 --> 01:40:43,760 call on Masséna’s unengaged troops,  including the elite 32nd Demi-Brigade. 953 01:40:43,760 --> 01:40:47,680 Their sudden counter-attack turns the tide. 954 01:40:47,680 --> 01:40:52,960 Masséna’s men sweep up the causeway,  taking scores of prisoners,   955 01:40:52,960 --> 01:41:00,200 as Augereau’s division resumes its advance. 956 01:41:00,200 --> 01:41:07,960 As they approach Arcole, Napoleon arranges  a small ‘ruse de guerre’: 25 of his elite   957 01:41:07,960 --> 01:41:16,200 escort sweep in from the east, blowing  bugles to feign a mass cavalry charge. 958 01:41:16,200 --> 01:41:23,240 In the evening light, it’s enough to scare the  remaining garrison into abandoning the village. 959 01:41:24,960 --> 01:41:30,920 As the French continue their advance,  Alvinczi orders his exhausted, demoralised   960 01:41:30,920 --> 01:41:40,120 army to retreat east, to Montebello,  to protect its lines of communication. 961 01:41:40,120 --> 01:41:48,280 The three-day battle of Arcole has been a messy,  bloody affair, with no great tactical flourishes. 962 01:41:48,280 --> 01:41:53,360 Napoleon’s margin of victory is  narrow, and a third of his army are   963 01:41:53,360 --> 01:42:11,440 casualties. But he has done enough, for now. 964 01:42:11,440 --> 01:42:17,600 Alvinczi may be withdrawing –  but Davidovich remains a threat. 965 01:42:17,600 --> 01:42:21,680 The next day, Napoleon sets  off at his customary pace,   966 01:42:21,680 --> 01:42:26,160 with Masséna’s division, to reinforce Vaubois. 967 01:42:26,160 --> 01:42:33,000 Augereau takes a different route, to  threaten the Austrians’ line of retreat. 968 01:42:33,000 --> 01:42:39,640 The confusion that follows between  Alvinczi and Davidovich verges on farce. 969 01:42:39,640 --> 01:42:43,440 Alvinczi writes to his corps  commander, informing him that he   970 01:42:43,440 --> 01:42:49,680 will support him by resuming his advance. But Davidovich, having heard of the defeat   971 01:42:49,680 --> 01:42:55,480 at Arcole, and now directly menaced  by Napoleon, is already retreating. 972 01:42:55,480 --> 01:43:00,280 On receiving Alvinczi’s letter, however,  he tries to turn his army around,   973 01:43:00,280 --> 01:43:07,640 leading to such chaos that he has to immediately  countermand that order, and resume his retreat. 974 01:43:07,640 --> 01:43:13,080 The end result is that both Austrian  armies are soon withdrawing. 975 01:43:13,080 --> 01:43:15,560 And with exquisitely poor timing,   976 01:43:15,560 --> 01:43:22,240 gallant old Wurmser choses this moment to  launch his supporting attack from Mantua. 977 01:43:22,240 --> 01:43:33,280 He does at least secure some much-needed  supplies.. at a cost of 800 casualties. 978 01:43:33,280 --> 01:43:37,640 It has been a bruising campaign for Napoleon. 979 01:43:37,640 --> 01:43:41,680 By some estimates he has lost  more men than the Austrians. 980 01:43:41,680 --> 01:43:48,920 He has suffered his first defeat in battle,  and won a costly, messy victory at Arcole. 981 01:43:48,920 --> 01:43:53,040 But.. he has beaten the odds,  and thrown back the enemy. 982 01:43:54,680 --> 01:44:02,080 What’s more, his heroic conduct at the bridge  at Arcole will soon take on a life of its own. 983 01:44:02,080 --> 01:44:06,400 Artists and pamphleteers turn a  slightly embellished version of   984 01:44:06,400 --> 01:44:15,040 events… into a sensational piece of  personal PR, that captivates France. 985 01:44:15,040 --> 01:44:23,040 With Napoleon’s active encouragement, the world is  witnessing the birth of ‘the Napoleonic legend’…   986 01:44:24,400 --> 01:44:37,080 a powerful force, that will inspire loyalty  and devotion for many years to come. 987 01:44:37,080 --> 01:44:41,400 For now, both armies settle into winter quarters,   988 01:44:41,400 --> 01:44:47,680 as December brings bitter cold  and heavy snow to northern Italy. 989 01:44:47,680 --> 01:44:53,200 In Mantua, the Austrian garrison  is near its limit. Starvation   990 01:44:53,200 --> 01:45:00,120 beckons… though Wurmser is  determined to hold out to the last. 991 01:45:00,120 --> 01:45:06,560 The Austrians will have one last chance  to save the city – a final offensive,   992 01:45:06,560 --> 01:45:18,320 to decide the outcome of the war in Italy. 993 01:45:18,320 --> 01:45:21,600 January, 1797. 994 01:45:21,600 --> 01:45:28,040 A new year… but familiar problems  for 27-year-old General Bonaparte,   995 01:45:28,040 --> 01:45:34,800 waging war against the  Austrians in Northern Italy. 996 01:45:34,800 --> 01:45:43,160 He has the great fortress-city of Mantua under  siege, and after a narrow victory at Arcole,   997 01:45:43,160 --> 01:45:51,480 he’s once again driven back the Austrian  armies trying to march to its aid. 998 01:45:51,480 --> 01:45:58,760 But the French Army of Italy is in a ragged  state. Troops have not been paid for weeks;   999 01:45:58,760 --> 01:46:09,440 their uniforms are disintegrating, their shoes  are broken, and above all, they are hungry. 1000 01:46:09,440 --> 01:46:17,040 One of Napoleon’s major concerns is the  wretched state of medical care for his men. 1001 01:46:17,040 --> 01:46:22,560 “...the hospitals lack everything,  our wounded are lying on the floors,   1002 01:46:22,560 --> 01:46:27,880 and in the most horrible state of destitution.” 1003 01:46:27,880 --> 01:46:35,040 It’s not just a question of saving lives, and  getting wounded men back to their units.   1004 01:46:35,040 --> 01:46:41,320 Medical care affects morale, as troops  going into combat want to know that if   1005 01:46:41,320 --> 01:46:49,520 the worst happens, they’ll be looked after. 1006 01:46:49,520 --> 01:46:52,840 Conditions are much worse for  the Austrian garrison of Mantua,   1007 01:46:53,600 --> 01:46:59,800 commanded by Field Marshal Wurmser. 1008 01:46:59,800 --> 01:47:05,760 In four months of siege, 9,000  soldiers have died from disease,   1009 01:47:05,760 --> 01:47:19,000 wounds or the effects of malnutrition. Survivors  live off horsemeat; civilians off rats and dogs. 1010 01:47:19,000 --> 01:47:26,840 Even these miserable rations will run out  by 27th January – just a few weeks away. 1011 01:47:26,840 --> 01:47:34,160 The clock is ticking. The Austrians  must relieve Mantua by that date,   1012 01:47:34,160 --> 01:47:52,840 or lose the city... and with it, the war in Italy. 1013 01:47:55,200 --> 01:47:59,720 Napoleon, having received  just 7,000 reinforcements,   1014 01:47:59,720 --> 01:48:05,280 prepares to meet Alvinczi’s advance. 1015 01:48:05,280 --> 01:48:13,480 He will not only be outnumbered - he  doesn’t know where his enemy will strike. 1016 01:48:13,480 --> 01:48:19,800 And Napoleon must hold one division back  to cover Wurmer’s garrison. It’s commanded   1017 01:48:19,800 --> 01:48:25,600 once more by General Sérurier,  recovered from his long illness. 1018 01:48:25,600 --> 01:48:34,080 Augereau’s division watches the  Adige.. while Masséna guards Verona. 1019 01:48:34,080 --> 01:48:38,560 The northern division has a new  commander - Napoleon has sacked   1020 01:48:38,560 --> 01:48:45,840 Vaubois for his poor performance, and put  in his place, General Barthélemy Joubert. 1021 01:48:45,840 --> 01:48:50,600 He is a hard-working, brave, and  exceptionally modest commander,   1022 01:48:50,600 --> 01:48:55,840 and like Napoleon, just 27 years old. 1023 01:48:55,840 --> 01:49:02,880 General Rey is in reserve, south of Lake Garda. 1024 01:49:02,880 --> 01:49:07,760 General Alvinczi has received  14,000 reinforcements,   1025 01:49:07,760 --> 01:49:12,040 and orders to relieve Mantua as soon as possible. 1026 01:49:12,040 --> 01:49:18,440 He is eager to march. But heavy snow, and  the late arrival of equipment and supplies,   1027 01:49:18,440 --> 01:49:22,720 delays his advance until 7th January. 1028 01:49:24,760 --> 01:49:31,520 The first columns on the move are Provera  and Bajalich. But their offensive is merely   1029 01:49:31,520 --> 01:49:37,480 a diversion, intended to draw Napoleon’s  attention away from the main threat,   1030 01:49:37,480 --> 01:49:40,840 which will be coming down the Adige Valley. 1031 01:49:40,840 --> 01:49:46,160 Alvinczi has divided this force  into six columns. Their mission is   1032 01:49:46,160 --> 01:49:52,640 to envelop and destroy Joubert’s division  at Rivoli, and clear the path to Mantua. 1033 01:49:55,440 --> 01:50:00,560 But Rivoli is a strong defensive  position - they must hit it hard   1034 01:50:00,560 --> 01:50:07,760 and fast, before the French can respond. 1035 01:50:07,760 --> 01:50:14,600 Napoleon, assuming any Austrian advance is still  weeks away, has travelled to the Papal States,   1036 01:50:14,600 --> 01:50:19,240 with a column of troops commanded  by Colonel Lannes. They intend to   1037 01:50:19,240 --> 01:50:26,480 put a little pressure on the Pope, who  continues to stir opposition to France. 1038 01:50:26,480 --> 01:50:30,200 However, as soon as he receives  reports of enemy movement,   1039 01:50:30,200 --> 01:50:36,120 Napoleon races back to his  headquarters at Roverbella. 1040 01:50:36,120 --> 01:50:40,400 By now, Alvinczi’s forces  have also begun to advance…   1041 01:50:40,400 --> 01:50:45,080 but serious planning failures quickly emerge. 1042 01:50:45,080 --> 01:50:49,520 Lusignan’s First Column, on  the right flank of the advance,   1043 01:50:49,520 --> 01:50:59,120 has orders to cross the slopes of Monte  Baldo, and attack Joubert from the rear. 1044 01:50:59,120 --> 01:51:04,400 It’s soon clear that these orders  are wildly optimistic – dreamed   1045 01:51:04,400 --> 01:51:09,040 up by staff officers who’d not seen the terrain. 1046 01:51:09,040 --> 01:51:16,120 The peak of Monte Baldo is more than 7,000 feet  high. Its slopes are covered in deep snow and   1047 01:51:16,120 --> 01:51:25,280 ice. The paths are treacherous, even more so after  dark, and there is no firewood for making camp. 1048 01:51:25,280 --> 01:51:30,680 Only by taking a wide detour can  Lusignan make any progress at all,   1049 01:51:30,680 --> 01:51:38,200 whilst losing 200 men to exhaustion and exposure. 1050 01:51:38,200 --> 01:51:44,840 Meanwhile, the Second and Third Austrian  columns reach the French outpost at Ferrara. 1051 01:51:44,840 --> 01:51:49,640 An initial attack is repulsed,  and following their orders,   1052 01:51:49,640 --> 01:51:55,280 they wait for Lusignan’s column to  appear before launching a second attack. 1053 01:51:55,280 --> 01:52:01,320 However Lusignan’s column is not yet in sight. 1054 01:52:01,320 --> 01:52:22,520 Alvinczi’s plan relies on swift, bold action..  but just 48 hours in, it’s falling apart. 1055 01:52:24,800 --> 01:52:30,040 At Roverbella, Napoleon  ponders the incoming reports. 1056 01:52:30,040 --> 01:52:34,800 He knows that Joubert’s forward  outpost is under attack at Ferrara... 1057 01:52:34,800 --> 01:52:39,360 That Masséna has repulsed an  Austrian attack on Verona... 1058 01:52:39,360 --> 01:52:47,360 And Augereau faces a sizeable Austrian force  near Legnago, poised to cross the Adige. 1059 01:52:47,360 --> 01:52:52,440 Is Alvinczi using the same tactics as  before – making his attack from the east? 1060 01:52:54,720 --> 01:52:59,080 Then a second report arrives from Joubert.   1061 01:52:59,080 --> 01:53:04,320 His scouts have detected an enemy  column marching around his flank. 1062 01:53:04,320 --> 01:53:08,160 He has no doubt that he faces  a major Austrian attack,   1063 01:53:08,160 --> 01:53:11,680 and has begun withdrawing his forces to Rivoli. 1064 01:53:11,680 --> 01:53:15,960 “The report I have given you  is exact,” he tells his chief,   1065 01:53:15,960 --> 01:53:22,440 “Be assured, the enemy will make every effort  to throw me onto the blockade of Mantua…” 1066 01:53:26,200 --> 01:53:33,400 ‘The enemy’s plan has been unmasked’, Napoleon  announces - and issues a flurry of orders. 1067 01:53:33,400 --> 01:53:38,080 Masséna is to march immediately  to reinforce Joubert… 1068 01:53:38,080 --> 01:53:44,440 Augereau is to send him cavalry and guns, while  the rest of his division keeps watch on Provera… 1069 01:53:44,440 --> 01:53:47,720 Rey is to move up to Castelnuovo... 1070 01:53:47,720 --> 01:53:52,440 Sérurier is to be on high alert, for an  attempted break out by the Mantua garrison... 1071 01:53:54,120 --> 01:53:59,000 While Joubert, the youngest and least  experienced of Napoleon’s divisional   1072 01:53:59,000 --> 01:54:22,360 commanders, is instructed to hold Rivoli at  any cost.. and assured that help is on the way. 1073 01:54:31,480 --> 01:54:35,160 After giving the Austrians  a bloody nose at Ferrara,   1074 01:54:35,160 --> 01:54:44,800 Joubert has extricated his troops overnight,  and taken up a defensive position around Rivoli. 1075 01:54:44,800 --> 01:54:48,000 Napoleon arrives around midnight,   1076 01:54:48,000 --> 01:54:52,320 and immediately sets out with Joubert  to inspect the enemy’s positions. 1077 01:54:55,440 --> 01:55:00,600 “The weather had cleared, and the  moonlight was superb. I climbed the   1078 01:55:00,600 --> 01:55:05,840 different heights and observed the  lines of enemy fires. They filled   1079 01:55:05,840 --> 01:55:10,680 the country between the Adige and Lake  Garda, and the atmosphere was ablaze   1080 01:55:10,680 --> 01:55:20,920 with them. One could easily distinguish  five camps, each composed of a column.” 1081 01:55:20,920 --> 01:55:24,280 Until reinforcements arrive, Napoleon has just   1082 01:55:24,280 --> 01:55:31,600 Joubert’s division - 10,000 men  - to hold off 24,000 Austrians. 1083 01:55:31,600 --> 01:55:37,680 But Alvinczi will help to even the odds,  by ordering Lusignan’s First Column to   1084 01:55:37,680 --> 01:55:43,880 attempt a wide outflanking march, to  cut off the French line of retreat. 1085 01:55:43,880 --> 01:55:49,640 And Napoleon decides the main road to Rivoli,  which passes through a steep defile known   1086 01:55:49,640 --> 01:55:56,760 as the Pontare, can be held by a single  regiment, supported by entrenched cannon. 1087 01:55:56,760 --> 01:56:04,040 This leaves more manageable odds of  9,000 against 12,000 in the centre. 1088 01:56:04,040 --> 01:56:07,440 But Napoleon wants to push out his defensive line,   1089 01:56:07,440 --> 01:56:12,840 to hold the slopes that mark  the edge of the Rivoli plateau. 1090 01:56:12,840 --> 01:56:20,040 At 4am, General Vial’s light infantry  brigade advances through the darkness. 1091 01:56:20,040 --> 01:56:26,040 They drive back the Austrian outposts,  and take the San Marco chapel. 1092 01:56:26,040 --> 01:56:31,040 They’re followed on their left by  the rest of Joubert’s division. 1093 01:56:31,040 --> 01:56:36,400 But the French push too far –  skirmishes break out along the line,   1094 01:56:36,400 --> 01:56:40,800 with heavy fighting on the heights of San Marco. 1095 01:56:40,800 --> 01:56:48,200 Napoleon had not wanted to start the  battle so early, but the combat escalates. 1096 01:56:48,200 --> 01:56:52,240 At dawn, the Austrians  attack the plateau in force. 1097 01:56:55,080 --> 01:57:04,120 The French 85th demi-brigade is outflanked  and routed by Lipthay’s Second Column. 1098 01:57:04,120 --> 01:57:06,800 The 29th Light, on its right,   1099 01:57:06,800 --> 01:57:11,920 is forced to retreat, and it looks  like the French line is crumbling. 1100 01:57:11,920 --> 01:57:19,560 But the 14th, on their right, fights tenaciously. 1101 01:57:19,560 --> 01:57:23,720 It’s an intense infantry battle  across broken ground - vineyards   1102 01:57:23,720 --> 01:57:31,880 and walled gardens – with sudden charges,  hurried withdrawals, and counter charges. 1103 01:57:31,880 --> 01:57:35,320 When the Austrians overrun a French battery,   1104 01:57:35,320 --> 01:57:41,360 an officer demands, “Fourteenth!  Will you let them take your guns?” 1105 01:57:41,360 --> 01:57:51,120 His troops mount a ferocious charge that  routs the Austrians, and reclaims the battery. 1106 01:57:51,120 --> 01:57:57,280 By 9am, Masséna’s troops have begun to arrive. 1107 01:57:57,280 --> 01:58:06,200 They take up position on Joubert’s left  - the buckled French line is stabilised. 1108 01:58:06,200 --> 01:58:13,520 But so far, the French have only  faced half of Alvinczi’s six columns. 1109 01:58:13,520 --> 01:58:19,120 One by one, the others now join the action. 1110 01:58:19,120 --> 01:58:25,600 Vukassovich’s Sixth Column is on the  far side of the Adige River… but its   1111 01:58:25,600 --> 01:58:30,840 guns cause havoc among French  troops holding the Pontare. 1112 01:58:30,840 --> 01:58:37,080 Under this covering fire, Reuss’s Fifth  Column charges up the narrow road,   1113 01:58:37,080 --> 01:58:42,320 and in fierce fighting, storms  the French entrenchments. 1114 01:58:42,320 --> 01:58:51,000 This advance threatens the entire French right  wing with encirclement, and a retreat begins. 1115 01:58:51,000 --> 01:58:55,000 Moments later, gunfire to the southwest reveals   1116 01:58:55,000 --> 01:59:04,040 Lusignan’s First Column has reached  Affi, poised to cut off their escape. 1117 01:59:04,040 --> 01:59:12,320 The French situation is desperate. They are  outnumbered, surrounded, and under heavy attack. 1118 01:59:12,320 --> 01:59:14,880 Napoleon’s staff look anxiously to   1119 01:59:14,880 --> 01:59:22,040 their commander… wondering what  miracle can save the army now. 1120 01:59:39,840 --> 01:59:48,080 Sensing victory, General Alvinczi and his  staff ride forward to urge his infantry on. 1121 01:59:48,080 --> 01:59:54,280 Napoleon.. remains calm. He knows  Alvinczi’s centre columns are near   1122 01:59:54,280 --> 01:59:59,320 exhaustion. And that they have no  cavalry and little artillery support. 1123 01:59:59,320 --> 02:00:03,200 He identifies Reuss’s column  as the most immediate threat,   1124 02:00:03,200 --> 02:00:09,360 and orders Joubert to send every man and  gun he can spare for a counterattack. 1125 02:00:09,360 --> 02:00:14,920 General Leclerc, and a 21-year-old  Captain Lasalle then charge with   1126 02:00:14,920 --> 02:00:20,680 the entire French cavalry –  just a few hundred horsemen. 1127 02:00:20,680 --> 02:00:29,160 Under this onslaught, the lead Austrian  troops are driven back into the gorge. 1128 02:00:29,160 --> 02:00:32,920 Here they collide with the  rest of the column coming up,   1129 02:00:32,920 --> 02:00:40,640 cavalry and infantry jammed together, some  pushing forward, others trying to escape. 1130 02:00:40,640 --> 02:00:46,000 Joubert’s men pour fire down on  them from the overlooking ridge. 1131 02:00:46,000 --> 02:00:51,920 The final straw is the devastating  explosion of an ammunition wagon.   1132 02:01:00,640 --> 02:01:08,400 Austrian morale breaks. The survivors  flood back down the road, to safety. 1133 02:01:08,400 --> 02:01:12,200 Napoleon now turns his full  attention to the centre, where  1134 02:01:12,200 --> 02:01:17,680 the exhausted Austrian columns have  become spread out and disordered. 1135 02:01:17,680 --> 02:01:22,080 The sudden appearance of French  cavalry – supported by infantry and   1136 02:01:22,080 --> 02:01:26,080 guns - sparks panic… and a mass rout. 1137 02:01:26,080 --> 02:01:31,760 Alvinczi – who must have thought himself on  the cusp of victory moments before – must   1138 02:01:31,760 --> 02:01:39,080 join in an undignified race to the rear,  spreading further alarm among his men. 1139 02:01:39,080 --> 02:01:42,480 By 1pm, the bulk of the Austrian army is in   1140 02:01:42,480 --> 02:01:50,760 headlong retreat… leaving Lusignan’s  First Column.. in an awkward position. 1141 02:01:50,760 --> 02:01:55,480 Completely isolated, he begins  a fighting withdrawal… but the   1142 02:01:55,480 --> 02:02:00,640 arrival of General Rey’s brigade  in his rear triggers a rout. 1143 02:02:00,640 --> 02:02:09,480 Fewer than half of his 4,000 men escape. 1144 02:02:09,480 --> 02:02:13,480 Through tenacity, courage and good fortune,   1145 02:02:13,480 --> 02:02:21,040 the Army of Italy has turned a grim  situation into an astonishing triumph. 1146 02:02:21,040 --> 02:02:31,920 French casualties are modest.  Austrian losses are devastating. 1147 02:02:31,920 --> 02:02:36,520 Over the next few days, five  thousand more Austrians are captured,   1148 02:02:36,520 --> 02:02:42,000 as they struggle back through the mountain passes. 1149 02:02:42,000 --> 02:02:47,360 Napoleon will not be there to see  it. He’s received news that Provera   1150 02:02:47,360 --> 02:02:51,840 has crossed the Adige, and is marching on Mantua. 1151 02:02:52,480 --> 02:02:55,240 It is a chance for him to strike one more   1152 02:02:55,240 --> 02:03:16,280 blow against the enemy – and  to seal the fate of Mantua. 1153 02:03:16,280 --> 02:03:22,240 Leaving Joubert in command at Rivoli,  with orders to renew the attack at dawn,   1154 02:03:22,240 --> 02:03:27,480 Napoleon races south with Masséna’s division. 1155 02:03:27,480 --> 02:03:30,440 Provera has no clue of the disaster that’s   1156 02:03:30,440 --> 02:03:36,480 engulfed Alvinczi’s army. Nor that  the wolves now gather for him… 1157 02:03:36,480 --> 02:03:46,640 He pushes on to Mantua, shadowed by Augereau, who  snaps up his rearguard – 2,000 men taken prisoner. 1158 02:03:46,640 --> 02:03:56,840 With just 7,000 left, Provera’s only hope  is to break through the French siege lines. 1159 02:03:56,840 --> 02:04:02,880 First, he tries to attack San  Giorgio. Formidable French   1160 02:04:02,880 --> 02:04:16,840 defences and a powerful cannonade stop him cold.   1161 02:04:16,840 --> 02:04:25,640 The next day, he launches a coordinated attack  with Wurmser against French forces at La Favorita. 1162 02:04:25,640 --> 02:04:32,920 But Napoleon has now arrived with  Masséna’s division from the north.   1163 02:04:32,920 --> 02:04:40,600 Wurmser’s weak, starving men are forced  back into the Citadel… while a determined   1164 02:04:40,600 --> 02:04:49,200 charge by the 57th demi-brigade  smashes into Provera’s flank. 1165 02:04:49,200 --> 02:04:51,880 With Augereau approaching from the east,   1166 02:04:51,880 --> 02:05:08,640 Provera faces impossible odds.. and  surrenders with his entire force. 1167 02:05:08,640 --> 02:05:13,080 Wurmser’s last hope of rescue has been crushed. 1168 02:05:13,080 --> 02:05:18,280 He puts off the inevitable for  two agonising weeks… Until,   1169 02:05:18,280 --> 02:05:26,440 with all food exhausted, he finally accepts  terms for Mantua’s surrender on 2nd February. 1170 02:05:26,440 --> 02:05:35,160 He and an escort will return to Austria. His  16,000 remaining troops become prisoners. 1171 02:05:35,160 --> 02:05:43,880 Austrian losses in the campaign  reach a staggering 44,000 men. 1172 02:05:43,880 --> 02:05:49,240 After 8 months, the siege of  Mantua is over… A victory that   1173 02:05:49,240 --> 02:05:53,320 will soon be celebrated on the streets of Paris. 1174 02:05:53,320 --> 02:06:00,520 But it is General Sérurier, not Napoleon,  who takes the formal Austrian surrender. 1175 02:06:00,520 --> 02:06:21,560 His commander-in-chief has already departed,  to take on his next opponent – the Pope. 1176 02:06:22,560 --> 02:06:28,720 From Rome, Pope Pius the Sixth has once  more been agitating against the French. 1177 02:06:28,720 --> 02:06:37,360 And so Napoleon marches south with 9,000 men  to explain the new realities of power in Italy. 1178 02:06:37,360 --> 02:06:47,000 At Faenza, General Victor’s division sweeps aside  Papal forces, and Ancona is taken without a fight. 1179 02:06:47,000 --> 02:06:52,600 The subsequent Treaty of Tolentino  forces the Pope to give up Romagna,   1180 02:06:52,600 --> 02:06:58,480 as well as 30 million francs and 100 works of art. 1181 02:06:58,480 --> 02:07:05,560 Belatedly, Napoleon’s victories persuade  the Directory to back him in force.   1182 02:07:05,560 --> 02:07:11,320 French armies stuck on the Rhine are  ordered to send him reinforcements. 1183 02:07:11,320 --> 02:07:17,440 Their 34 year old commander - another rising  star of the French army - is congratulated   1184 02:07:17,440 --> 02:07:28,320 on his brilliant winter crossing of the  Alps. His name is General Jean Bernadotte. 1185 02:07:28,320 --> 02:07:32,400 On 10th March, with 70,000 confident,   1186 02:07:32,400 --> 02:07:38,800 seasoned troops under his command,  Napoleon goes on the offensive. 1187 02:07:38,800 --> 02:07:46,320 He sends Joubert to invade the Tyrol…  Masséna to advance up the Piave valley…   1188 02:07:46,320 --> 02:07:51,440 while he leads the bulk of the army  on the most direct road to Vienna. 1189 02:07:52,320 --> 02:07:56,320 The enemy is scattered and demoralised. 1190 02:07:56,320 --> 02:08:02,120 Even the appointment of a new commander,  the Emperor’s own brother Archduke Charles,   1191 02:08:02,120 --> 02:08:08,600 fails to restore morale. Charles is  regarded as a military prodigy – he’s   1192 02:08:08,600 --> 02:08:12,960 two years younger than Napoleon, and  has defeated the armies of both General   1193 02:08:12,960 --> 02:08:21,000 Jourdan and Moreau in Germany. But he  does not have enough troops, or time. 1194 02:08:21,000 --> 02:08:28,560 He fights a delaying action at the  Tagliamento River – but it ends in disaster,   1195 02:08:28,560 --> 02:08:39,440 when Bernadotte surrounds and captures  2,000 Austrians, 10 guns and 8 standards. 1196 02:08:39,440 --> 02:08:49,520 The French pursuit continues, with Masséna  covering Napoleon’s northern flank. 1197 02:08:49,520 --> 02:08:57,120 He arrives at Tarvis in time to  block the Austrians’ retreat. 1198 02:08:57,120 --> 02:09:06,720 In three days’ fighting, the French  take another 3,000 prisoners. 1199 02:09:06,720 --> 02:09:13,720 Napoleon’s troops outmarch and  outfight the Austrians at every turn. 1200 02:09:13,720 --> 02:09:20,000 But his situation is more precarious than it  seems. The other French armies are only just   1201 02:09:20,000 --> 02:09:27,280 crossing the Rhine.. while his own supply  lines are now over-extended and vulnerable. 1202 02:09:27,280 --> 02:09:31,480 Rather than withdraw,  Napoleon continues to advance,   1203 02:09:31,480 --> 02:09:37,400 while proposing to Archduke Charles  that they open peace negotiations. 1204 02:09:37,400 --> 02:09:43,160 The Austrians accept. 1205 02:09:43,160 --> 02:09:51,320 Two days later, both sides agree an  armistice, and peace talks begin at Leoben. 1206 02:09:52,280 --> 02:09:56,440 After five years of conflict, Napoleon’s dazzling   1207 02:09:56,440 --> 02:10:07,560 advance into Austria has brought the  War of the First Coalition to an end... 1208 02:10:07,560 --> 02:10:14,320 So ends Napoleon’s first campaign –  almost exactly a year after it began,   1209 02:10:14,320 --> 02:10:21,320 380 miles away, on the  shores of the Mediterranean. 1210 02:10:37,280 --> 02:10:46,120 Negotiations at Leoben become the basis for the  Treaty of Campo Formio, signed five months later. 1211 02:10:46,120 --> 02:10:51,240 The Austrian Netherlands, roughly  modern Belgium, formally pass to France. 1212 02:10:53,480 --> 02:10:58,400 The Venetian Republic, invaded and  systematically looted by Napoleon’s   1213 02:10:58,400 --> 02:11:06,160 troops, is divided between France and Austria. 1214 02:11:06,160 --> 02:11:13,320 So ends the 1,200 year history of  the Serene Republic of Venice. The   1215 02:11:13,320 --> 02:11:20,560 famous Horses of St.Mark are among its many  treasures despatched to the Louvre in Paris,   1216 02:11:20,560 --> 02:11:27,480 to join its rapidly-expanding Italian collection. 1217 02:11:27,480 --> 02:11:36,160 The French part of Venice joins its other Italian  client-states, to form a new Cisalpine Republic. 1218 02:11:36,160 --> 02:11:46,080 The author of its constitution…  Napoleon Bonaparte. 1219 02:11:46,080 --> 02:11:54,520 It’s an illustration of how far the  27-year-old general has come in just a year. 1220 02:11:54,520 --> 02:11:59,920 Having waged one of the most brilliant  military campaigns in history – many   1221 02:11:59,920 --> 02:12:08,480 would say his best – he now dictates terms to  kings and popes, summons new states into being,   1222 02:12:08,480 --> 02:12:16,640 and nurtures his status as the most  celebrated military commander in Europe. 1223 02:12:16,640 --> 02:12:24,520 He has achieved all this thanks to formidable  intelligence, relentless hard work and inspiring   1224 02:12:24,520 --> 02:12:31,920 leadership, which he has used to forge  a unique bond of trust with his men. 1225 02:12:31,920 --> 02:12:37,400 He’s had luck, too, along the way.  And been ably served by a group of   1226 02:12:37,400 --> 02:12:45,160 brilliant officers – many of whom  will be with him for years to come. 1227 02:12:45,160 --> 02:12:50,640 For Napoleon still has many  extraordinary things to achieve. 1228 02:12:50,640 --> 02:13:17,840 His Italian campaign is just the first chapter..  in one of the most astonishing lives in history. 1229 02:13:17,840 --> 02:13:20,920 May 1798. 1230 02:13:20,920 --> 02:13:27,200 A massive French invasion force  sails across the Mediterranean. 1231 02:13:27,200 --> 02:13:35,800 55,000 men, aboard more than 300 ships,  escorted by 13 ships-of-the-line. 1232 02:13:35,800 --> 02:13:45,240 Aboard the most powerful of these - the 120-gun  L’Orient - sails General Napoleon Bonaparte. 1233 02:13:45,240 --> 02:13:51,040 France’s celebrated hero of the war in Italy  has received new orders from his government. 1234 02:13:53,240 --> 02:13:56,840 He is to lead an expeditionary force east,   1235 02:13:56,840 --> 02:14:01,880 to Egypt… the wealthiest  province of the Ottoman Empire... 1236 02:14:01,880 --> 02:14:14,560 and to all educated Europeans, an  ancient land of mystery and wonder. 1237 02:14:14,560 --> 02:14:17,200 After six years of war in Europe,   1238 02:14:17,200 --> 02:14:24,840 the French Republic faces one last  remaining enemy – Great Britain. 1239 02:14:24,840 --> 02:14:31,160 The conquest of Egypt will strike a powerful blow  against the British, disrupting their trade in   1240 02:14:31,160 --> 02:14:38,080 the Eastern Mediterranean, and threatening  their connections to India and the east. 1241 02:14:38,080 --> 02:14:44,160 These profitable trade networks  help fuel the British war effort. 1242 02:14:44,160 --> 02:14:49,200 What’s more, it will extend France’s  revolutionary, civilizing mission to   1243 02:14:49,200 --> 02:14:58,600 the people of Egypt, liberating them  from superstition and feudalism. 1244 02:14:58,600 --> 02:15:01,480 France’s corrupt and avaricious government,   1245 02:15:01,480 --> 02:15:06,480 the Directory, sees two further  benefits from the campaign… 1246 02:15:06,480 --> 02:15:10,560 The opportunity to acquire tremendous riches… 1247 02:15:10,560 --> 02:15:15,800 And to get the alarmingly popular and  ambitious General Bonaparte far away   1248 02:15:15,800 --> 02:15:20,960 from Paris – where plots and coups  are never far from anyone’s mind. 1249 02:15:22,840 --> 02:15:29,760 Napoleon is thrilled by the expedition, which he  has done much to promote and organize himself. 1250 02:15:29,760 --> 02:15:32,480 It is a chance to win fresh glory,   1251 02:15:32,480 --> 02:15:40,720 and to walk in the footsteps of his heroes  – Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great. 1252 02:15:40,720 --> 02:15:44,440 Like Alexander, Napoleon even has fanciful notions   1253 02:15:44,440 --> 02:15:49,480 of marching on to India, to  attack the British there. 1254 02:15:49,480 --> 02:15:54,120 “Europe is a molehill” he had  told his secretary, Bourrienne. 1255 02:15:54,120 --> 02:16:02,800 “We must set off for the Orient; that is where  all the greatest glory has been achieved.” 1256 02:16:02,800 --> 02:16:07,600 But the Mediterranean is  dangerous water for the French. 1257 02:16:07,600 --> 02:16:13,640 While the Republic’s armies have won great  victories on land, Britain has cemented its   1258 02:16:13,640 --> 02:16:19,720 status as the dominant naval power of the age  – with decisive victories over French allies:   1259 02:16:19,720 --> 02:16:25,800 the Spanish, at Cape Saint Vincent,  and the Dutch, at Camperdown. 1260 02:16:25,800 --> 02:16:29,600 Rear Admiral Sir Horatio  Nelson and his squadron of   1261 02:16:29,600 --> 02:16:37,680 14 ships-of-the-line now prowl the Mediterranean. 1262 02:16:37,680 --> 02:16:42,280 Nelson knows a large French  fleet has just left Toulon,   1263 02:16:42,280 --> 02:16:50,200 but does not know its destination,  which remains a closely-guarded secret. 1264 02:16:50,200 --> 02:16:59,478 Undetected, the French expedition  sails south along the Italian coast. 1265 02:16:59,478 --> 02:17:07,839 On 9th June, it arrives off Malta. 1266 02:17:07,840 --> 02:17:09,840 The island is ruled by the Knights of   1267 02:17:09,840 --> 02:17:16,160 Saint John – a religious military  order dating back to the Crusades. 1268 02:17:16,160 --> 02:17:19,920 But the French have decided that  they want it for a naval base,   1269 02:17:19,920 --> 02:17:23,359 and a thorn in the side of the British. 1270 02:17:23,359 --> 02:17:33,519 In 1565, the Knights had famously held out  against a vast Ottoman army for three months. 1271 02:17:33,520 --> 02:17:38,318 Now, despised by the locals,  divided amongst themselves,   1272 02:17:38,318 --> 02:17:44,718 the Knights surrender to  Napoleon in just two days. 1273 02:17:44,719 --> 02:17:50,318 During his six days in Malta, Napoleon  overhauls its archaic government,   1274 02:17:50,318 --> 02:17:58,478 establishes schools, abolishes slavery,  and requisitions money and supplies. 1275 02:17:58,478 --> 02:18:07,240 Then he sails for Egypt, leaving General Vaubois  and a 5,000 strong garrison to hold the island. 1276 02:18:07,240 --> 02:18:11,318 But where.. is the Royal Navy? 1277 02:18:11,318 --> 02:18:15,799 Back in May, Nelson’s squadron  had been dispersed by gales. 1278 02:18:15,799 --> 02:18:23,359 He has now regrouped, correctly guessed Napoleon’s  destination, and is racing to intercept. 1279 02:18:23,359 --> 02:18:26,478 If he can catch the French, British seamanship   1280 02:18:26,478 --> 02:18:32,160 and gunnery all but guarantee the  destruction of Napoleon’s fleet. 1281 02:18:32,160 --> 02:18:36,439 Then a lucky break for the French. 1282 02:18:36,439 --> 02:18:43,439 On the night of the 22nd, Nelson’s squadron  passes within a few miles of the French fleet…   1283 02:18:43,439 --> 02:18:50,718 but thanks to heavy fog and darkness, neither  side is even aware of the other’s presence. 1284 02:18:52,240 --> 02:18:59,558 The British squadron sails on to Alexandria..  where they find no sign of the French. 1285 02:18:59,559 --> 02:19:06,920 An exasperated Nelson waits 24 hours,  before heading north to continue his search. 1286 02:19:06,920 --> 02:19:20,719 Just hours later, the first of  Napoleon’s ships arrive off Alexandria. 1287 02:19:27,959 --> 02:19:35,920 Napoleon, aware that British warships are in the  area, wants to disembark as quickly as possible. 1288 02:19:35,920 --> 02:19:39,478 5,000 French infantry go ashore at night,   1289 02:19:39,478 --> 02:19:45,359 storm Alexandria the next morning,  and quickly overpower its garrison. 1290 02:19:45,359 --> 02:19:51,040 The rest of the French army lands safely. 1291 02:19:51,040 --> 02:19:58,399 Napoleon has brought 38,000 troops to  Egypt, mostly veterans of the Army of Italy. 1292 02:19:58,399 --> 02:20:07,160 The five infantry divisions are commanded by  Generals Bon, Desaix, Kléber, Menou, and Reynier. 1293 02:20:07,160 --> 02:20:15,000 The single cavalry division is led by the  towering figure of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas. 1294 02:20:15,000 --> 02:20:20,640 He is France’s first black general - born  in what’s now Haiti, to a French aristocrat   1295 02:20:21,319 --> 02:20:26,399 and enslaved African woman. He has  already won fame for his actions   1296 02:20:26,399 --> 02:20:31,960 in Italy, where the Austrians had  nicknamed him ‘the Black Devil’. 1297 02:20:31,960 --> 02:20:36,280 There are more familiar faces from  Italy – Napoleon’s chief-of-staff,   1298 02:20:36,280 --> 02:20:40,160 the indefatigable General Berthier; 1299 02:20:40,160 --> 02:20:47,880 and brigade commanders, generals  Murat, Lannes, and Marmont. 1300 02:20:47,880 --> 02:20:53,280 The army is also accompanied  by 167 scientists, scholars,   1301 02:20:53,280 --> 02:20:59,160 artists and assorted experts, even a hot  air balloonist. Collectively they are known   1302 02:20:59,160 --> 02:21:06,399 as the “Savants”, and have come to study  Egypt’s historical and natural wonders. 1303 02:21:06,399 --> 02:21:12,679 But they, and Napoleon, find  Alexandria a bitter disappointment. 1304 02:21:12,680 --> 02:21:17,160 The fabled city of antiquity,  founded by Alexander himself,   1305 02:21:17,160 --> 02:21:27,240 has been reduced by centuries of earthquakes and  neglect to a ramshackle town of 6,000 inhabitants. 1306 02:21:27,240 --> 02:21:31,439 Egypt is nominally ruled by the Ottoman Empire. 1307 02:21:31,439 --> 02:21:41,960 In reality, power lies with local Mamluk warlords.  Two in particular: Murad Bey, and Ibrahim Bey. 1308 02:21:41,960 --> 02:21:48,399 Mamluks were originally slave soldiers  who once served the Islamic Caliphate.   1309 02:21:48,399 --> 02:21:54,960 Superb horsemen and fearless warriors,  they now rule Egypt with an iron fist,   1310 02:21:54,960 --> 02:22:00,479 expropriating its wealth, and  leaving its peasants in poverty. 1311 02:22:00,479 --> 02:22:06,559 To most Egyptians, they are despised, foreign  overlords – a situation that Napoleon hopes   1312 02:22:06,560 --> 02:22:12,920 to exploit with clever propaganda. To the  people of Egypt, he proclaims, “I am come   1313 02:22:12,920 --> 02:22:20,520 to restore your rights, and punish usurpers.  I reverence God, his Prophet and the Koran.” 1314 02:22:23,720 --> 02:22:29,040 Meanwhile Murad and Ibrahim summon  Mamluk warlords to the al-Azhar   1315 02:22:29,040 --> 02:22:37,760 Mosque in Cairo. Here, they agree to  gather an army to crush the invaders. 1316 02:22:37,760 --> 02:22:42,160 Napoleon believes his best  option is to strike quickly. 1317 02:22:42,160 --> 02:22:50,439 Less than a day after his troops finish  landing, he begins his advance on Cairo. 1318 02:22:51,200 --> 02:22:59,080 But he misjudges the blistering climate,  and the barren, windswept landscape. 1319 02:22:59,080 --> 02:23:04,640 He forces the pace, even after his men  run out of water, and are consumed by   1320 02:23:04,640 --> 02:23:15,760 thirst. Hundreds collapse and die. A few  kill themselves to escape the suffering. 1321 02:23:15,760 --> 02:23:19,520 Bedouin horsemen circle the French like vultures.  1322 02:23:19,520 --> 02:23:26,479 Stragglers that fall into their hands  are robbed, tortured and killed. 1323 02:23:26,479 --> 02:23:29,479 Even old comrades like Lannes and Murat are   1324 02:23:29,479 --> 02:23:37,000 involved in heated conversations  about Napoleon’s decision-making. 1325 02:23:37,000 --> 02:23:43,080 The army takes four days to cover the  45 miles to Damanhur, where mercifully,   1326 02:23:43,080 --> 02:23:48,559 they are able to rest, drink and trade for food. 1327 02:23:48,560 --> 02:23:50,440 It's not a moment too soon. 1328 02:23:51,200 --> 02:23:58,519 News arrives that a large force of Mamluks under  Murad Bey is approaching from the southeast. 1329 02:23:58,520 --> 02:24:04,960 The French advance to meet them at  Shubra Khit, on the banks of the Nile. 1330 02:24:04,960 --> 02:24:11,760 As 4,000 Mamluk horsemen come into view, the  French marvel at their brightly colored outfits,   1331 02:24:11,760 --> 02:24:16,479 embellished with gold and jewels..  and their many, ornate weapons,   1332 02:24:16,479 --> 02:24:20,359 including pistols, swords, daggers, and lances. 1333 02:24:21,160 --> 02:24:29,200 Murad boasts that he will sever Frenchmen’s  heads like slicing watermelons in a field. 1334 02:24:29,200 --> 02:24:31,639 But for all their bravado and panache,   1335 02:24:31,640 --> 02:24:38,640 the Mamluks have neither the discipline  nor tactics to face a trained, modern army. 1336 02:24:38,640 --> 02:24:43,640 When Napoleon forms his troops into  giant squares, the Mamluk cavalry can   1337 02:24:43,640 --> 02:24:50,320 only circle impotently, unable to break  through the walls of French bayonets. 1338 02:24:51,439 --> 02:25:00,359 Scores are shot from the saddle. After two hours,  the Mamluks call off their attack, and retreat. 1339 02:25:00,359 --> 02:25:08,200 They have suffered around a thousand  casualties. The French have scarcely lost a man. 1340 02:25:08,200 --> 02:25:15,319 The victory is a much-needed morale boost for  Napoleon’s men after the hardships of the desert. 1341 02:25:15,319 --> 02:25:20,439 The Mamluks fall back to Embaba, a  small town on the banks of the Nile,   1342 02:25:20,439 --> 02:25:24,599 across the river from Cairo. 1343 02:25:24,600 --> 02:25:30,240 Here, within sight of Egypt’s fabled  Pyramids nine miles to the south,   1344 02:25:30,240 --> 02:25:50,240 they will face the invader..  with their full force. 1345 02:26:00,040 --> 02:26:07,720 On the sweltering afternoon of 21st  July, Napoleon’s forces approach Embaba. 1346 02:26:07,720 --> 02:26:14,120 He has 25,000 men, organized into  five giant, divisional squares,   1347 02:26:14,120 --> 02:26:20,240 with cavalry and baggage inside,  and cannon at every corner. 1348 02:26:21,479 --> 02:26:24,519 Murad, with characteristic boldness,   1349 02:26:24,520 --> 02:26:30,640 has crossed to the west bank of  the Nile, leaving Ibrahim behind. 1350 02:26:30,640 --> 02:26:38,760 Their forces total many thousands, but  sources disagree wildly on just how many. 1351 02:26:38,760 --> 02:26:44,560 His elite Mamluk cavalry – 6,000 strong  - are deployed between the small village   1352 02:26:44,560 --> 02:26:50,359 of Biktil and the well-fortified town of  Embaba.. which is garrisoned by a mix of   1353 02:26:50,359 --> 02:26:58,200 Ottoman infantry, and peasant militia. Napoleon’s plan is simple - to drive   1354 02:26:58,200 --> 02:27:05,160 through the enemy center, and crush  their right flank against the river. 1355 02:27:05,160 --> 02:27:12,359 At 3:30 pm, Desaix and Reynier’s  divisions begin their advance. 1356 02:27:12,359 --> 02:27:18,080 But as they move across the broken ground,  their formation becomes disordered. 1357 02:27:18,080 --> 02:27:22,960 Murad spots his chance, and unleashes his cavalry. 1358 02:27:22,960 --> 02:27:27,040 The Mamluks thunder forward at lightning speed. 1359 02:27:27,040 --> 02:27:32,040 Desaix and Reynier react just  in time, and close ranks. 1360 02:27:32,040 --> 02:27:41,040 The French hold their fire until the last  moment, then unleash a devastating volley. 1361 02:27:41,040 --> 02:27:43,880 Horses and riders are sent tumbling. 1362 02:27:43,880 --> 02:27:47,080 The survivors have no way to  get to grips with the enemy,   1363 02:27:47,080 --> 02:27:50,120 who continue pouring deadly fire into their midst. 1364 02:27:52,240 --> 02:28:00,479 The Mamluks wheel back to regroup,  but more charges meet the same result. 1365 02:28:00,479 --> 02:28:05,639 Many Mamluks simply give up and flee the field. 1366 02:28:05,640 --> 02:28:12,120 Napoleon orders the divisions  of Bon and Vial to move forward. 1367 02:28:12,120 --> 02:28:16,840 Once more the Mamluk cavalry charge. Once more the   1368 02:28:16,840 --> 02:28:22,680 wave of horsemen shatters on  French musketry and bayonets. 1369 02:28:22,680 --> 02:28:32,640 With the enemy cavalry broken, Bon  and Vial’s men pour into Embaba. 1370 02:28:32,640 --> 02:28:44,720 It is a slaughter. Those who are not killed  flee into the Nile, where hundreds drown. 1371 02:28:44,720 --> 02:28:49,760 Murad Bey escapes with the  remnants of his cavalry to Giza,   1372 02:28:49,760 --> 02:28:53,200 from where he will withdraw to southern Egypt. 1373 02:28:53,200 --> 02:29:04,960 Ibrahim Bey watches the calamity unfold across the  river, then withdraws with his men back to Cairo. 1374 02:29:04,960 --> 02:29:11,240 It is a crushing, one-sided  victory that takes just two hours. 1375 02:29:11,240 --> 02:29:15,240 The Mamluks suffer more than 5,000 casualties,   1376 02:29:15,240 --> 02:29:20,439 with heavy losses among their  elite cavalry and leadership. 1377 02:29:20,439 --> 02:29:26,359 French losses are less than 300, mostly wounded. 1378 02:29:26,359 --> 02:29:31,920 Napoleon, with his usual flair for PR,  decides this great victory will be known   1379 02:29:31,920 --> 02:29:38,520 as the Battle of the Pyramids..  just in sight, to the south. 1380 02:29:38,520 --> 02:29:44,800 On 24th July, Napoleon enters Cairo. 1381 02:29:44,800 --> 02:29:47,880 Parts of the city are abandoned and in ashes,   1382 02:29:47,880 --> 02:29:51,960 after being torched by the Mamluks  in their frantic withdrawal. 1383 02:29:51,960 --> 02:29:57,439 Napoleon observes “It would be difficult  to find a richer land and a more wretched,   1384 02:29:57,439 --> 02:30:01,439 ignorant, and brutish people.” 1385 02:30:01,439 --> 02:30:11,160 Nonetheless, Cairo is the heart of Egypt, a city  of 600,000 inhabitants... and is in French hands. 1386 02:30:11,160 --> 02:30:14,080 With the Mamluks scattered and on the run,   1387 02:30:14,080 --> 02:30:19,960 Napoleon’s dream of eastern  conquest seems about to be realized. 1388 02:30:21,359 --> 02:30:38,719 Just eight days later, the dream is shattered. 1389 02:30:38,720 --> 02:30:43,120 At sea, Nelson and the British  Mediterranean squadron have not   1390 02:30:43,120 --> 02:30:46,800 given up their hunt for the French fleet. 1391 02:30:46,800 --> 02:30:56,640 Finally, on the afternoon of 1st August, Nelson  finds the French, sheltering in Aboukir Bay. 1392 02:30:56,640 --> 02:31:05,000 With 14 ships of the line against 13,  he decides to attack that evening. 1393 02:31:05,000 --> 02:31:08,960 The British win a complete and stunning victory. 1394 02:31:08,960 --> 02:31:20,240 The giant French flagship, L’Orient,  is destroyed in a massive explosion. 1395 02:31:20,240 --> 02:31:23,599 By the time it's over, the  British have destroyed or   1396 02:31:23,600 --> 02:31:31,399 captured 11 French ships-of-the-line,  and taken more than 3,000 prisoners. 1397 02:31:31,399 --> 02:31:35,639 With no fleet, Napoleon is stranded in Egypt. 1398 02:31:35,640 --> 02:31:42,000 What’s more, most of his army’s  cash has gone down with L'Orient. 1399 02:31:42,000 --> 02:31:48,920 But Napoleon does not despair. If  anything, he is invigorated by the crisis. 1400 02:31:48,920 --> 02:31:53,960 His options are now simple. He and his army must   1401 02:31:53,960 --> 02:32:01,680 support themselves in this  foreign land, or perish. 1402 02:32:01,680 --> 02:32:06,279 While General Desaix is sent  south in pursuit of Murad Bey,   1403 02:32:06,279 --> 02:32:11,880 Napoleon sets about reforming  the administration of Egypt. 1404 02:32:11,880 --> 02:32:18,640 The old feudal system is abolished. A  postal service and hospitals are set up,   1405 02:32:18,640 --> 02:32:23,960 and a new tax system introduced. 1406 02:32:23,960 --> 02:32:32,160 Napoleon establishes the ‘Institute of  Egypt’ for scientific and scholarly research. 1407 02:32:32,160 --> 02:32:38,880 He shows great interest in and respect for  Islam, funding the construction of mosques,   1408 02:32:38,880 --> 02:32:43,399 and encouraging the observance  of religious festivals. 1409 02:32:43,399 --> 02:32:47,319 Such engagement later leads to  rumours that Napoleon actually   1410 02:32:47,319 --> 02:32:55,080 converted to Islam. But it is merely  a tactic, to curry local favour. 1411 02:32:55,080 --> 02:33:02,720 Napoleon also grapples with news that his wife  Josephine has resumed her affair with an ex-lover. 1412 02:33:02,720 --> 02:33:07,600 It is, he’s told, common  knowledge amongst Paris society. 1413 02:33:07,600 --> 02:33:16,520 He consoles himself with affairs of his  own... including one with an officer’s wife. 1414 02:33:16,520 --> 02:33:24,240 All the while, French efforts to win  over the local population.. are failing. 1415 02:33:24,240 --> 02:33:31,000 Most Egyptians see only  foreign occupiers and infidels. 1416 02:33:31,000 --> 02:33:37,640 The situation is already at boiling point.  Minor revolts break out across the Nile Delta,   1417 02:33:37,640 --> 02:33:42,439 which are brutally suppressed by the French. 1418 02:33:42,439 --> 02:33:45,759 Then in September, from Constantinople,   1419 02:33:45,760 --> 02:33:49,720 Sultan Selim the Third declares  a holy war against the French. 1420 02:33:51,520 --> 02:34:09,359 Now, the situation in Egypt is about to explode. 1421 02:34:09,359 --> 02:34:15,399 Cairo. 21st October, 1798. 1422 02:34:15,399 --> 02:34:23,000 General Dupuy, Cairo’s military governor,  is called out to break up a disturbance. 1423 02:34:23,000 --> 02:34:30,240 He finds the locals erecting  barricades, is set upon, and killed. 1424 02:34:30,240 --> 02:34:36,559 Soon, the whole city is up in arms. 1425 02:34:36,560 --> 02:34:41,960 The French fight back with ruthless  discipline, and crush the revolt. 1426 02:34:41,960 --> 02:34:49,680 Some 300 French soldiers are killed,  alongside several thousand Egyptians. 1427 02:34:49,680 --> 02:34:53,680 Napoleon ostentatiously pardons the ringleaders… 1428 02:34:53,680 --> 02:34:57,399 while quietly telling Berthier  that every rioter caught with a   1429 02:34:57,399 --> 02:35:04,000 weapon is to be beheaded,  and thrown into the Nile. 1430 02:35:04,000 --> 02:35:09,080 The French have bloodily  reasserted control in Cairo. 1431 02:35:09,080 --> 02:35:18,479 But it is clear Napoleon will never win  the hearts and minds of the Egyptians. 1432 02:35:18,479 --> 02:35:23,000 The next few months see the  French languish in Cairo. 1433 02:35:23,000 --> 02:35:27,680 There is limited communication  with France, much homesickness,   1434 02:35:27,680 --> 02:35:33,640 and a dwindling supply of  stores, ammunition and wine. 1435 02:35:33,640 --> 02:35:43,319 There is also an outbreak of bubonic plague, which  torments the army, and further thins its ranks. 1436 02:35:43,319 --> 02:35:47,880 The only action is in the south,  where General Desaix’s column,   1437 02:35:47,880 --> 02:35:54,399 2,800 men, pursue Murad Bey deep into Upper Egypt. 1438 02:35:54,399 --> 02:36:02,160 In this epic chase, one officer distinguishes  himself – a 28-year-old cavalry brigadier,   1439 02:36:02,160 --> 02:36:07,040 named Louis-Nicolas Davout. 1440 02:36:07,040 --> 02:36:15,120 On 22nd January 1799, he and Desaix  inflict a serious defeat on Murad Bey,   1441 02:36:15,120 --> 02:36:17,840 scattering his remaining forces. 1442 02:36:17,840 --> 02:36:23,279 Murad himself escapes, and remains at large. 1443 02:36:23,279 --> 02:36:30,200 But such military victories do little to  change the outlook for Napoleon’s expedition. 1444 02:36:30,200 --> 02:36:38,479 They remain 1,600 miles from France, with no  prospect of reinforcements, or getting home. 1445 02:36:38,479 --> 02:36:43,319 Napoleon briefly puts his  hopes in a diplomatic solution. 1446 02:36:43,319 --> 02:36:47,799 France’s foreign minister – the  brilliant, urbane and slippery   1447 02:36:47,800 --> 02:36:54,640 Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand - had been an  early supporter of the Egyptian expedition. 1448 02:36:54,640 --> 02:36:59,200 He’s assured Napoleon that he will  personally travel to Constantinople,   1449 02:36:59,200 --> 02:37:04,679 to smooth relations with the  Sultan, and win Egypt for France. 1450 02:37:04,680 --> 02:37:08,240 But Talleyrand never leaves Paris. 1451 02:37:08,240 --> 02:37:14,399 The Sultan remains furious at France’s  attack on his Egyptian province. 1452 02:37:14,399 --> 02:37:21,040 There is to be no negotiation, and no  compromise. Orders have gone out to every   1453 02:37:21,040 --> 02:37:28,560 corner of the Ottoman Empire, to raise  troops, to drive out the French invader. 1454 02:37:28,560 --> 02:37:35,080 Napoleon’s position looks more desperate  than it’s ever been – his troops cut off,   1455 02:37:35,080 --> 02:37:39,760 disease-ridden, in the midst  of a hostile population… 1456 02:37:39,760 --> 02:37:43,640 He will respond in the way  that seems obvious to him,   1457 02:37:43,640 --> 02:37:49,440 as it would to his hero  Alexander – he will attack. 1458 02:37:50,200 --> 02:37:57,000 The forces gathering in Syria, rumoured to  be 50,000 strong, pose the greatest threat. 1459 02:37:57,000 --> 02:38:04,200 So they will be his first target. 1460 02:38:04,200 --> 02:38:10,120 On 10th February, Napoleon leads  a force of just 13,000 men into   1461 02:38:10,120 --> 02:38:14,760 the Sinai Desert, bound for the Holy Land. 1462 02:38:14,760 --> 02:38:19,440 It’s all the men he can spare, with  so many needed to hold down Egypt. 1463 02:38:21,200 --> 02:38:27,559 Nevertheless, it’s a highly-motivated,  experienced and well-led force - organized   1464 02:38:27,560 --> 02:38:37,760 into four infantry divisions, and a  cavalry brigade, commanded by Murat. 1465 02:38:37,760 --> 02:38:46,439 For Napoleon, speed and surprise are imperative  – but things start to go wrong very quickly. 1466 02:38:46,439 --> 02:38:49,919 The French are again poorly prepared for the harsh   1467 02:38:49,920 --> 02:38:59,880 conditions and heat of the desert.  Water is scarce. Food runs short. 1468 02:38:59,880 --> 02:39:09,840 At el-Arish, they unexpectedly find the  town garrisoned by 3,000 Ottoman soldiers. 1469 02:39:09,840 --> 02:39:19,360 The siege holds Napoleon up for 11 days, and costs  400 casualties, both of which he can ill afford. 1470 02:39:21,240 --> 02:39:27,840 The garrison’s surrender is secured only  with generous terms: they are disarmed but   1471 02:39:27,840 --> 02:39:38,479 allowed to leave, after swearing an oath not  to take up arms against the French for a year. 1472 02:39:38,479 --> 02:39:43,839 The French army continues into  Palestine - its fertile plains   1473 02:39:43,840 --> 02:39:48,600 and fruit trees a relief after the desert. 1474 02:39:48,600 --> 02:39:52,960 On 24th February, the French occupy Gaza,   1475 02:39:52,960 --> 02:40:00,720 where they are delighted to find large stores of  food and ammunition, abandoned by the Ottomans. 1476 02:40:00,720 --> 02:40:11,120 Napoleon’s next objective is the port-city  of Jaffa, held by 5,000 Ottoman soldiers. 1477 02:40:11,120 --> 02:40:19,319 His field guns blast away at its stone  walls, until finally, a breach is made. 1478 02:40:20,000 --> 02:40:25,800 But when Napoleon sends a messenger to invite  surrender, to spare both sides the horrors   1479 02:40:25,800 --> 02:40:35,840 of an assault – the Ottomans cut off his  head, and display it from the city walls. 1480 02:40:35,840 --> 02:40:42,279 Enraged French soldiers storm the  breach, and overwhelm the defenders.   1481 02:40:42,279 --> 02:40:49,240 Then they flood into the city, embarking  on a killing spree that lasts 24 hours. 1482 02:40:52,520 --> 02:40:58,880 “The sights were terrible,” wrote one French  witness, “the sound of shots, the shrieks of women   1483 02:40:58,880 --> 02:41:08,920 and fathers… piles of bodies, the smell of blood…  the shouts of victors quarrelling about loot.” 1484 02:41:08,920 --> 02:41:13,720 The butchery is indiscriminate –  women and children are slaughtered,   1485 02:41:13,720 --> 02:41:18,319 alongside 2,000 Ottoman soldiers. 1486 02:41:18,319 --> 02:41:44,319 The next day, order is gradually  restored. But more horrors are to come. 1487 02:41:44,319 --> 02:41:47,120 In the aftermath of the sack of Jaffa,   1488 02:41:47,120 --> 02:41:55,240 Napoleon finds himself with 3,000 Ottoman  prisoners, who have been promised their lives. 1489 02:41:55,240 --> 02:42:00,840 But with his troops and supplies already  stretched thin, he is reluctant to spare any,   1490 02:42:00,840 --> 02:42:05,359 to guard or feed these unwanted captives. 1491 02:42:05,359 --> 02:42:10,799 Besides, some are from the garrison of  el-Arish, and have broken their oath not   1492 02:42:10,800 --> 02:42:17,520 to take up arms against the French.  And they beheaded his messenger... 1493 02:42:17,520 --> 02:42:25,920 After conferring with his officers, Napoleon  gives the order to execute the prisoners. 1494 02:42:25,920 --> 02:42:33,880 Over three days, the French lead the prisoners  in batches to the beach, and slaughter them. 1495 02:42:33,880 --> 02:42:39,479 Some are shot. Some are simply driven  into the sea. And by the third day,   1496 02:42:39,479 --> 02:42:45,240 French troops are ordered to use  bayonets, to save their ammunition. 1497 02:42:45,240 --> 02:42:49,120 It is an atrocity that Napoleon will  defend for the rest of his life.   1498 02:42:50,000 --> 02:42:55,479 “I had no choice,” he insists, many years later. 1499 02:42:55,479 --> 02:43:00,959 But the massacres provide easy propaganda  for his enemies, while if the intention   1500 02:43:00,960 --> 02:43:09,279 was to terrify his enemies, it seems only  to have encouraged them to fight harder. 1501 02:43:09,279 --> 02:43:19,120 As if by divine judgement, within days, hundreds  of French soldiers fall sick with bubonic plague.   1502 02:43:19,760 --> 02:43:22,640 Napoleon shows considerable bravery,   1503 02:43:22,640 --> 02:43:32,240 visiting the sick in hospital – an act later  celebrated by his own propaganda machine. 1504 02:43:32,240 --> 02:43:40,840 Napoleon now heads towards  his main objective – Acre. 1505 02:43:40,840 --> 02:43:45,080 The ancient port-city, famed  for its role in the Crusades,   1506 02:43:45,080 --> 02:43:49,399 is now the seat of the local Ottoman governor. 1507 02:43:49,399 --> 02:43:58,240 He is Ahmed Pasha al-Djezzar - known as ‘The  Butcher’. For 25 years, he has ruled Syria   1508 02:43:58,240 --> 02:44:06,719 with an iron fist, and is notorious for  his imaginative tortures, and executions. 1509 02:44:06,720 --> 02:44:10,319 He has ignored Napoleon’s invitation to surrender. 1510 02:44:10,319 --> 02:44:19,040 And what’s more, unknown to Napoleon, two British  ships-of-the-line have arrived to support him. 1511 02:44:19,840 --> 02:44:26,080 Napoleon arrives at Mount Carmel -  12 miles south of Acre – just in time   1512 02:44:26,080 --> 02:44:33,479 to see the British capture a coastal  convoy, carrying his vital siege guns. 1513 02:44:33,479 --> 02:44:49,040 Their loss is a massive blow  to his hopes for a quick siege. 1514 02:44:54,560 --> 02:45:05,200 On 18th March, the French arrive outside  Acre’s walls, and start to dig in. 1515 02:45:05,200 --> 02:45:10,800 Without their siege guns, the city’s  defences are a major challenge. 1516 02:45:10,800 --> 02:45:17,720 Acre bristles with 250 guns, is  surrounded on three sides by the sea,   1517 02:45:17,720 --> 02:45:22,399 and on the other, by walls that are 8 feet thick. 1518 02:45:22,399 --> 02:45:28,839 The British control the sea, ensuring  easy resupply, and have landed marines,   1519 02:45:28,840 --> 02:45:36,680 naval gun crews - and now Napoleon’s own  siege guns - to bolster the defences. 1520 02:45:36,680 --> 02:45:44,240 The British commander, Commodore Sir Sidney Smith,  is energetic and full of ideas. While a French   1521 02:45:44,240 --> 02:45:53,840 emigré, Antoine de Phélippeaux, a former classmate  of Napoleon’s, provides expert siege advice.  1522 02:45:53,840 --> 02:46:00,160 Ten days after their arrival,  the French bombardment begins. 1523 02:46:00,160 --> 02:46:05,439 Napoleon’s field guns smash a small  breach in the walls, but are then   1524 02:46:05,439 --> 02:46:14,399 overwhelmed by counterfire. 40 gunners are  killed, and all but three guns disabled. 1525 02:46:14,399 --> 02:46:18,920 Napoleon sends in his  infantry, with scaling ladders. 1526 02:46:21,479 --> 02:46:24,599 A hidden moat breaks up their assault,   1527 02:46:24,600 --> 02:46:30,520 while defenders blast them with  muskets, and hurl down rocks. 1528 02:46:30,520 --> 02:46:34,359 The French hurriedly fall back in disorder. 1529 02:46:34,359 --> 02:46:39,479 Any man left behind is likely to  be decapitated – ‘the Butcher’ has   1530 02:46:39,479 --> 02:46:44,719 offered a reward for every  French head he is brought. 1531 02:46:44,720 --> 02:46:52,800 The French then repel an Ottoman  sortie, inflicting heavy losses. 1532 02:46:52,800 --> 02:46:59,200 The siege of Acre enters a stalemate.  Napoleon will wait for heavier guns to   1533 02:46:59,200 --> 02:47:12,760 arrive from Alexandria, before  he risks another assault. 1534 02:47:12,760 --> 02:47:18,080 But then, alarming news  arrives to disrupt this plan. 1535 02:47:18,080 --> 02:47:26,880 The Ottoman army gathering to the  north - 40,000 strong - is on the move. 1536 02:47:26,880 --> 02:47:36,040 Napoleon can spare just 4,000 men to face them.  The odds seem insane, but Napoleon trusts in the   1537 02:47:36,040 --> 02:47:42,600 training and experience of his troops, and  particularly, the quality of his officers. 1538 02:47:42,600 --> 02:47:48,200 Unsure of the enemy’s line of  advance, he divides his force. 1539 02:47:48,200 --> 02:47:50,920 On 8th April, at Nazareth,   1540 02:47:50,920 --> 02:47:57,240 Junot locates and scatters an enemy  cavalry force ten times his number. 1541 02:47:57,240 --> 02:48:02,920 Three days later, Kléber defeats 5,000 at Cana…   1542 02:48:02,920 --> 02:48:09,240 while Murat surprises another  force north of Lake Galilee. 1543 02:48:09,240 --> 02:48:15,240 On the 15th, General Kléber receives word  that the main enemy force has swung round   1544 02:48:15,240 --> 02:48:22,279 to the south, and is camped near Mount  Hamoreh – 8 miles from Mount Tabor. 1545 02:48:22,279 --> 02:48:34,559 Seeking glory, Kléber advances with just his own  division, intending to surprise the enemy at dawn. 1546 02:48:34,560 --> 02:48:38,279 But he misjudges the march - when the sun rises,   1547 02:48:38,279 --> 02:48:47,279 he’s exposed on open ground,  his 1,500 men facing 35,000. 1548 02:48:47,279 --> 02:48:50,000 Kléber’s division forms square,   1549 02:48:50,000 --> 02:48:56,760 and under a scorching sun, holds  the enemy at bay for 10 hours. 1550 02:48:56,760 --> 02:49:03,160 But they are running low on ammunition,  and desperate for reinforcements. 1551 02:49:03,160 --> 02:49:11,519 Napoleon, meanwhile, is racing  towards them with 2,500 men. 1552 02:49:11,520 --> 02:49:16,640 He arrives just in time – attacking  the Ottoman army from behind,   1553 02:49:16,640 --> 02:49:18,720 taking them completely by surprise.   1554 02:49:21,399 --> 02:49:29,759 Most of their forces are a peasant militia, and  seized by panic, they flee in all directions. 1555 02:49:29,760 --> 02:49:38,840 Kléber joins the attack. The  Ottoman army disintegrates. 1556 02:49:38,840 --> 02:49:42,479 At a cost of fewer than 300 casualties,   1557 02:49:42,479 --> 02:49:48,639 Napoleon has destroyed the enemy relief  force, and secured control of Palestine. 1558 02:49:49,920 --> 02:50:11,319 The fall of Acre must now surely follow… 1559 02:50:11,319 --> 02:50:17,599 But at Acre, the situation is  deteriorating for the French. 1560 02:50:17,600 --> 02:50:19,720 Without control of the sea,   1561 02:50:19,720 --> 02:50:25,840 they can do nothing to prevent supplies  and reinforcements entering the city… 1562 02:50:25,840 --> 02:50:30,359 While their own ammunition stocks  are so low, men are sent to find   1563 02:50:30,359 --> 02:50:35,799 spent cannonballs, to fire back at the city. 1564 02:50:35,800 --> 02:50:44,720 Most alarmingly, plague breaks out in the  French camp, with around 20 new cases every day. 1565 02:50:44,720 --> 02:50:49,800 Then, suddenly, a chance to  end the siege: on 24th April,   1566 02:50:49,800 --> 02:50:57,200 the French explode a mine under one of  Acre’s towers, causing serious damage. 1567 02:50:57,200 --> 02:51:00,080 Napoleon orders an immediate assault. 1568 02:51:00,080 --> 02:51:04,600 Hundreds of grenadiers charge  forward, but once more they   1569 02:51:04,600 --> 02:51:10,160 come under torrential fire, and have to fall back. 1570 02:51:10,160 --> 02:51:12,960 The clock is ticking for Napoleon. 1571 02:51:12,960 --> 02:51:18,520 Surely it won’t be long before the Ottoman  army assembled at Rhodes makes its move. 1572 02:51:19,760 --> 02:51:29,239 And he fears having to recross the Sinai Desert  in high summer, when the heat will be lethal. 1573 02:51:29,239 --> 02:51:35,639 Finally, on 7th May, Napoleon’s  replacement siege artillery arrives. 1574 02:51:35,640 --> 02:51:41,920 Not wasting a moment, the French  heavy guns open fire next morning. 1575 02:51:41,920 --> 02:51:47,279 Large sections of the city’s  crumbling walls are brought down. 1576 02:51:47,279 --> 02:51:58,599 French troops attack at multiple points.  Some fight their way into the city. But   1577 02:51:58,600 --> 02:52:05,319 counterattacks by British marines  and Turkish troops throw them back. 1578 02:52:05,319 --> 02:52:10,000 General Lannes is wounded in the  neck, and has to be dragged to safety,   1579 02:52:10,000 --> 02:52:16,080 narrowly escaping the Pasha’s head-choppers. 1580 02:52:16,080 --> 02:52:25,760 On 10th May, Napoleon calls on Kléber’s  grenadiers to make a final attempt on the city. 1581 02:52:25,760 --> 02:52:30,279 ‘Nothing could be more beautiful  than Kléber on the day of battle’,   1582 02:52:30,279 --> 02:52:40,599 remarks Napoleon, as the general leads his  division forward, with unflinching courage.  1583 02:52:40,600 --> 02:52:48,440 General Bon advances with his troops, in  support. He is mortally wounded in the fighting.  1584 02:52:51,040 --> 02:52:54,880 For all the French heroism and courage on display,   1585 02:52:54,880 --> 02:53:01,640 the firepower, ferocity and skill of  their enemy proves insurmountable. 1586 02:53:01,640 --> 02:53:11,239 Napoleon, observing the attack from a forward  battery, is knocked off his feet by a near miss. 1587 02:53:11,239 --> 02:53:17,160 Finally, he accepts his men  have done all that can be asked. 1588 02:53:17,160 --> 02:53:33,880 The attempt to take Acre… has failed. 1589 02:53:33,880 --> 02:53:39,279 Acre is Napoleon’s first major military defeat. 1590 02:53:39,279 --> 02:53:44,960 The 4-month campaign will  cost him 4,500 casualties,   1591 02:53:44,960 --> 02:53:48,439 more than a third of his army’s fighting strength. 1592 02:53:49,720 --> 02:53:57,960 Nevertheless, Napoleon has succeeded in his main  objective – neutralising the threat from Syria. 1593 02:53:57,960 --> 02:54:07,720 On 20th May, his army begins the  300-mile march back to Egypt. 1594 02:54:07,720 --> 02:54:13,680 En route, at Jaffa, Napoleon orders that  around fifty of his men, riddled with plague   1595 02:54:13,680 --> 02:54:20,120 and unable to march, be put out of their  suffering, with an overdose of laudanum. 1596 02:54:20,120 --> 02:54:25,040 They are mercy-killings – the victims would  have suffered worse at the hands of the   1597 02:54:25,040 --> 02:54:39,359 enemy – but the decision is still controversial. The French retreat continues into the desert. 1598 02:54:39,359 --> 02:54:48,319 The heat is overpowering, and water in  short supply. Morale is at rock bottom. 1599 02:54:51,520 --> 02:55:00,920 Finally, after 25 days of marching, the  army reaches Cairo on the 14th of June. 1600 02:55:00,920 --> 02:55:06,960 Their return is marked by triumphal  parades and celebrations across the city,   1601 02:55:06,960 --> 02:55:13,359 organised... by Napoleon. He is determined that   1602 02:55:13,359 --> 02:55:21,920 his campaign be seen as a stunning  success, in Cairo, and in France. 1603 02:55:21,920 --> 02:55:25,479 The men have just a few weeks to rest. 1604 02:55:25,479 --> 02:55:45,160 On 15th July, news arrives that the long-awaited  Ottoman invasion has begun, at Aboukir. 1605 02:55:45,160 --> 02:55:48,479 There is no time to lose. Napoleon must   1606 02:55:48,479 --> 02:55:55,559 hit the enemy immediately, before he  can break out into the Nile Delta. 1607 02:55:55,560 --> 02:55:59,319 With most of the Cairo garrison, Murat’s cavalry,   1608 02:55:59,319 --> 02:56:08,279 and Kléber’s division -10,000 men  in all - he races towards Aboukir. 1609 02:56:08,279 --> 02:56:15,120 The experienced Ottoman commander –  Said Mustafa Pasha – has 9,000 men,   1610 02:56:15,120 --> 02:56:21,319 entrenched in two defensive lines,  guarding the fortress of Aboukir. 1611 02:56:21,319 --> 02:56:26,840 His plan is to force the French  to attack his strong defences. 1612 02:56:26,840 --> 02:56:33,560 Napoleon is thrilled to learn  this. The enemy has nowhere to run. 1613 02:56:33,560 --> 02:56:41,680 At dawn on 25th July, he orders an all-out attack. 1614 02:56:41,680 --> 02:56:48,240 The first Ottoman defensive line had not  been completed… and is overrun in minutes. 1615 02:56:49,359 --> 02:56:57,279 French cavalry sweep around to  cut off the Ottoman right flank. 1616 02:56:57,279 --> 02:57:00,920 Hemmed in against the sea, the defenders panic and   1617 02:57:00,920 --> 02:57:11,840 flee into the water, hoping to reach  the ships offshore. Thousands drown. 1618 02:57:11,840 --> 02:57:18,479 With Destang’s division advancing on the  left, Lannes in the centre and Murat’s cavalry   1619 02:57:18,479 --> 02:57:27,719 on the right, the French now advance  against the second Ottoman line. 1620 02:57:27,720 --> 02:57:35,359 Anchored by several redoubts, it resists the  first assault. But when the French fall back,   1621 02:57:35,359 --> 02:57:41,319 overeager Turkish soldiers leave  their entrenchments to pursue them. 1622 02:57:41,319 --> 02:57:47,080 Murat seizes the moment, and  charges forward with his cavalry. 1623 02:57:47,080 --> 02:57:50,000 The second line is overrun. 1624 02:57:50,000 --> 02:57:57,319 Murat pushes on to the Ottoman camp,  and despite a gunshot wound to the face,   1625 02:57:57,319 --> 02:58:04,000 captures Mustafa Pasha at the point of his sword. 1626 02:58:04,000 --> 02:58:10,399 By 1pm, the Turkish army has ceased to exist. 1627 02:58:10,399 --> 02:58:18,439 Just 5,000 survivors remain, holed up in  the fortress. They surrender 8 days later,   1628 02:58:18,439 --> 02:58:39,559 on 2nd August - one year to the day after  the destruction of Napoleon’s fleet. 1629 02:58:39,560 --> 02:58:43,720 The Battle of Aboukir is a  great victory for Napoleon,   1630 02:58:43,720 --> 02:58:48,040 and does much to repair his  reputation after defeat at Acre. 1631 02:58:49,359 --> 02:59:00,359 But news now reaches him of developments in  Europe. And for France, the news is not good. 1632 02:59:00,359 --> 02:59:08,439 A new Second Coalition has been formed against  France, led by Britain, Russia and Austria. 1633 02:59:08,439 --> 02:59:13,719 Their armies have won a series of battles  against the French – reversing almost all   1634 02:59:13,720 --> 02:59:21,319 Napoleon’s gains in Italy – and now  threaten the Republic with invasion. 1635 02:59:21,319 --> 02:59:28,519 It is no time for France’s best general to  be far from home, unable to influence events. 1636 02:59:28,520 --> 02:59:38,920 La Patrie is in danger. Napoleon’s  next move is not in doubt. 1637 02:59:38,920 --> 02:59:45,840 On the evening of 23rd August, Napoleon  quietly boards a frigate near Alexandria,   1638 02:59:45,840 --> 02:59:55,760 with a small entourage, including Berthier,  Marmont, Lannes, and Murat.. and sails for France. 1639 02:59:55,760 --> 03:00:01,040 To his army, he leaves only a short proclamation. 1640 03:00:01,040 --> 03:00:06,600 "The news from Europe had determined me to  proceed to France. I leave the command of   1641 03:00:06,600 --> 03:00:13,680 the army to General Kléber. The army shall  hear from me forthwith; at present I can   1642 03:00:13,680 --> 03:00:26,000 say no more. It costs me much pain to quit  troops to whom I am so strongly attached.” 1643 03:00:26,000 --> 03:00:30,800 General Kléber is not amused  by his sudden promotion. 1644 03:00:30,800 --> 03:00:36,040 “He’s deserted us with his breeches  full of merde,” he declares,   1645 03:00:36,040 --> 03:00:41,239 “When we get back to Europe,  we’ll rub his face in it.” 1646 03:00:41,239 --> 03:00:46,920 But Kléber will never return to  Europe. The following summer,   1647 03:00:46,920 --> 03:00:54,680 he is stabbed to death in Cairo  by a young Muslim radical. 1648 03:00:54,680 --> 03:01:00,760 The remnants of the French army in  Egypt surrender to the British in 1801,   1649 03:01:00,760 --> 03:01:05,439 following defeat at the Battle of Alexandria. 1650 03:01:05,439 --> 03:01:17,919 They are later repatriated by the British  navy, under the terms of a peace treaty. 1651 03:01:34,120 --> 03:01:39,720 Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt  was a costly failure for France. 1652 03:01:39,720 --> 03:01:45,760 Its aims, which had always been vague  and opportunistic, became impossible   1653 03:01:45,760 --> 03:01:53,720 following the destruction of  the French fleet at Aboukir. 1654 03:01:53,720 --> 03:02:00,160 And though it has lived long in popular  imagination - for every dashing act of heroism,   1655 03:02:00,160 --> 03:02:09,720 or romantic legend, there was a moment of  immense brutality, and terrible suffering. 1656 03:02:09,720 --> 03:02:13,840 The expedition did have one positive legacy. 1657 03:02:13,840 --> 03:02:19,560 Shortly before he left for France, Napoleon  was invited to inspect a stone slab that his   1658 03:02:19,560 --> 03:02:27,760 troops had pulled from the rubble, while  building a fort near the town of Rosetta. 1659 03:02:27,760 --> 03:02:35,640 Dating to the second century BC, the slab  was inscribed with a royal decree. Uniquely,   1660 03:02:35,640 --> 03:02:44,880 the same text appeared in Demotic,  Ancient Greek.. and Egyptian hieroglyphs. 1661 03:02:44,880 --> 03:02:50,840 The French had to hand it over to the  British under the terms of their surrender,   1662 03:02:50,840 --> 03:02:57,040 which is why the ‘Rosetta Stone’  now sits in the British Museum.  1663 03:02:57,040 --> 03:03:02,840 Two decades after its rediscovery, the  Stone proved the key to unlocking the   1664 03:03:02,840 --> 03:03:11,000 lost language of Egyptian hieroglyphs – and  revolutionizing the study of Ancient Egypt. 1665 03:03:11,000 --> 03:03:17,800 This and other discoveries by the French ‘Savants’  spawned an entirely new discipline – Egyptology   1666 03:03:17,800 --> 03:03:30,200 – the study of Egypt’s distant past, that  continues to fascinate and amaze us to this day. 1667 03:03:30,200 --> 03:03:33,000 Napoleon’s voyage across the Mediterranean   1668 03:03:33,000 --> 03:03:39,040 takes 41 days – and involves some  close shaves with the Royal Navy. 1669 03:03:39,040 --> 03:03:43,479 But his destiny was not to  be thwarted a second time. 1670 03:03:43,479 --> 03:03:49,439 En route, he makes his last visit to  Corsica, and the town of his birth... 1671 03:03:49,439 --> 03:04:15,639 Before setting off for France… to take the  next step in his astonishing rise to power. 1672 03:04:15,640 --> 03:04:17,720 October 1799. 1673 03:04:21,160 --> 03:04:25,439 After 500 days campaigning in Egypt and Syria,   1674 03:04:25,439 --> 03:04:39,559 Napoleon has returned to France... and with  a small entourage, he travels north to Paris. 1675 03:04:39,560 --> 03:04:43,200 Everywhere he goes, he is greeted by crowds,   1676 03:04:43,200 --> 03:04:47,639 embraced by dignitaries, and  feted as a conquering hero. 1677 03:04:50,160 --> 03:04:57,239 But such celebrations cannot hide that  France is a country in crisis, and despair. 1678 03:04:57,239 --> 03:05:05,000 Banditry is so rife that Napoleon’s  own luggage is stolen en route. 1679 03:05:05,000 --> 03:05:10,920 Prices are soaring. So too are  taxes. Trade has been decimated   1680 03:05:10,920 --> 03:05:17,640 by years of war and blockade. There is  conscription, censorship, and corruption. 1681 03:05:22,600 --> 03:05:30,680 Abroad, France once more faces a powerful  coalition of enemies. And though General   1682 03:05:30,680 --> 03:05:42,319 Masséna’s brilliant victory at Zurich  has won respite, France is not safe yet. 1683 03:05:42,319 --> 03:05:47,639 But in Bonaparte, many see  a saviour for the country. 1684 03:05:49,000 --> 03:05:53,479 Thanks to his own propaganda, everyone  has heard of his brilliant victories   1685 03:05:53,479 --> 03:06:00,799 in Italy and Egypt. His name is  celebrated in newspapers and plays. 1686 03:06:00,800 --> 03:06:15,640 The air rings with cries of ‘Hurrah for  Bonaparte! He will save the country!’ 1687 03:06:15,640 --> 03:06:22,399 Not everyone is thrilled by the general’s return. 1688 03:06:22,399 --> 03:06:27,200 At the very top of French government, some  wonder if Bonaparte should not be court   1689 03:06:27,200 --> 03:06:36,679 martialled for abandoning his army in Egypt  – and now, flouting France’s quarantine laws! 1690 03:06:36,680 --> 03:06:41,000 However, Napoleon does now have a  letter from the Directory ordering   1691 03:06:41,000 --> 03:06:47,520 his return to France – though  he acted before receiving it. 1692 03:06:48,439 --> 03:06:57,319 There’s also concern that a move against such  a hugely popular general could easily backfire. 1693 03:06:57,319 --> 03:07:02,279 For his part, Napoleon regards  the government with contempt,   1694 03:07:02,279 --> 03:07:06,679 a sentiment he’s happy to share in private. 1695 03:07:06,680 --> 03:07:10,920 Over breakfast, he tells General Thiébault: 1696 03:07:10,920 --> 03:07:17,520 “These men are bringing France down to the level  of their own blundering. They are degrading her...   1697 03:07:18,319 --> 03:07:24,439 Well, what can generals expect  from this government of lawyers.” 1698 03:07:24,439 --> 03:07:28,200 To Napoleon, it’s self-evident that he would do a   1699 03:07:28,200 --> 03:07:36,960 better job, given all his glorious  achievements in Italy and Egypt. 1700 03:07:36,960 --> 03:07:42,040 Since 1795, France has been  ruled by ‘The Directory’,   1701 03:07:42,040 --> 03:07:47,439 a five-man executive whose  members hold power for five years. 1702 03:07:48,040 --> 03:07:51,399 In 1799, its members are… 1703 03:07:51,399 --> 03:07:59,120 Paul Barras – Napoleon’s first patron, infamously  corrupt and dissolute, but a shrewd political   1704 03:07:59,120 --> 03:08:04,960 operator. He has been a permanent member  of the Directory since its formation. 1705 03:08:04,960 --> 03:08:09,600 Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès – a former  priest, who wrote the Revolution’s   1706 03:08:09,600 --> 03:08:17,160 most famous political pamphlet. Now regarded  as the leading political thinker in France. 1707 03:08:17,160 --> 03:08:19,880 Then three staunch republicans,   1708 03:08:19,880 --> 03:08:25,239 appointed to the Directory just four  months ago, under outside pressure: 1709 03:08:25,239 --> 03:08:32,239 Louis Gohier – a veteran Jacobin, and  former minister in the National Convention. 1710 03:08:32,239 --> 03:08:40,120 Jean-Francois Moulin – a Jacobin general, who  had commanded in the bloody war in the Vendée. 1711 03:08:40,120 --> 03:08:47,599 And Pierre Roger-Ducos – a more  moderate figure, and ally of Sieyès. 1712 03:08:47,600 --> 03:08:50,000 The other major element of government,   1713 03:08:50,000 --> 03:08:57,080 the legislature, is comprised of the  ‘Council of 500’, who draft laws… 1714 03:08:57,080 --> 03:09:01,239 And the ‘Council of Elders’, who approve them. 1715 03:09:01,239 --> 03:09:07,519 Members of both councils dress in extravagant  costumes... inspired by their great model,   1716 03:09:07,520 --> 03:09:13,680 to which they refer constantly,  the ancient Republic of Rome. 1717 03:09:13,680 --> 03:09:21,040 This government – the Directory in particular - is  now widely regarded as corrupt, ineffective, and   1718 03:09:21,040 --> 03:09:45,640 unfit to survive. And powerful men on the inside  will play a leading role in its destruction. 1719 03:09:45,640 --> 03:09:51,880 On his return to Paris, Napoleon takes up  residence in the home of the Beauharnais family,   1720 03:09:51,880 --> 03:09:59,680 on rue de la Victoire – which has  been renamed in his own honour. 1721 03:09:59,680 --> 03:10:02,399 Given the unsettled political climate,   1722 03:10:02,399 --> 03:10:09,319 he faces an uncertain and potentially  dangerous few months in the capital. 1723 03:10:09,319 --> 03:10:13,799 One man he can count on as a  valuable guide – his younger brother,   1724 03:10:13,800 --> 03:10:21,439 Lucien. He serves in the Council  of 500 as the deputy for Corsica,   1725 03:10:21,439 --> 03:10:31,359 and has recently been elected its President. As  such, he will be a key player in the weeks ahead. 1726 03:10:31,359 --> 03:10:35,080 But first, comes a stormy reunion with his wife,   1727 03:10:35,080 --> 03:10:42,239 Josephine.. which quickly gives  way to a passionate rapprochement. 1728 03:10:42,239 --> 03:10:48,479 Both have been guilty of infidelities.  But Napoleon is clearly still in love,   1729 03:10:48,479 --> 03:10:54,319 and his earlier talk of  divorce is quietly forgotten. 1730 03:10:54,319 --> 03:10:58,040 Henceforth Josephine will prove a faithful wife,   1731 03:10:58,040 --> 03:11:07,439 and through her social connections,  an important political ally. 1732 03:11:07,439 --> 03:11:15,120 Paris is awash with talk  of plots and conspiracies: 1733 03:11:15,120 --> 03:11:22,920 Rumours of threats from the Left: ex-Jacobins,  who oversaw the bloody days of the Terror - and   1734 03:11:22,920 --> 03:11:29,239 from the Right: secret royalists  who want to turn back the clock. 1735 03:11:29,239 --> 03:11:35,040 And there are those who seek a third option… 1736 03:11:35,040 --> 03:11:38,439 Soon after his arrival in Paris, Napoleon receives   1737 03:11:38,439 --> 03:11:46,040 a visit from France’s ex-foreign  minister, Maurice de Talleyrand. 1738 03:11:46,040 --> 03:11:48,880 Talleyrand – a keen observer of which way   1739 03:11:48,880 --> 03:11:54,040 the political wind was blowing - had  resigned from the government in July. 1740 03:11:54,040 --> 03:11:57,800 Having worked with Napoleon in  planning the Egyptian expedition,   1741 03:11:57,800 --> 03:12:06,439 he now proposes they collaborate on another  plan – to replace the government of France. 1742 03:12:06,439 --> 03:12:12,359 Napoleon, disgusted by the current  regime, immediately welcomes the idea. 1743 03:12:12,359 --> 03:12:17,319 Talleyrand then reveals that a member  of the Directory itself is working   1744 03:12:17,319 --> 03:12:24,160 to bring down the regime: Sieyès. 1745 03:12:24,160 --> 03:12:28,559 The country’s leading political thinker  has decided that the Directory must be   1746 03:12:28,560 --> 03:12:37,279 cast aside, and that France must have a new  constitution... which he intends to write. 1747 03:12:37,279 --> 03:12:45,439 He plans to sweep away the chaotic, unruly  legislature, and its weak, ineffectual executive. 1748 03:12:45,439 --> 03:12:58,960 To save the Republic, radical reforms are  needed, and an entirely new form of government. 1749 03:12:58,960 --> 03:13:04,479 Sieyès already has the support of  another Director, Roger-Ducos.. and   1750 03:13:04,479 --> 03:13:10,599 the President of the Council of  Elders, Louis-Nicolas Lemercier. 1751 03:13:10,600 --> 03:13:17,121 He even has the support of the President  of the Council of 500 - Lucien Bonaparte. 1752 03:13:17,800 --> 03:13:23,520 Minister of Police Joseph Fouché,  who has eyes and ears across Paris,   1753 03:13:23,520 --> 03:13:30,160 is also aware of their conspiracy,  but has agreed not to intervene. 1754 03:13:30,160 --> 03:13:37,479 Now Sieyès seeks a ‘Sword’, as he puts it: a  military figurehead to keep the army on side,   1755 03:13:37,479 --> 03:13:44,359 and be ‘wielded’ at the decisive  moment... and then ‘sheathed’ afterwards. 1756 03:13:44,359 --> 03:13:47,040 But such a man is proving difficult to find. 1757 03:13:49,466 --> 03:13:56,239 Sieyès’ first choice had been General Joubert  – Napoleon’s talented subordinate at Rivoli. 1758 03:13:56,239 --> 03:14:05,439 But he’d been killed earlier that year - shot  dead at the Battle of Novi, in northern Italy. 1759 03:14:05,439 --> 03:14:14,200 General Macdonald is sounded out, but is too  much the honest republican for such skulduggery. 1760 03:14:14,200 --> 03:14:21,160 General Moreau, who has led the Army of the  Rhine with great success, declines the role. 1761 03:14:21,160 --> 03:14:27,080 In a moment he will later regret,  he recommends Bonaparte. “There’s   1762 03:14:27,080 --> 03:14:34,080 your man. He will make a better job  of your coup d’état than I could.” 1763 03:14:34,080 --> 03:14:40,760 Sieyès does not like Napoleon.  His ambition is too obvious. 1764 03:14:40,760 --> 03:14:47,040 It is Talleyrand who persuades Sieyès  that they have found their ‘sword.’ 1765 03:14:47,840 --> 03:14:54,439 On 23rd October, Napoleon and  Sieyès meet for the first time. 1766 03:14:54,439 --> 03:14:58,759 They agree that the Republic is  in grave peril – from enemies   1767 03:14:58,760 --> 03:15:06,720 within and without - and that the  Directory cannot meet the challenge. 1768 03:15:06,720 --> 03:15:16,960 Within a week, they agree to launch a coup  to overthrow the government of France. 1769 03:15:27,640 --> 03:15:33,479 The conspirators plan their coup  for 7th November – 16th Brumaire,   1770 03:15:33,479 --> 03:15:39,559 according to France’s Revolutionary  calendar – the month of fog. 1771 03:15:39,560 --> 03:15:46,920 It’s a risky operation that will take 2 days,  during which any number of things could go wrong. 1772 03:15:49,960 --> 03:15:54,680 Many of the plotters take  precautions. Sieyès carries   1773 03:15:54,680 --> 03:15:59,319 a briefcase stuffed with cash for a quick getaway. 1774 03:15:59,319 --> 03:16:05,279 Fouché, the Minister of Police, has  drafted orders for Napoleon’s arrest,   1775 03:16:05,279 --> 03:16:08,239 in case he needs to switch sides. 1776 03:16:08,239 --> 03:16:14,080 Napoleon sleeps with two  loaded pistols by his bed. 1777 03:16:14,080 --> 03:16:19,960 At the last minute, there’s  a 48-hour postponement. 1778 03:16:19,960 --> 03:16:29,840 So instead, that night, Bonaparte dines at General  Bernadotte’s apartment on the rue Cisalpine. 1779 03:16:29,840 --> 03:16:34,080 They are joined by Generals Moreau, and Jourdan. 1780 03:16:34,080 --> 03:16:39,519 He wants the support of these  influential generals for his coup. 1781 03:16:39,520 --> 03:16:45,800 Moreau agrees to help. Jourdan  promises not to interfere. 1782 03:16:45,800 --> 03:16:52,600 But Bernadotte is outraged, and warns  Napoleon that he’ll be guillotined. “We’ll   1783 03:16:52,600 --> 03:17:24,359 see,” says Napoleon. 9th November - Paris. 1784 03:17:24,359 --> 03:17:30,479 In the crisp hours before dawn, Napoleon  meets around 60 officers that he’s invited   1785 03:17:30,479 --> 03:17:38,279 to his house. He informs them that he’s  decided he must act to save the Republic,   1786 03:17:38,279 --> 03:17:46,399 and asks for their support. They affirm  their loyalty with oaths of allegiance. 1787 03:17:46,399 --> 03:17:50,319 The most important man to  convince is General Lefebvre,   1788 03:17:50,319 --> 03:17:55,279 the no nonsense military commander of Paris. 1789 03:17:55,279 --> 03:18:01,120 But Napoleon knows his man. He presents  Lefebvre with the sword he wore at the   1790 03:18:01,120 --> 03:18:06,559 Battle of the Pyramids, as a mark of his  great esteem.. and the general is won   1791 03:18:06,560 --> 03:18:14,600 over. “Let’s go throw those bloody  lawyers in the river,” he growls. 1792 03:18:14,600 --> 03:18:19,199 At 7am, the Council of Elders  meets in an unscheduled,   1793 03:18:19,199 --> 03:18:26,760 early session at the Tuileries palace.  Only Sieyès’s allies have been invited,   1794 03:18:26,760 --> 03:18:34,199 so without opposition, they  quickly pass two measures: 1795 03:18:34,199 --> 03:18:39,840 First - Napoleon is to be given immediate  command of the Paris military district,   1796 03:18:39,840 --> 03:18:45,439 using the pretext of a non-existent Jacobin plot. 1797 03:18:45,439 --> 03:18:52,040 Second – tomorrow, the legislature will move from  its usual meeting place in the centre of Paris,   1798 03:18:52,040 --> 03:19:00,040 to the Château de Saint-Cloud,  5 miles west outside the city. 1799 03:19:00,040 --> 03:19:04,960 This, the plotters tell the council,  is for their own safety – the Paris   1800 03:19:04,960 --> 03:19:11,520 mob is famed for its unpredictable  and violent political interventions. 1801 03:19:11,520 --> 03:19:16,720 The move is, of course, to protect the  conspirators themselves from such an event. 1802 03:19:19,720 --> 03:19:24,920 At 10am, Napoleon arrives at the Tuileries. 1803 03:19:24,920 --> 03:19:28,279 He speaks to the Council of Elders, reassures them   1804 03:19:28,279 --> 03:19:35,239 that the trusted generals Lefebvre and  Berthier are by his side, and concludes: 1805 03:19:35,239 --> 03:19:40,679 “We want a republic founded upon  true liberty, on civil liberty,   1806 03:19:40,680 --> 03:19:46,640 on national representation; we  will have it!... I swear it!” 1807 03:19:50,760 --> 03:19:58,359 Meanwhile that morning at the Luxembourg  Palace, where the five Directors reside... 1808 03:19:58,359 --> 03:20:03,040 Sieyès and Roger-Ducos announce their resignation,   1809 03:20:03,040 --> 03:20:09,040 and urge Barras, Gohier,  and Moulin to follow suit. 1810 03:20:09,040 --> 03:20:12,560 Barras decides to take a long bath, and will not   1811 03:20:12,560 --> 03:20:21,359 be disturbed. Perhaps he is mulling  his options, or waiting for an offer. 1812 03:20:21,359 --> 03:20:28,679 When it comes, it is from Talleyrand - the man who  perhaps understands him best. With the help of an   1813 03:20:28,680 --> 03:20:37,319 enormous bribe, and the reassurance that he will  keep all his estates, Barras agrees to resign. 1814 03:20:37,319 --> 03:20:42,559 France’s longest-serving Director,  and once-formidable powerbroker,   1815 03:20:42,560 --> 03:20:51,960 quietly leaves the stage. He is driven to his  country house that evening, under military escort. 1816 03:20:51,960 --> 03:20:56,560 Gohier and Moulin are not so  easily persuaded. And so they   1817 03:20:56,560 --> 03:21:01,239 are placed under house arrest by General Moreau. 1818 03:21:01,239 --> 03:21:06,359 Their objections are futile. With  the resignation of three Directors,   1819 03:21:06,359 --> 03:21:12,639 the executive is constitutionally defunct. 1820 03:21:12,640 --> 03:21:16,560 The conspirators have what  they want - a power vacuum,   1821 03:21:17,319 --> 03:21:24,799 to which they will propose a solution,  the next day at Château de Saint-Cloud. 1822 03:21:24,800 --> 03:21:32,439 It will be a day on which  the future of France hinges. 1823 03:21:32,439 --> 03:21:37,879 That evening, as Napoleon rides  through the Place de la Concorde,   1824 03:21:37,880 --> 03:21:43,600 where so many had died under the  guillotine – he turns to his secretary. 1825 03:21:43,600 --> 03:22:14,720 “Tomorrow,” he says, “either we will sleep at  the Luxembourg... or we’ll end up here.”   1826 03:22:14,720 --> 03:22:24,880 Napoleon rises at 4am, and rides to Saint-Cloud. 1827 03:22:24,880 --> 03:22:36,479 There he meets Murat, newly promoted to General of  Division, whose 6,000 troops surround the Château. 1828 03:22:36,479 --> 03:22:41,399 Officially, they are there to guard  the Council members. But as deputies   1829 03:22:41,399 --> 03:22:51,439 arrive for the day’s session, the heavy  military presence is impossible to miss. 1830 03:22:51,439 --> 03:22:57,719 There are long delays - benches  have to be found for the chambers. 1831 03:22:57,720 --> 03:23:07,800 Council members have time to mingle, and discuss  the many, swirling rumours. This time, the Jacobin   1832 03:23:07,800 --> 03:23:16,440 deputies are present, and they’re not happy at  being excluded from the previous day’s meeting. 1833 03:23:18,160 --> 03:23:22,199 When the Councils finally  begin their sessions at 1pm,   1834 03:23:22,199 --> 03:23:27,279 the mood is raucous. The sudden  resignation of the Directors,   1835 03:23:27,279 --> 03:23:39,000 the presence of so many troops, the claims  of a Jacobin plot – there is much to discuss. 1836 03:23:39,000 --> 03:23:42,840 The plotters had hoped for a  quick vote to establish a new   1837 03:23:42,840 --> 03:23:50,479 provisional government. But the Presidents  of both Councils struggle to take charge. 1838 03:23:50,479 --> 03:23:58,839 Hours pass. Napoleon loses patience. 1839 03:23:58,840 --> 03:24:10,880 At 4pm, he bursts into the Council of Elders. As  he begins to speak, he is heckled and derided. 1840 03:24:10,880 --> 03:24:18,160 Napoleon is thrown off balance. He  rambles, mutters, then hesitates. 1841 03:24:18,160 --> 03:24:24,399 When a deputy interrupts, “What of the  Constitution?”, Napoleon flings back,   1842 03:24:24,399 --> 03:24:29,679 “The Constitution? You yourselves annihilated it!” 1843 03:24:29,680 --> 03:24:36,680 There is uproar. Napoleon continues, demanding  action from the Council. Anyone who speaks   1844 03:24:36,680 --> 03:24:42,880 against him, he strongly implies, has been  paid by the British. To any such deputy,   1845 03:24:42,880 --> 03:24:50,120 he warns, “may the lightning of war  crush him instantaneously. Remember,   1846 03:24:50,120 --> 03:24:56,960 that I walk accompanied by the god  of war and by the god of fortune!” 1847 03:24:56,960 --> 03:25:02,840 These ill-chosen words seem to confirm  the assembly’s very worst suspicions. 1848 03:25:02,840 --> 03:25:07,120 By some accounts Napoleon has to be  dragged from the chamber by his staff,   1849 03:25:07,120 --> 03:25:16,319 shouting “You are scoundrels. I will  have you shot if you don’t obey me!” 1850 03:25:16,319 --> 03:25:24,080 Napoleon is shaken, but not defeated. Within  minutes, he storms down the corridor into the   1851 03:25:24,080 --> 03:25:32,559 Council of 500.. where the President, his  brother, has lost all semblance of control. 1852 03:25:32,560 --> 03:25:37,840 The mood here is of even greater  defiance. The deputies have spent the   1853 03:25:37,840 --> 03:25:44,199 morning swearing oaths of loyalty to the  Constitution. And when Napoleon arrives,   1854 03:25:44,199 --> 03:25:49,920 flanked by grenadiers, he  receives a torrent of abuse. 1855 03:25:49,920 --> 03:25:52,840 “Down with the tyrant!” they cry,   1856 03:25:52,840 --> 03:26:02,040 “Outlaw!” “Caesar!” “Cromwell!” – these  the names of famous generals turned tyrant. 1857 03:26:02,040 --> 03:26:09,720 As the crowd presses in, he is  grabbed, jostled, even punched. 1858 03:26:09,720 --> 03:26:16,479 Lefebvre and his grenadiers rush in to extricate  Napoleon from the scuffle. They haul him   1859 03:26:16,479 --> 03:26:40,519 clear, and drag him into the courtyard outside. 1860 03:26:40,520 --> 03:26:46,240 Napoleon is rattled and bloodied.  He seems unsure what to do. 1861 03:26:47,279 --> 03:26:51,679 His old comrade General  Augereau, now a Council member,   1862 03:26:51,680 --> 03:26:59,040 comes out to see him. “You’re in  deep water now,” Augereau tells him. 1863 03:26:59,040 --> 03:27:09,359 Napoleon regains his composure.  “It was worse at Arcole.” 1864 03:27:09,359 --> 03:27:13,479 Nevertheless, the coup totters  on the brink of disaster. 1865 03:27:13,479 --> 03:27:16,439 If the Council declares Napoleon an outlaw,   1866 03:27:16,439 --> 03:27:23,479 it could mean a firing squad,  or swift trip to the guillotine. 1867 03:27:23,479 --> 03:27:27,919 But the riotous disorder  has played into his hands. 1868 03:27:27,920 --> 03:27:32,399 He is the military commander of Paris. 1869 03:27:32,399 --> 03:27:38,920 When he hears Jacobin deputies are keeping his  brother Lucien in the chamber against his will,   1870 03:27:38,920 --> 03:27:45,080 grenadiers are sent to bring him out. 1871 03:27:45,080 --> 03:27:50,160 Napoleon attempts to rally troops  for a decisive intervention. 1872 03:27:50,160 --> 03:27:59,800 News of his manhandling by the deputies outrages  his old comrades. They are raring to go. 1873 03:27:59,800 --> 03:28:13,560 But the Legislative Guard, the 400 troops charged  with protecting the Council, are not convinced. 1874 03:28:13,560 --> 03:28:23,120 It is Lucien who seizes the moment.  He mounts a horse, and announces: 1875 03:28:23,120 --> 03:28:27,199 “Citizen soldiers… the great  majority of the Council is at   1876 03:28:27,199 --> 03:28:33,920 this moment being terrorised by a handful  of deputies armed with daggers... these   1877 03:28:33,920 --> 03:28:41,439 brigands are doubtless in English pay... I  declare to you that these madmen have made   1878 03:28:41,439 --> 03:28:46,040 themselves outlaws by their assaults  upon the liberty of this Council!” 1879 03:28:49,479 --> 03:28:56,599 Then, he draws a sword and  points it at Napoleon’s chest: 1880 03:28:56,600 --> 03:29:01,040 “I swear that I will stab my own  brother to the heart if he ever   1881 03:29:01,040 --> 03:29:06,279 makes an assault on the liberty of Frenchmen.” 1882 03:29:06,279 --> 03:29:16,759 The doubters are won over. A signal  is given. With bayonets fixed,   1883 03:29:16,760 --> 03:29:27,720 troops flood into the Council of 500,  with General Murat at their head. 1884 03:29:27,720 --> 03:29:33,800 “Citizens, you are dissolved,”  he shouts... and then to his men,   1885 03:29:33,800 --> 03:29:38,960 “Get this damn rabble out of here!” 1886 03:29:38,960 --> 03:29:43,160 The deputies scatter. By some  accounts they jump out of  1887 03:29:43,160 --> 03:29:53,479 windows, leaving their robes and  hats strewn across the gardens. 1888 03:29:53,479 --> 03:29:58,839 Certainly, the conspirators had hoped  to avoid the use of troops. But it had   1889 03:29:58,840 --> 03:30:07,439 always been a back-up plan - one that  turned out to be desperately needed. 1890 03:30:07,439 --> 03:30:15,519 Later that evening, a few deputies are rounded  up to form a ‘rump Council of 500’. Joined   1891 03:30:15,520 --> 03:30:22,120 by the similarly-cowed Council of Elders, they  approve the measures that are suggested to them: 1892 03:30:22,120 --> 03:30:26,080 The dissolution of the Directory. 1893 03:30:26,080 --> 03:30:32,279 The adjournment of both Councils for four  months (though they will never meet again.) 1894 03:30:32,279 --> 03:30:41,080 And the appointment of three provisional ‘Consuls’  – a term borrowed from the Roman Republic: 1895 03:30:41,080 --> 03:30:45,120 Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès. 1896 03:30:45,120 --> 03:30:48,920 Pierre Roger-Ducos. 1897 03:30:48,920 --> 03:30:55,479 And General Napoleon Bonaparte. 1898 03:30:55,479 --> 03:31:00,959 Three years, eight months since he  took command of the Army of Italy,   1899 03:31:00,960 --> 03:31:09,600 Napoleon has risen to the summit  of political power in France. 1900 03:31:09,600 --> 03:31:15,920 He will now be one of three men in charge of  drafting a new constitution for the Republic. 1901 03:31:16,640 --> 03:31:18,920 But through his brilliance,   1902 03:31:18,920 --> 03:31:28,239 energy and immense popularity means he  will soon overshadow his two colleagues. 1903 03:31:28,239 --> 03:31:33,319 Only one man will emerge to rule France. 1904 03:31:33,319 --> 03:31:41,559 The First Consul – Napoleon Bonaparte. 1905 03:31:41,560 --> 03:31:45,399 And what better way to cement his hold on power,   1906 03:31:45,399 --> 03:32:02,120 than a new military campaign...  and a return to Italy. 1907 03:32:02,120 --> 03:32:03,720 1800. 1908 03:32:03,720 --> 03:32:12,760 And France has a new leader: 30-year-old  First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte. 1909 03:32:12,760 --> 03:32:16,000 Five months have passed since the Brumaire coup   1910 03:32:16,000 --> 03:32:21,520 cast France’s Directory  into the dustbin of history. 1911 03:32:21,520 --> 03:32:29,239 In its aftermath, Napoleon has skilfully  outmanoeuvred his co-conspirators. 1912 03:32:29,239 --> 03:32:35,399 And in a new constitution – confirmed by  a massively rigged referendum – he’s been   1913 03:32:35,399 --> 03:32:45,839 confirmed as First Consul... alongside  new consuls Cambacérès, and Lebrun. 1914 03:32:45,840 --> 03:32:56,920 Napoleon wields enormous executive  power – and is eager to use it. 1915 03:32:56,920 --> 03:33:02,040 First, he offers an amnesty to  royalist rebels in the Vendee,   1916 03:33:02,040 --> 03:33:06,439 helping to pacify the region,  and freeing up troops. 1917 03:33:06,439 --> 03:33:09,319 Then he creates a new national bank,   1918 03:33:09,319 --> 03:33:15,439 to restore confidence and growth  to France’s dysfunctional economy. 1919 03:33:15,439 --> 03:33:20,479 He strengthens the Gendarmerie – the  paramilitary police – and orders it to   1920 03:33:20,479 --> 03:33:26,839 take ruthless action against bandits,  who infest the French countryside. 1921 03:33:26,840 --> 03:33:29,680 And he transforms French government,   1922 03:33:29,680 --> 03:33:34,960 personally appointing Prefects to  govern every French département,  1923 03:33:34,960 --> 03:33:42,319 as well as Sub-Prefects, and  even the mayors of larger towns. 1924 03:33:42,319 --> 03:33:46,279 Each achievement is trumpeted by  the few newspapers still allowed   1925 03:33:46,279 --> 03:33:55,519 to print... and which are now  entirely under state control. 1926 03:33:55,520 --> 03:34:00,479 But there is no reason to doubt  Napoleon’s immense popularity – and   1927 03:34:00,479 --> 03:34:09,519 that his remarkable energy has begun  to drag France out of chaos and torpor. 1928 03:34:09,520 --> 03:34:16,000 However... his reputation has been forged in  war – and with France facing another military   1929 03:34:16,000 --> 03:34:39,199 crisis, he must quickly turn the situation around  - or his rule could end as suddenly as it began. 1930 03:34:39,199 --> 03:34:48,319 France is threatened on two fronts by the armies  of Austria, which has 200,000 men in the field. 1931 03:34:48,319 --> 03:34:53,359 In Germany, France’s most powerful  force – General Moreau’s Army of   1932 03:34:53,359 --> 03:34:59,439 the Rhine – is poised to launch a counter-attack. 1933 03:34:59,439 --> 03:35:03,519 Moreau is a skilled commander  with influential friends,   1934 03:35:03,520 --> 03:35:09,439 who had himself turned down an invitation  to lead a coup against the Directory. 1935 03:35:09,439 --> 03:35:14,399 Napoleon - warily respectful  for now - offers advice,   1936 03:35:14,399 --> 03:35:18,920 but will leave Moreau to wage his own campaign. 1937 03:35:18,920 --> 03:35:32,840 It is in Italy.. that Napoleon identifies the  greatest threat... and the greatest opportunity. 1938 03:35:32,840 --> 03:35:41,439 Three years ago, Napoleon’s stunning victories  had left France dominating northern Italy. 1939 03:35:41,439 --> 03:35:50,359 But in 1799, forces of the Second Coalition, led  by the great Russian general Alexander Suvorov,   1940 03:35:50,359 --> 03:35:57,920 had won a series of crushing  victories over the French. 1941 03:35:57,920 --> 03:36:01,800 He had then been ordered to  Switzerland... but before he   1942 03:36:01,800 --> 03:36:06,880 could get there, General Masséna’s  victory at Zurich thwarted Coalition   1943 03:36:06,880 --> 03:36:14,160 plans to unite their armies... and  staved off disaster for France. 1944 03:36:14,160 --> 03:36:18,160 The unpredictable Emperor  Paul – incensed by British   1945 03:36:18,160 --> 03:36:25,279 provocations – had then withdrawn  Russia from the Second Coalition. 1946 03:36:25,279 --> 03:36:29,639 But nearly 100,000 Austrians  remain in northern Italy,   1947 03:36:29,640 --> 03:36:35,880 under the aggressive and able  leadership of General Melas. 1948 03:36:35,880 --> 03:36:43,520 French forces, on the other hand, are scattered,  outnumbered and desperately short of supplies. 1949 03:36:43,520 --> 03:36:47,600 It’s nothing new for France’s Army of Italy. 1950 03:36:47,600 --> 03:36:58,479 But even the arrival of the great General  Masséna to take charge barely lifts morale. 1951 03:36:58,479 --> 03:37:01,080 It is a fragile position. 1952 03:37:01,080 --> 03:37:06,559 But secretly, Napoleon is planning a  grand strategic manoeuvre to turn the   1953 03:37:06,560 --> 03:37:12,160 tables on the Austrians, and crush Melas’s army. 1954 03:37:12,160 --> 03:37:15,680 At Dijon, he has begun to assemble a new ‘Army   1955 03:37:15,680 --> 03:37:23,479 of the Reserve’ – under the nominal  command of General Berthier. 1956 03:37:23,479 --> 03:37:28,199 Veterans and conscripts alike  are scraped together from depots,   1957 03:37:28,199 --> 03:37:37,519 provinces and garrisons – until a  force of 60,000 men has been gathered. 1958 03:37:37,520 --> 03:37:41,880 A more cautious strategist may have  chosen to reinforce Masséna from the   1959 03:37:41,880 --> 03:37:47,720 west – using established supply  routes to shore up the front. But   1960 03:37:47,720 --> 03:37:55,840 driving the enemy back on his own supply  depots is likely to lead to stalemate. 1961 03:37:55,840 --> 03:38:01,960 Instead, Napoleon plans to swing  south, through the Alps mountains,   1962 03:38:01,960 --> 03:38:11,399 and emerge behind General Melas –  cutting off his supplies, and his escape. 1963 03:38:11,399 --> 03:38:15,439 It is among the most daring  strategic plans in history.   1964 03:38:16,080 --> 03:38:21,479 But it will depend on secrecy and  surprise – a swift and safe passage   1965 03:38:21,479 --> 03:38:30,759 through the mountains – and for Masséna to  hold the line in Italy as long as he can. 1966 03:38:30,760 --> 03:38:41,680 But while Napoleon’s army is still assembling  in France, Masséna comes under heavy attack... 1967 03:38:41,680 --> 03:38:45,440 On 6th April, General Melas launches an offensive. 1968 03:38:47,000 --> 03:38:53,680 While General Ott makes a diversionary attack  on Genoa, his main force moves to cut the   1969 03:38:53,680 --> 03:39:04,040 coastal road at Savona.. driving a wedge between  General Suchet’s forces.. and General Masséna. 1970 03:39:04,040 --> 03:39:09,800 The French launch desperate counterattacks  to break the encirclement. And General   1971 03:39:09,800 --> 03:39:15,360 Soult wins a brilliant local  victory over Ott, at Monte Fasce. 1972 03:39:16,880 --> 03:39:20,560 But the French are heavily outnumbered. 1973 03:39:20,560 --> 03:39:27,600 After two weeks’ hard fighting, Masséna is  forced to withdraw into the city of Genoa,   1974 03:39:27,600 --> 03:39:33,399 where he is besieged by land and sea. 1975 03:39:33,399 --> 03:39:41,719 General Suchet is harried all the way back  to the Var River, on the French frontier. 1976 03:39:41,720 --> 03:39:45,320 News of the Army of Italy’s  defeat disturbs Napoleon. 1977 03:39:46,600 --> 03:39:51,640 He is relying on Masséna to fix Melas’s attention. 1978 03:39:51,640 --> 03:39:56,920 If Genoa falls before he arrives in  Italy, he will be a sitting duck,   1979 03:39:56,920 --> 03:40:02,680 trapped between the Austrians and the mountains. 1980 03:40:02,680 --> 03:40:09,720 On 6th May, Napoleon travels to Geneva  to join the Army of the Reserve,   1981 03:40:09,720 --> 03:40:15,320 and order the offensive to begin. 1982 03:40:29,399 --> 03:40:45,519 The Alps. 500 miles long, more than 100 miles  wide, their highest peaks more than 15,000 feet. 1983 03:40:45,520 --> 03:40:53,439 They can be traversed by several well-known  mountain passes. But these are narrow winding   1984 03:40:53,439 --> 03:41:03,359 trails, vulnerable to avalanches,  with no fodder for horses and mules. 1985 03:41:03,359 --> 03:41:12,679 It’s a daunting challenge for an army of  50,000, with 40 guns, and hundreds of wagons. 1986 03:41:12,680 --> 03:41:15,560 Napoleon has decided the bulk of his forces will   1987 03:41:15,560 --> 03:41:24,920 cross at the Great St Bernard Pass  - at an elevation of 8,100 feet. 1988 03:41:24,920 --> 03:41:33,560 On 15th May, General Lannes and  his advance guard begin the climb. 1989 03:41:33,560 --> 03:41:39,520 Even in late spring, the mountains  are blanketed in deep snow. 1990 03:41:39,520 --> 03:41:45,040 To reduce the risk of avalanche, they  march at night and early morning. 1991 03:41:45,040 --> 03:41:56,279 A strict silence is enforced. The only  noise – the howling wind and crunching snow. 1992 03:41:56,279 --> 03:42:03,159 The barrel of each cannon weighs  around half a ton. General Marmont,   1993 03:42:03,159 --> 03:42:07,000 commanding the artillery, comes  up with the idea of laying them   1994 03:42:07,000 --> 03:42:14,399 in hollowed-out tree trunks, so  they can be hauled like sleds. 1995 03:42:14,399 --> 03:42:21,559 Lannes’ advance guard snakes up the 8-mile  trail. It’s five hours of gruelling,   1996 03:42:21,560 --> 03:42:27,960 uphill marching, and at several  points the men are close to mutiny. 1997 03:42:27,960 --> 03:42:36,359 But they make it. At 8,100 feet,  they reach the summit of the pass,   1998 03:42:36,359 --> 03:42:44,159 and the St. Bernard Hospice where  food and rest has been prepared. 1999 03:42:44,159 --> 03:42:49,840 The rest of the army completes the  crossing over the next 10 days. 2000 03:42:49,840 --> 03:42:59,239 It is a testament to General Berthier’s planning  that just five men, and a single cannon, are lost. 2001 03:42:59,239 --> 03:43:05,399 Contrary to Napoleonic propaganda, the First  Consul made the crossing on a sure-footed mule,   2002 03:43:05,399 --> 03:43:13,000 trailing the army... rather  than leading it on a charger. 2003 03:43:13,000 --> 03:43:19,279 Lannes’ advance guard presses  forward into the Aosta valley. 2004 03:43:19,279 --> 03:43:24,519 They sweep aside small Austrian  outposts … then surprise and   2005 03:43:24,520 --> 03:43:28,840 scatter a whole battalion at Châtillon. 2006 03:43:28,840 --> 03:43:36,120 But a nasty surprise awaits.. at Fort Bard. 2007 03:43:36,120 --> 03:43:38,760 The fort – held by the indomitable Captain   2008 03:43:38,760 --> 03:43:45,040 Bernkopf and 400 troops - dominates  the pass with its heavy artillery. 2009 03:43:49,040 --> 03:43:55,040 Infantry and cavalry can skirt around it  by means of a goat path. But artillery   2010 03:43:55,040 --> 03:44:02,600 and wagons will be seriously  delayed until Fort Bard is taken. 2011 03:44:02,600 --> 03:44:11,399 A first assault by French grenadiers  fails, with 200 casualties. 2012 03:44:11,399 --> 03:44:13,719 The fort remains defiant. 2013 03:44:13,720 --> 03:44:18,960 And for Napoleon, the clock is ticking...   2014 03:44:18,960 --> 03:44:24,560 In Italy, the French position  is increasingly desperate. 2015 03:44:24,560 --> 03:44:30,479 On 15th May, the garrison of Savona surrenders. 2016 03:44:30,479 --> 03:44:37,000 In Genoa, Masséna conducts a brave and  active defence… though in one sortie,   2017 03:44:37,000 --> 03:44:43,080 General Soult is badly wounded, and captured. 2018 03:44:43,080 --> 03:44:51,479 But now starvation looms. There  are already reports of cannibalism. 2019 03:44:51,479 --> 03:44:56,000 Napoleon cannot wait for Fort Bard to fall. 2020 03:44:56,000 --> 03:44:59,880 The army must push on  without its guns and baggage,   2021 03:44:59,880 --> 03:45:05,920 and hope to capture supplies from the Austrians. 2022 03:45:05,920 --> 03:45:15,279 On 23rd May, Lannes attacks the enemy  at Ivrea, taking the town and citadel. 2023 03:45:15,279 --> 03:45:22,920 Three days later, he defeats General  Hadik near the village of Romano. 2024 03:45:22,920 --> 03:45:28,520 The Austrians fall back on Turin. 2025 03:45:28,520 --> 03:45:35,359 With 30,000 French troops now pouring  into Lombardy, Napoleon has done it. 2026 03:45:35,359 --> 03:45:43,080 He has completed one of the most famous  marches in history. Italy is wide open,   2027 03:45:43,080 --> 03:46:01,600 and the Austrians are scrambling to respond. 2028 03:46:01,600 --> 03:46:08,960 Melas quickly grasps the significance of  Napoleon’s manoeuvre. He immediately recalls   2029 03:46:08,960 --> 03:46:18,520 Elsnitz’s corps from the French frontier, and  sends his forces to guard the River Po crossings. 2030 03:46:18,520 --> 03:46:23,040 He assumes the French will march to relieve Genoa. 2031 03:46:23,040 --> 03:46:28,439 But despite the desperate plight of  Masséna and his starving garrison,   2032 03:46:28,439 --> 03:46:35,000 Napoleon turns east, towards Milan. 2033 03:46:35,000 --> 03:46:44,840 General Vukassovich holds the city, but heavily  outnumbered, he retreats towards Mantua. 2034 03:46:47,720 --> 03:46:55,040 On 2nd June, Napoleon enters  the capital of Lombardy -  2035 03:46:55,040 --> 03:47:01,720 but unlike the celebrations of 1796,  this time, French troops are received   2036 03:47:01,720 --> 03:47:14,080 in cold silence. Locals have not forgotten  Napoleon’s brutal crackdowns of the past. 2037 03:47:14,080 --> 03:47:23,640 Regardless, in Milan, his army can finally  rest, and requisition much-needed supplies. 2038 03:47:23,640 --> 03:47:30,560 Three days later, reinforcements arrive from the  Army of the Rhine – General Moncey’s division,   2039 03:47:30,560 --> 03:47:38,120 which has made its own arduous Alpine  crossing, through the Gotthard Pass. 2040 03:47:38,120 --> 03:47:44,840 The First Consul is on the cusp of  achieving his grand encirclement. 2041 03:47:45,560 --> 03:47:51,000 Back in the mountains, Fort Bard  finally surrenders. But its stubborn   2042 03:47:51,000 --> 03:47:59,000 defence means Napoleon will be short of  guns and ammunition in the days ahead. 2043 03:47:59,000 --> 03:48:06,560 Then on 8th June, disastrous news arrives. 2044 03:48:06,560 --> 03:48:11,720 Napoleon has asked too much of Masséna. 2045 03:48:11,720 --> 03:48:12,720 For weeks,   2046 03:48:12,720 --> 03:48:18,840 Genoa has been a scene of utter horror – several thousand civilians have starved   2047 03:48:18,840 --> 03:48:29,760 to death or died of disease,  along with 4,000 French soldiers. 2048 03:48:29,760 --> 03:48:36,319 General Masséna, his own health broken, and  furious at Napoleon’s failure to relieve him,   2049 03:48:36,319 --> 03:48:44,719 negotiates an honourable surrender, which will  allow his surviving troops to return to France. 2050 03:48:46,760 --> 03:48:56,000 The fall of Genoa frees Ott and 12,000  soldiers to march north, to join Melas. 2051 03:48:56,000 --> 03:49:03,439 Napoleon is determined that the Austrians will  not now slip past him and escape his trap. 2052 03:49:03,439 --> 03:49:10,319 And so he divides his army, to  cover all possible routes east. 2053 03:49:10,319 --> 03:49:14,719 For once, it is Napoleon’s  forces that are overextended. 2054 03:49:15,640 --> 03:49:23,000 And it is Lannes’ advance  guard that will pay the price. 2055 03:49:23,000 --> 03:49:32,920 With 7,000 men, Lannes has secured a bridgehead  across the River Po, near Belgiojoso. 2056 03:49:32,920 --> 03:49:41,960 On 8th June, he presses forward intending to  drive the enemy from the Stradella defile. 2057 03:49:41,960 --> 03:49:44,760 But unknown to Lannes, he is on a   2058 03:49:44,760 --> 03:49:50,760 collision course with General Ott’s  division – marching north from Genoa. 2059 03:49:50,760 --> 03:50:14,760 He is about to stumble into a  battle, outnumbered two to one. 2060 03:50:14,760 --> 03:50:21,359 On the morning of 9th June, Lannes’ advance guard  fights a running battle with what it believes to   2061 03:50:21,359 --> 03:50:30,279 be an isolated Austrian unit … driving it  back towards the walled town of Casteggio. 2062 03:50:30,279 --> 03:50:34,840 In fact, it is General Ott’s advance guard. 2063 03:50:34,840 --> 03:50:38,439 What rolling hills and tall  rye fields hide from view..   2064 03:50:38,439 --> 03:50:48,559 is the rest of Ott’s command – 16,000  strong - following up close behind. 2065 03:50:48,560 --> 03:50:55,840 Around noon, the French spot Austrian  infantry holding a ridge to the south. 2066 03:50:55,840 --> 03:51:03,880 Assuming it’s the enemy rearguard, Lannes  orders a brigade to swing round and attack. 2067 03:51:03,880 --> 03:51:09,760 Meanwhile his cavalry continues to Casteggio. 2068 03:51:09,760 --> 03:51:15,279 They scatter the enemy in their path,  and break into the town… only to be   2069 03:51:15,279 --> 03:51:23,599 surprised and counter-charged by a  much larger Austrian cavalry force. 2070 03:51:23,600 --> 03:51:30,120 On the heights, the French make  steady progress... until 4,000   2071 03:51:30,120 --> 03:51:35,479 Austrian reinforcements hove into view. 2072 03:51:35,479 --> 03:51:41,519 Soon Lannes’ men are being  pulverised by artillery fire. 2073 03:51:41,520 --> 03:51:54,960 His force is hard pressed everywhere … and  still enemy reinforcements continue to arrive. 2074 03:51:54,960 --> 03:52:02,359 But Ott is cautious, and holds back a large  reserve. The broken ground leaves him unsure   2075 03:52:02,359 --> 03:52:12,399 of enemy strength, and he has orders  not to be drawn into a major battle. 2076 03:52:12,399 --> 03:52:22,080 At 2pm, Lannes receives his own reinforcements  – 6,000 men of General Victor’s division. 2077 03:52:22,080 --> 03:52:24,559 Lannes wastes no time. 2078 03:52:24,560 --> 03:52:31,720 Victor’s 43rd Line renews the attack on  the right. The Austrian line buckles,   2079 03:52:31,720 --> 03:52:36,239 falling back to a small stream. 2080 03:52:36,239 --> 03:52:41,599 The rest of Victor’s men race towards Casteggio. 2081 03:52:41,600 --> 03:52:44,600 Under a hail of cannon fire, their advance   2082 03:52:44,600 --> 03:52:54,000 stalls.. but the 6th Light Infantry is  able to cross the Coppa River to the north. 2083 03:52:54,000 --> 03:53:04,600 Around the same time, French infantry take Casa  il Giardiana, splitting the Austrians in two. 2084 03:53:04,600 --> 03:53:08,880 Fearing he will be outflanked,  General Schellenberg, commanding   2085 03:53:08,880 --> 03:53:14,520 the Austrian centre, orders a slow withdrawal. 2086 03:53:14,520 --> 03:53:22,960 Seeing this, Lannes sends the 96th  Line forward to storm Casteggio. 2087 03:53:22,960 --> 03:53:35,760 With his men tired and darkness falling,  Ott orders a retreat to Voghera. 2088 03:53:35,760 --> 03:53:41,680 The Battle of Montebello, as it becomes  known, was a hard-fought soldiers’ battle,   2089 03:53:41,680 --> 03:53:51,479 in which French determination triumphed in  the face of Austrian numbers and artillery. 2090 03:53:51,479 --> 03:53:57,399 As Napoleon inspects the battlefield,  he is greeted by an old friend - General   2091 03:53:57,399 --> 03:54:04,879 Louis Desaix – who has escaped from  Egypt during a temporary armistice. 2092 03:54:04,880 --> 03:54:08,120 Just a year older than Napoleon, Desaix is another   2093 03:54:08,120 --> 03:54:14,359 of France’s brilliant young generals – who  will play a crucial role in the days ahead. 2094 03:54:15,080 --> 03:54:20,519 He is immediately given command of two divisions. 2095 03:54:20,520 --> 03:54:25,600 Montebello is a glorious victory  for Lannes – Napoleon will one day   2096 03:54:25,600 --> 03:54:31,199 reward him with the title, ‘Duke of Montebello’. 2097 03:54:31,199 --> 03:54:37,599 But the larger picture is unchanged. 2098 03:54:37,600 --> 03:54:43,680 Napoleon still desperately seeks his decisive  battle – the victory that may end the war   2099 03:54:43,680 --> 03:54:53,199 with Austria, and will surely make his  position as First Consul unassailable. 2100 03:54:53,199 --> 03:54:56,679 Now, Napoleon spreads his forces in a wide   2101 03:54:56,680 --> 03:55:03,760 cordon to prevent the escape of  General Melas’s Austrian army. 2102 03:55:03,760 --> 03:55:09,960 General Chabran and 3,400 men guard the River Po. 2103 03:55:09,960 --> 03:55:15,880 General Lapoype, with 3,500  men, is sent to reinforce him. 2104 03:55:15,880 --> 03:55:25,199 General Desaix, with 5,000 men, moves  south to block the road to Genoa. 2105 03:55:25,199 --> 03:55:33,800 This leaves Napoleon with just 22,000 men -  advancing west onto the plains of Scrivia. 2106 03:55:33,800 --> 03:55:42,960 But the First Consul has been misled by the  over-optimistic reports of scouts and spies. 2107 03:55:42,960 --> 03:55:49,040 Melas is not planning to retreat.  He has concentrated 30,000 veteran   2108 03:55:49,040 --> 03:55:54,120 troops around the fortress city of Alessandria. 2109 03:55:54,120 --> 03:55:59,120 They are well rested, supplied, and  have a great superiority in cavalry   2110 03:55:59,120 --> 03:56:09,159 and artillery. And they are preparing to attack. 2111 03:56:09,159 --> 03:56:14,479 Oblivious to the looming threat,  on 13th June, General Victor   2112 03:56:14,479 --> 03:56:19,679 and his two divisions lead the  French advance on Alessandria. 2113 03:56:19,680 --> 03:56:24,800 In heavy rain, his men drive a small  Austrian rearguard from the village of   2114 03:56:24,800 --> 03:56:31,720 Marengo… back towards a fortified  bridgehead on the Bormida River. 2115 03:56:31,720 --> 03:56:36,279 But the French find the crossing heavily defended. 2116 03:56:36,279 --> 03:56:44,239 And so, soaked and exhausted, with  darkness falling – they halt the pursuit. 2117 03:56:45,120 --> 03:56:49,080 Weeks ago, Napoleon had predicted  that the decisive battle of the   2118 03:56:49,080 --> 03:56:56,359 campaign would be fought on this very  ground: the plain east of Alessandria. 2119 03:56:56,359 --> 03:57:04,359 But now, he is convinced that  Melas will not risk battle. 2120 03:57:04,359 --> 03:57:08,759 What he and his men cannot see  beyond the Bormida - because they   2121 03:57:08,760 --> 03:57:17,680 have lit no camp fires - are 30,000  Austrians, assembled for an assault. 2122 03:57:17,680 --> 03:57:39,960 Within hours, Napoleon will discover  that his army is fighting for its life. 2123 03:57:39,960 --> 03:57:43,399 Dawn, 14th June. 2124 03:57:43,399 --> 03:57:51,279 Napoleon’s forces are spread across 8 miles  of open country and scattered vineyards. 2125 03:57:51,279 --> 03:57:58,599 General Victor’s two divisions are the farthest  west - holding Marengo and the main road. 2126 03:57:58,600 --> 03:58:05,920 Behind him, General Lannes …  and several cavalry regiments. 2127 03:58:05,920 --> 03:58:14,319 Napoleon, with the Consular Guard and  Monnier’s division, is yet further back. 2128 03:58:14,319 --> 03:58:21,399 Melas’s forces are concentrated west of the  Bormida, behind the Austrian bridgehead. 2129 03:58:21,399 --> 03:58:30,359 His chief of staff - General Anton von  Zach - has planned a two-pronged assault. 2130 03:58:30,359 --> 03:58:37,599 General Ott’s division will cross the  river and advance north to Castel Ceriolo. 2131 03:58:37,600 --> 03:58:44,040 Melas, with the bulk of the army,  will attack directly up the main road. 2132 03:58:46,520 --> 03:58:53,760 On a clear morning, at 8am, the  Austrians begin their advance. 2133 03:58:53,760 --> 03:58:57,720 French outposts are driven back. 2134 03:58:57,720 --> 03:59:04,880 At the Pedrabona Farm, Gardanne’s  division comes under heavy bombardment. 2135 03:59:04,880 --> 03:59:13,479 He falls back to join the rest of Victor’s troops,  which are deploying behind the Fontanone stream. 2136 03:59:13,479 --> 03:59:22,080 This narrow, steep-sided waterway runs the length  of the battlefield, and is swollen by recent rain. 2137 03:59:22,080 --> 03:59:28,519 The only easy crossing is a small wooden  bridge at the main road. And on the far bank,   2138 03:59:28,520 --> 03:59:34,640 Victor’s men, are shielded by  trees and sturdy farmhouses. 2139 03:59:34,640 --> 03:59:43,080 As the Austrians approach the Fontanone,  they are hit by a hail of musket fire. 2140 03:59:43,080 --> 03:59:48,960 Scores go down as they  struggle to cross the stream. 2141 03:59:48,960 --> 03:59:56,279 General Hadik leads a charge,  but falls, mortally wounded. 2142 03:59:56,279 --> 04:00:08,679 After several failed attacks, the  Austrians fall back with heavy losses. 2143 04:00:08,680 --> 04:00:17,680 North of Victor’s position, General Bellegarde’s  brigade crosses the Fontanone around 11am. 2144 04:00:17,680 --> 04:00:24,359 But General Lannes’ division takes  up position on Victor’s flank. 2145 04:00:24,359 --> 04:00:32,719 They drive off Bellegarde, and  re-establish the line along the stream. 2146 04:00:32,720 --> 04:00:38,960 It is now a hot, humid summer’s  day – as Austrian attacks continue,   2147 04:00:38,960 --> 04:00:43,920 and fighting rages along the Fontanone. 2148 04:00:44,640 --> 04:00:54,520 More and more Austrian cannon are pulled  up, and begin to pulverise the French line. 2149 04:00:54,520 --> 04:01:01,960 Throughout the morning, Melas’s army is hindered  by narrow crossing points and marshy ground. 2150 04:01:01,960 --> 04:01:08,880 General Zach’s failure to anticipate  these bottlenecks has cost several hours. 2151 04:01:08,880 --> 04:01:17,880 Nevertheless, by noon, the Austrians  have 30,000 men and 92 guns in position. 2152 04:01:17,880 --> 04:01:27,720 They still only face Lannes’ and Victor’s  tiring divisions - 16,000 men and 16 guns. 2153 04:01:27,720 --> 04:01:32,640 The French urgently need reinforcements  – but as the Austrians begin their next   2154 04:01:32,640 --> 04:01:40,399 attack – Napoleon, and the rest of  the army, are nowhere to be seen. 2155 04:01:40,399 --> 04:01:46,159 The greatest danger is on the French right,  where General Ott’s division has occupied   2156 04:01:46,159 --> 04:01:54,239 Castel Ceriolo virtually unopposed,  and now threatens Lannes’ flank. 2157 04:01:54,239 --> 04:01:58,080 Then, the Austrians find a  gap near the French centre,   2158 04:01:58,080 --> 04:02:04,399 and rush three battalions across the Fontanone. 2159 04:02:04,399 --> 04:02:11,879 Around the same time, 1,500 Austrian  dragoons circle around the French left,   2160 04:02:11,880 --> 04:02:17,880 but are charged and routed by  General Kellerman’s heavy cavalry. 2161 04:02:17,880 --> 04:02:26,479 The Austrians do succeed in taking La  Stortigliona farm, threatening Victor’s left. 2162 04:02:26,479 --> 04:02:36,080 An Austrian cavalry charge over the Marengo  bridge is also repulsed by Kellerman. 2163 04:02:36,080 --> 04:02:39,279 But the odds are too great. 2164 04:02:39,279 --> 04:02:44,000 Some French units are completely  out of ammunition. They have just   2165 04:02:44,000 --> 04:02:49,279 a handful of cannon, and their line is breaking. 2166 04:02:49,279 --> 04:02:54,399 Facing encirclement, Victor’s  divisions are the first to give way,   2167 04:02:54,399 --> 04:02:59,920 losing 400 men captured in Marengo. 2168 04:02:59,920 --> 04:03:04,800 Another 300 French soldiers  are left behind in Casa Bianca,   2169 04:03:04,800 --> 04:03:10,840 where they hold out stubbornly for several hours. 2170 04:03:10,840 --> 04:03:16,319 Covered by the 96th Demi-Brigade,  and Kellerman’s watchful cavalry,   2171 04:03:16,319 --> 04:03:23,799 Victor’s division retreats half a mile to  Spinetta and its surrounding vineyards. 2172 04:03:23,800 --> 04:03:28,840 The Austrians pour over the Fontanone. 2173 04:03:28,840 --> 04:03:43,720 Lannes pulls back to maintain the French line.  The heroes of Montebello are on the brink. 2174 04:03:55,239 --> 04:04:05,080 When the Austrian attack began, Napoleon was 7  miles away at his headquarters in Torre Garofoli. 2175 04:04:05,080 --> 04:04:10,359 Although he could hear the distant thunder  of cannon, he did not grasp its full   2176 04:04:10,359 --> 04:04:17,519 significance, and remained focused  on blocking the Austrians’ escape. 2177 04:04:17,520 --> 04:04:24,080 Only at 11am did reports arrive, to  reveal the gravity of the situation. 2178 04:04:24,080 --> 04:04:27,760 Napoleon knows there is not a moment to lose. 2179 04:04:27,760 --> 04:04:31,479 He scrawls an order to Desaix  – who he’s sent to cut off the   2180 04:04:31,479 --> 04:04:36,239 Austrian retreat, and is now 4 miles away: 2181 04:04:36,239 --> 04:04:40,719 “I had thought to attack the  enemy; they have attacked me;   2182 04:04:40,720 --> 04:04:43,640 come, in the name of God, if you still can." 2183 04:04:44,399 --> 04:04:47,839 He sends the same order to General La Poype. 2184 04:04:47,840 --> 04:05:01,080 Then he races to the front with his only reserves  - Monnier’s division, and the Consular Guard. 2185 04:05:01,080 --> 04:05:06,720 By 3pm, Lannes and Victor  have retreated almost a mile. 2186 04:05:06,720 --> 04:05:13,760 Austrian cavalry shadow their withdrawal,  forcing the French to stay in close formation. 2187 04:05:13,760 --> 04:05:20,199 Austrian guns send roundshot  crashing through the packed ranks. 2188 04:05:20,199 --> 04:05:25,120 Remarkably, the French  battalions are still holding. 2189 04:05:25,120 --> 04:05:29,479 When Napoleon arrives, he sees  the main threat is on the right,   2190 04:05:29,479 --> 04:05:34,879 where Ott is poised to turn the French flank. 2191 04:05:34,880 --> 04:05:43,640 To counter this, he sends Monnier’s division to  Castel Ceriolo, forcing Ott to draw off troops. 2192 04:05:45,760 --> 04:05:52,319 But that still leaves General  Schellenberg’s 4,000-strong division. 2193 04:05:52,319 --> 04:06:03,559 So Napoleon commits his ultimate reserve  - 900 men of the elite Consular Guard. 2194 04:06:03,560 --> 04:06:09,520 Against the odds, the Guard repels enemy  cavalry... and holds its own in a close-range   2195 04:06:09,520 --> 04:06:18,800 firefight with Austrian infantry, buying  time for the rest of the army to fall back. 2196 04:06:18,800 --> 04:06:28,239 Napoleon describes them as his “granite  redoubt”. The legend of the Guard is being born.  2197 04:06:28,239 --> 04:06:33,279 But they are now isolated,  and about to be overwhelmed. 2198 04:06:33,279 --> 04:06:42,040 When Austrian dragoons hit their exposed  flank and rear, ‘the redoubt’ crumbles. 2199 04:06:42,040 --> 04:06:49,439 The Guard is forced to flee. Some  surrender. Many are cut down. 2200 04:06:49,439 --> 04:06:57,719 By the end of the day, the Guard has  suffered more than 50% casualties. 2201 04:06:57,720 --> 04:07:04,560 With the retreat of the Guard, Napoleon  has no more cards left to play. 2202 04:07:04,560 --> 04:07:08,239 The French army retreats  steadily through the vineyards,   2203 04:07:08,239 --> 04:07:12,960 battered by constant Austrian artillery fire. 2204 04:07:12,960 --> 04:07:21,920 Casualties and stragglers mean there are  just 6,000 men left holding the French line. 2205 04:07:21,920 --> 04:07:26,680 General Melas is satisfied that  the French have been beaten. 2206 04:07:26,680 --> 04:07:32,760 Having been injured in a fall from his horse,  he now hands over command to his Chief of Staff,   2207 04:07:32,760 --> 04:07:42,800 General Zach. Then he returns to Alessandria,  to draft a report describing his great victory. 2208 04:07:42,800 --> 04:08:03,720 But he has underestimated French resilience  – and the fickle fortunes of war. 2209 04:08:03,720 --> 04:08:09,439 General Louis Desaix. Just 31 years old, brave,   2210 04:08:09,439 --> 04:08:21,199 brilliant and modest. Napoleon describes their  friendship as one “his heart has for no other.” 2211 04:08:21,199 --> 04:08:26,159 That morning, his orders were to  lead Boudet’s division - 5,000   2212 04:08:26,159 --> 04:08:32,479 strong – across the Scrivia river,  to cut off the Austrian escape. 2213 04:08:32,479 --> 04:08:39,839 But the recent rain had raised the  water level, and delayed his crossing. 2214 04:08:39,840 --> 04:08:43,000 When Desaix heard the sound  of battle to the north,   2215 04:08:43,000 --> 04:08:47,680 he’d halted his men and  sent a courier to get news. 2216 04:08:47,680 --> 04:08:54,840 Napoleon’s desperate order to return  does not reach him until midday. 2217 04:08:54,840 --> 04:09:04,560 Immediately, he about-turns his division,  and marches to the sound of the guns. 2218 04:09:04,560 --> 04:09:08,520 Desaix arrives on the eastern  edge of the battlefield at   2219 04:09:08,520 --> 04:09:13,360 5pm... to find the French army in full retreat. 2220 04:09:14,399 --> 04:09:19,319 Napoleon is at San Giuliano,  5 miles east of Marengo,   2221 04:09:19,319 --> 04:09:22,880 where thousands of wounded soldiers are gathered. 2222 04:09:22,880 --> 04:09:30,439 The mood is grim, and despondent. But  news of Desaix’s arrival spreads like   2223 04:09:30,439 --> 04:09:37,639 an electric shock. “Here they are!  Here they are!”, the troops exclaim. 2224 04:09:37,640 --> 04:09:42,800 Napoleon is rejuvenated. “We have  gone back far enough today.” he   2225 04:09:42,800 --> 04:09:55,640 tells his troops. “You know that my custom  is always to sleep on the field of battle.” 2226 04:09:55,640 --> 04:10:02,840 The Austrian army is advancing on all fronts.  But they are now scattered and disordered. 2227 04:10:02,840 --> 04:10:11,399 And they have diverted forces north, and  south, in an attempt to encircle the enemy. 2228 04:10:11,399 --> 04:10:15,080 What’s more, General Zach has advanced to lead the   2229 04:10:15,080 --> 04:10:22,000 pursuit – handing overall command to  General Kaim. Several other Austrian   2230 04:10:22,000 --> 04:10:28,840 generals have been wounded – chains of  command have become dangerously muddled. 2231 04:10:28,840 --> 04:10:35,239 Using Desaix’s fresh troops, Napoleon  now prepares a last-ditch counterattack,   2232 04:10:35,239 --> 04:10:39,679 with all the supporting forces he can rally.   2233 04:10:39,680 --> 04:10:50,119 General Marmont concentrates all the available  guns – 18 of them – to blast the Austrians. 2234 04:10:50,119 --> 04:10:58,159 Then, with the 9th Light Demi-Brigade  in the lead, the attack begins. 2235 04:10:58,159 --> 04:11:05,479 The rapid fire of these experienced  skirmishers staggers the Austrian advance. 2236 04:11:05,479 --> 04:11:12,839 General Zach orders up more artillery,  and sends forward his elite grenadiers. 2237 04:11:12,840 --> 04:11:22,239 The 9th Light falls back. To the Austrians,  it seems the French are retreating once more. 2238 04:11:22,239 --> 04:11:26,920 Suddenly, they are blind-sided by  the rest of Desaix’s fresh troops,   2239 04:11:26,920 --> 04:11:32,359 emerging without warning through the vineyards. 2240 04:11:32,359 --> 04:11:39,319 Desaix joins the 9th Light, and leads  them forward in a bayonet charge. 2241 04:11:39,319 --> 04:11:45,000 At this moment, he is shot through  the heart and killed instantly. 2242 04:11:45,000 --> 04:11:52,319 Seeing their commander fall, the 9th Light  cries “Vengeance!”, and surges forward. 2243 04:11:52,319 --> 04:11:58,319 General Kellerman thunders  in with 400 heavy cavalry. 2244 04:11:58,319 --> 04:12:02,799 They crash into the Austrian left flank. 2245 04:12:02,800 --> 04:12:12,520 To add to the chaos, an Austrian ammunition wagon  is hit, and detonates in a tremendous explosion. 2246 04:12:12,520 --> 04:12:15,920 The combined effect is devastating. 2247 04:12:15,920 --> 04:12:21,439 Panic spreads. Morale collapses.  In just a few minutes, hundreds   2248 04:12:21,439 --> 04:12:25,879 of Austrians lay down their arms, and surrender. 2249 04:12:25,880 --> 04:12:33,800 Thousands more flee, spreading  terror among troops in the rear. 2250 04:12:33,800 --> 04:12:43,119 General Zach, trapped in the rout, is  among the 2,000 Austrian prisoners. 2251 04:13:02,319 --> 04:13:10,040 In an instant, the entire momentum  of the battle has swung 180 degrees. 2252 04:13:10,040 --> 04:13:17,479 Thousands of French troops, who’d been retreating  moments ago, stop, and join the attack. 2253 04:13:17,479 --> 04:13:22,000 As the Austrian centre collapses,  General Ott’s division becomes   2254 04:13:22,000 --> 04:13:32,359 dangerously exposed. His men soon join the  rest of the army in their race to escape. 2255 04:13:32,359 --> 04:13:38,080 Later that evening, General Murat adds  the coup de grâce, launching a final   2256 04:13:38,080 --> 04:13:46,319 French cavalry charge that seals victory, and  drives the enemy back to their bridgehead. 2257 04:13:46,319 --> 04:13:52,519 The Battle of Marengo was one of the  greatest comebacks of the Napoleonic era. 2258 04:13:52,520 --> 04:14:00,920 Thoroughly defeated by mid-afternoon, the  French are completely victorious by nightfall. 2259 04:14:00,920 --> 04:14:06,840 But it has been an exceptionally  costly affair. The French lose a   2260 04:14:06,840 --> 04:14:13,040 quarter of their army as casualties  … the Austrians, more than a third. 2261 04:14:16,600 --> 04:14:21,080 Napoleon himself contributed  little to the victory. 2262 04:14:21,080 --> 04:14:26,279 If not for the skill of his officers, the  steadiness of his troops, and above all,   2263 04:14:26,279 --> 04:14:32,080 Desaix’s last-minute arrival, he  would surely have been defeated. 2264 04:14:32,080 --> 04:14:35,119 The taste of victory is soured further   2265 04:14:35,119 --> 04:14:39,880 when Napoleon learns that his  friend Desaix has been killed. 2266 04:14:39,880 --> 04:14:47,199 He tells his secretary, ’Yes, Bourienne,  I am satisfied. But Desaix! Ah, what a   2267 04:14:47,199 --> 04:14:54,599 triumph this would have been if I could have  embraced him tonight on the field of battle!’ 2268 04:14:54,600 --> 04:15:00,640 Instead, he dines alone... according  to legend, on a hastily-improvised   2269 04:15:00,640 --> 04:15:11,520 dish of local ingredients... that  becomes known as Chicken Marengo. 2270 04:15:11,520 --> 04:15:19,080 General Melas, shaken by his unexpected  defeat, is unsure how to react. 2271 04:15:19,080 --> 04:15:25,760 Some of his officers urge him to continue  fighting. Others advise him to escape. 2272 04:15:25,760 --> 04:15:31,840 French forces are closing in from all directions. 2273 04:15:31,840 --> 04:15:38,560 Hoping to buy time, Melas proposes  a ceasefire to bury the dead. 2274 04:15:38,560 --> 04:15:43,040 Napoleon refuses, unless Melas is also willing to   2275 04:15:43,040 --> 04:15:49,600 discuss terms for the Austrian  evacuation of northwest Italy. 2276 04:15:49,600 --> 04:15:57,720 With little bargaining leverage,  the old Austrian general accepts. 2277 04:15:57,720 --> 04:16:06,560 Over the following days, Melas and Berthier  negotiate a comprehensive armistice. 2278 04:16:06,560 --> 04:16:13,279 In exchange for safe passage back to  Austria, Melas agrees to evacuate Piedmont,   2279 04:16:13,279 --> 04:16:17,040 Genoa, and Lombardy. 2280 04:16:17,040 --> 04:16:21,960 France will once more dominate northern Italy. 2281 04:16:21,960 --> 04:16:29,399 Napoleon has achieved his victory and cemented  his position as France’s new head of state. 2282 04:16:29,399 --> 04:16:34,279 What’s more – the near-miraculous  manner of his victory assures him,   2283 04:16:34,279 --> 04:16:43,279 more than ever, of his own special destiny.  The gods of War and Fortune are with him.   2284 04:16:43,279 --> 04:16:49,679 What limit can there be to his accomplishments? 2285 04:16:49,680 --> 04:16:54,040 That winter, Moreau inflicts  a second crushing defeat on   2286 04:16:54,040 --> 04:16:58,880 the Austrians.. at the Battle of Hohenlinden. 2287 04:16:58,880 --> 04:17:06,520 Defeated in Italy - and now Germany  too - Austria finally sues for peace. 2288 04:17:06,520 --> 04:17:12,840 The subsequent Treaty of Lunéville sees the  French frontier advance to the River Rhine. 2289 04:17:14,040 --> 04:17:19,399 In Italy, French client republics  are officially recognised by Austria,   2290 04:17:19,399 --> 04:17:24,439 and the following year, France annexes Piedmont. 2291 04:17:24,439 --> 04:17:30,080 France is now larger and stronger than at  any time since the reign of Charlemagne,   2292 04:17:30,080 --> 04:17:32,920 a thousand years ago. 2293 04:17:32,920 --> 04:17:39,000 She has just one remaining enemy – Great Britain. 2294 04:17:39,000 --> 04:17:43,159 In 1801, British victories at Alexandria...   2295 04:17:43,159 --> 04:17:52,040 and Copenhagen... drive home the fact that France  cannot challenge Britain at sea, nor abroad. 2296 04:17:52,040 --> 04:17:56,960 Britain has seen her continental allies  defeated, and Russia is now actually   2297 04:17:56,960 --> 04:18:05,640 threatening war. She has no prospect of building  another coalition to challenge France on land. 2298 04:18:05,640 --> 04:18:09,479 Both sides are exhausted by war. 2299 04:18:09,479 --> 04:18:20,239 The result, after months of negotiation – peace!  For the first time in Europe in ten years. 2300 04:18:20,239 --> 04:18:31,119 How long it will last... nobody is quite sure. 2301 04:18:31,119 --> 04:18:35,080 Big thanks to Osprey Publishing,  for kind permission to use several   2302 04:18:35,080 --> 04:18:39,720 of their images in this video. You’ll  find links to some great Osprey titles   2303 04:18:39,720 --> 04:18:45,640 on this topic - and other historical  campaigns - in our video description. 2304 04:18:45,640 --> 04:18:50,439 Thanks as always to the Patreon supporters  who help to make this channel possible – from   2305 04:18:50,439 --> 04:18:54,839 builders, such as Charlie, Dan  Wilder, and Samuel Lamar Jackson... 2306 04:18:54,840 --> 04:18:59,239 To citizens such as Clemens, Tyler  Hammond and Henry Ollarves... 2307 04:18:59,239 --> 04:19:02,639 And heroes, like Phillip Vladimir Klochan. 2308 04:19:02,640 --> 04:19:12,720 Join their ranks by joining us on Patreon, where  you’ll get early, ad-free access to new videos.