The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars raged in Italy for 23 years. In that time, no fewer than eight campaigns involving hundred of thousands of troops were mounted in the Italian peninsula, as France and Austria struggled over this secondary, but still vitally important theater of war. As Frederick Schneid demonstrates in this groundbreaking work, control of Italy was rightly seen by Napoleon as an important means of applying strategic pressure on the Austrians, while simultaneously providing security for France's vulnerable southern flank. As the first in-depth consideration of the struggle for strategically key region, this book places the Italian campaigns into their proper historical context.

Machine generated contents note: Foreword by Gunther E. Rothenberg ix -- Acknowledgments xiii -- Prologue: Italy, Wars, and Geography xv -- Part I. The Conquest of the Italian Peninsula, 1805-1806 -- Chapter 1. The Armies and Their Generals 3 -- Chapter 2. Planning, Preparations, and Opening Moves 15 -- Chapter 3. The Battle of Caldiero 27 -- Chapter 4. The Conquest of Naples 47 -- Part II. The Defense of Italy, 1809 -- Chapter 5. Armies, Generals, and Strategy in 1809 59 -- Chapter 6. From Sacile to the Piave and Beyond 69 -- Chapter 7. Raab and Wagram 85 -- Part III. The Fall of Napoleonic Italy, 1813-1815 -- Chapter 8. Rebuilding the Armies 103 -- Chapter 9. From War Plans to War 115 -- Chapter 10. The Battle of the Mincio 127 -- Chapter 11. Murat's Hundred Days 145 -- Epilogue: War from Italy 155 -- Appendix I. Orders of Battle, 1805-1806 161 -- Appendix II. Orders of Battle, 1809 179 -- Appendix III. Orders of Battle, 1813-1814 193 -- Appendix IV. Orders of Battle, 1815 201 -- Appendix V. Maps 209 -- Bibliography 219 -- Index 223.

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