The Battle of Magenta was fought on 4 June 1859 during the
Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...
against the
Austrians under Marshal
Ferencz Gyulai
Count Ferenc Gyulay de Marosnémethi et Nádaska (, 1 September 1799 – 1 September 1868), also known as Ferencz Gyulai, Ferencz Gyulaj, or Franz Gyulai, was a Hungarian nobleman who served as Austrian Governor of Lombardy-Venetia and command ...
.
It took place near the town of
Magenta in the
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, a crown land of the
Austrian Empire, on 4 June 1859. Napoleon III's army crossed the
Ticino River and outflanked the Austrian right forcing the Austrian army under Gyulai to retreat. The confined nature of the country, a vast spread of orchards cut up by streams and irrigation canals, precluded elaborate manoeuvre. The Austrians turned every house into a miniature fortress. The brunt of the fighting was borne by 5,000
grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard, still mostly in their
First Empire First Empire may refer to:
*First British Empire, sometimes used to describe the British Empire between 1583 and 1783
*First Bulgarian Empire (680–1018)
*First French Empire (1804–1814/1815)
* First German Empire or "First Reich", sometimes use ...
style of uniforms. The battle of Magenta was not a particularly large battle, but it was a decisive victory for the Franco-Sardinian alliance.
Patrice de MacMahon was created
Duc de Magenta
The MacMahon family originated in Ireland and established itself in France, where it gained prominence. John MacMahon, an Irish doctor born in Limerick, became naturalised in France in 1749 and married Charlotte Le Belin, Dame d'Éguilly, on 13 ...
for his role in this battle, and would later go on to serve as
President of the
French Third Republic.
An overwhelming majority of the French-Piedmontese coalition soldiers were French (1,100 were Piedmontese and 58,000 were French).
Background
From 1 June through 3 June, the French and Piedmontese pursued the Austrian 2nd Army to the
Ticino River, the border between Lombardy and Piedmont. The Austrians set up a defensive position at Magenta, utilizing the
Naviglio Grande, which could be crossed only at four bridges. Gyulai had available 68,00 men, composed of the I,II, III and VII Korps. The French had about 50,000 men, while
Manfredo Fanti added another 12,000. Camou had crossed the
Ticino during the
Battle of Turbigo, followed by MacMahon. MacMahon, Camou and Espinasse crossed the canal on bridges at
Bernate Ticino and
Boffalora sopra Ticino, placing them north of Magenta.
[
]
Battle
At noon, MacMahon encountered elements of Liechtenstein's II Korps. The Imperial Guard Corps made contact with the Austrians from Buffalora to Magenta. At 2pm, the Guard Zouaves crossed the canal with boats, establishing a bridgehead. Eduard Clam-Gallas
Count Eduard Clam-Gallas (, in Prague – , in Vienna) was an Austrian general. He was the eldest son of Count Christian Christoph Clam-Gallas (1771–1838), patron of Beethoven, and Countess Josephine Clary-Aldringen (1777–1828).
Career
In ...
informed Gyulai of the French attack, who sent Schwarzenberg's III Korps from Robecco sul Naviglio
Robecco sul Naviglio (Milanese: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about west of Milan.
Twin towns
* Fosses-la-Ville
Fosses-la-Ville (; wa, Fosse-li-Veye) is a city and ...
, threatening the French right flank. Canrobert arrived in time to reinforce the Guard. From 3.30 through 5.30pm, MamMahon launched an attack against the Austrian I and II Korps. By 6.30pm the Austrians began a fighting withdrawal, while the French advanced into Magenta and beyond. By 10pm, the Austrian 2nd Army was withdrawing toward Abbiategrasso.[
]
Aftermath
On 8 June, Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...
and Victor Emmanuel II
en, Victor Emmanuel Maria Albert Eugene Ferdinand Thomas
, house = Savoy
, father = Charles Albert of Sardinia
, mother = Maria Theresa of Austria
, religion = Roman Catholicism
, image_size = 252px
, succession ...
entered Milan, followed by Brescia a few days later. On 23-25 May, Prince Napoléon Bonaparte
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
's V Corps landed at Livorno, and then entered Florence a week later, followed by Parma, and Modena. According to Frederick Schneid, "The defeat at Magenta spelled the end for Gyulai. He withdrew his army to the Chiese River east of Milan, and resigned on June 16."
A dye producing the colour magenta was discovered in 1859, and was named after this battle,[Cunnington, C. Willett, ''English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century'', Dover Publications, Inc. New York 1990, page 208] as was the Boulevard de Magenta
The boulevard de Magenta is located in the Ninth and Tenth arrondissements of Paris, France.
It begins at place de la République and 1, rue Beaurepaire, and ends at 1, boulevard de Rochechouart and 53, boulevard de la Chapelle.
Etymology ...
in Paris.
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Magenta
June 1859 events
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1859 in the Austrian Empire
1859 in Italy
1859 in France