Battle of Cassano (1705)

Battle of Cassano
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date 16 August 1705 Location Cassano d'Adda, Lombardy, present-day Italy Result Tactical French victory[1]
Belligerents
France	Habsburg Austria  Prussia
Commanders and leaders
Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme	Eugene of Savoy Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Strength
22,000[2]	24,000[2]
Casualties and losses
5,000[3]	4,000+[4]

The Battle of Cassano, fought on 16 August 1705, was a battle in the Italian theatre of the War of the Spanish Succession. Both sides suffered serious casualties, but the French were victorious.

The battle

In 1705, Vendôme's army and a fresh corps from France were engaged in the attempt to subdue Victor Amadeus. Vendôme's success led to Amadeus asking the Emperor for a new army. Eugene of Savoy commanded this army, opposed to which was a force under Vendôme's brother Philippe, called the Grand Prior. At the start of the battle Philippe was surprised by Eugene's fierce attack on the line of the Adda. Eugene nearly crossed the river until the arrival of Vendôme, which prevented him from crossing.

Aftermath

Eugene of Savoy was wounded during the battle and left Italy for treatment in Austria. Dessau was also wounded and his Prussian contingent was decimated. The Austrian army had finally to retire towards Tyrol for the winter.

Eugene's activity had greatly relieved the pressure on Piedmont, enabled Turin to hold out and kept the half-hearted Duke of Savoy true to his new alliance. The French put off the subjugation of Piedmont until the following year, on Louis's orders.

The battle had taken a large toll on both sides. It is estimated that on both sides, 4000 men were killed,6000 were wounded and an unknown amount drowned in the river.

Notes

1. Wars of the age of Louis XIV, 1650-1715: an encyclopedia of global warfare, Ed. Cathal J. Nolan, (ABC-CLIO, 2008), 72.
2. Lynn (1999), p. 301
3. Jones, 286.
4. Jones, Archer, The art of war in the Western world, (University of Illinois Press, 1987), 286.

References

• Lynn, John A. The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714. Longman, (1999). ISBN 0-582-05629-2

External links

• I morti delle tre bocche (Italian)

Coordinates: 45°32′00″N 9°31′00″E / 45.5333°N 9.5167°E