Battle of Calcinato

The Battle of Calcinato was a battle in the War of the Spanish Succession fought on 19 April 1706 near Calcinato, Italy between French and Spanish forces and the Austrian/Hapsburg Empire. It ended in a victory for Marshal Vendôme's French and Spanish army over Austria.

Prelude

In Italy the 1706 campaign had, as before, two branches: the contest for Piedmont and the contest between the French forces in Lombardy and the Austrian second army that sought to join Victor Amadeus and Starhemberg in Piedmont. The latter, repulsed by Vendome at Cassano, had retired to Brescia and Lake Garda, Vendome following up and wintering about Castiglione and Mantua.

The Battle

In April 1706, profiting by Eugene's temporary absence, Vendome attacked the Imperialist's camp of Montechiaro–Calcinato. His intention was by a night march to surprise the post of Ponte San Marco on their extreme left, but when day came he noticed that he could give battle to the enemy's left wing at Calcinato before their right from Montichiari could intervene. His onset broke up the defence completely and he hustled the fragments of the Imperialist army back into the mountains, where Eugene had the greatest difficulty in rallying them.

Aftermath

Vendome was sent to Flanders after the crushing defeat there in the Battle of Ramillies. As a result the French position in Italy deteriorated drastically, and by the end of the year, all French forces had been chased from Italy.

Notes

References

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