- Battle of Custoza (1866)
Infobox Military Conflict
caption=Battle of Custoza (1866)
partof=theAustro-Prussian War
conflict=Battle of Custoza
date=24 June 1866
place=Custoza , nearVerona , present-dayItaly
result=Austrian victory
combatant1=flagicon|Italy|1861 Italy
combatant2=flagicon|Austrian Empire Austria
commander1=Alfonso Ferrero la Marmora andEnrico Cialdini
commander2=Archduke Albert of Habsburg
strength1=120,000 [Only 65,000 of which crossed the Mincio.]
strength2=60,000
casualties1=8,147 total:
720 killed
3,112 wounded
4,315 captured
casualties2=5,650 total:
960 killed
3,690 wounded
1,000 capturedThe Battle of Custoza took place on
24 June 1866 during theThird Italian Independence War in theItalian unification process.The
Austrian Empire army, led by Archduke Albert of Habsburg, defeated the Italian army led byAlfonso Ferrero la Marmora andEnrico Cialdini , in spite of the Italians' strong numerical advantage.Background
In June 1866, the German
kingdom ofPrussia declared war on the Austrian Empire. The recently formed Italiankingdom decided to seize the opportunity and allied withPrussia with the intention of annexingVenetia and thus uniting theItalian Peninsula . The Italians rapdily built up an army twice the size of their Austrian counterparts defending Venetia.The Battle
In the fourth week of May, the Italians divided their army into two equally-sized corps, one commanded by King Vittorio Emmanuele and the other by Generals
Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora andEnrico Cialdini . The king's force was to move into theTrentino region, whileMarmora 's crossed theMincio River and invadedVenetia . Meanwhile,Austria n soldiers underArchduke Albert of Habsburg marchedwest fromVerona to the north of the Italians, in an attempt to move behind the Italians so as to cut them off from the rear and thus slaughter them. Themaneuver failed, resulting in a confused and ferocious struggle. The Austrians' rifled artillery ouperformed the Italiansmoothbore guns and an improvised charge by Austrianlancers sustained heavy losses, but unnerved the Italians.Aftermath
The Austrians were decisively victorious, both strategically and tactically. The Italians were driven back across the
Mincio out ofVenetia . Despite this victory and anaval defeat of the Italians atLissa , the Austrians surrenedered to the Prussians a month later and were forced to cede Venetia.Notes
References
* http://www.clash-of-steel.co.uk/pages/battle_details.php?battle=CUSTOZZA01
* Encyclopedia Britannica: Second Battle of CustozaFurther reading
*
Frederick Engels . [http://www.marx.org/archive/marx/works/1866/06/28.htm Notes on the War in Germany No. III] , The Manchester Guardian, No. 6197, June 28, 1866. A contemporary news paper article.
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