Battle of Palestro
Battle of Palestro | |||||||
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Part of zouaves at the Battle of Palestro. Painting by Luigi Norfini, 1863. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Sardinia French Empire | Austrian Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Victor Emmanuel II | Friedrich Zobel | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
14,000 1,000 | 14,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
101 | 2,000 |
The Battle of Palestro was fought on 30–31 May 1859 between the Austrian Empire and the combined forces of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont and France. The Franco-Piedmontese forces were victorious. It was fought just south to Palestro, a town in what is now the province of Pavia in northern Italy. It was believed that the Battle of Palestro was the last European battle in which a European Monarch rode into battle, that being King Victor Emmanuel II, who directly entered the fray with the Austrians.[1]
Background
Battle
On 31 May, Zobel counterattacked with two of his VII Korps divisions, and Szabo's brigade from II Korps, which was repulsed. A defining moment came when the
The 4th Piedmontese Division under general
According to Frederick Schneid, "The allied army was now in force on the east bank of the Sesia in Lomellina. Applying Jomini's advice, the divisions of the Piedmontese Army comprised the blocking force, permitting the French army to march unimpeded to Novara.[2]
Aftermath
Emperor
References
- ^ The Battle of Palestro
- ^ ISBN 9781849087872.