Bonaparte and his troops cross the Alps…

Bonaparte and his troops cross the Alps in 1800 into Italy, where French forces had been almost completely driven out by the Austrians while he was in Egypt.

The campaign begins badly for the French after Bonaparte makes strategic errors; one force is left besieged at Genoa but manages to hold out and thereby occupy Austrian resources.

This effort, and French general Louis Desaix's timely reinforcements, allow Bonaparte narrowly to avoid defeat and to triumph over the Austrians in June at the significant Battle of Marengo.