While General Napoleon Bonaparte campaigns in Egypt,…

While General Napoleon Bonaparte campaigns in Egypt, the Second Coalition has launched an invasion of French-occupied Italy.

General of Division (MG) Barthélemy Schérer had fought inconclusive actions the Austrians at Pastrengo, Verona, and Legnago on March 26, 1799.

Feldmarschal-Leutnant (FML) Pál Kray and his Austrians had then defeated Schérer at the Battle of Magnano on April 4th.

This defeat had forced the French army into a long retreat.

Attempts by Schérer to hold the lines of the Mincio and Oglio rivers had failed when an Austrian force led by FML Josef Vukassovich turned his northern flank.

Schérer, completely out of his depth, had handed over army command to the more capable Major General Jean Moreau.

Austria's Russian allies, led by Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov, had soon begun appearing at the front.

When Suvorov joined the allied army, he had taken over the top command from Kray, though the latter had just been promoted to Feldzeugmeister.

The arrival of General of Cavalry Michael von Melas had displaced Kray as the top Austrian field command.

Therefore, Kray is assigned to capture the fortress of Mantua, while Melas and Suvorov pursue the French.

The Siege of Mantua will last from April until the garrison surrenders on July 28.

The Battle of Cassano takes place outside of Milan, as Russian and Austrian troops commanded by Suvorov rout the French Army under the command of Moreau.