In the Battle of Caldiero on November 12, 1796, a Habsburg Austrian army led by Jozsef Alvinczi fights a First French Republic army commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte.
The French assault the Austrian positions, which ware initially held by the army advance guard under Prince Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen.
The defenders hold firm until reinforcements arrive in the afternoon to push back the French.
This marks a rare tactical setback for Bonaparte, whose forces withdraw into Verona that evening after having suffered greater losses than their adversaries.
The action occurs during the War of the First Coalition, which is part of the French Revolutionary Wars.
Caldiero is a town located about fifteen kilometers (nine point three miles) east of Verona.
The battle is part of the third Austrian effort to relieve the Siege of Mantua.
Two Austrian forces converge oward Mantua, the main army from the east and an independent corps from the north.
Both forces enjoy early successes, driving back the outnumbered French forces in front of them.
When the main army reaches a position threatening Verona, Bonaparte orders the divisions of André Masséna and Pierre Augereau to attack.
Sturdy Austrian resistance and bad weather contribute to the French defeat.
Bonaparte soon embarks upon a new strategy that concludes with an Austrian defeat at the Battle of Arcole a few days later
