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reinforced, and Conti's communications had been cut. Moreover, 15,000 men had been lost to
Sardinian enemy actions, sickness and desertion at Cuneo. Further problems followed when it began to rain on the first of October, the trenches flooded and roads were wiped out. At a council of war on 11 October it was decided that with winter approaching and the Franco-Spanish Army even further from their goal, the army should retreat before the winter snows closed the passes behind them. By 19 November the Franco-Spanish army had recrossed the Alps. On 20 November it began to snow.
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several columns, which would then attack outlying outposts in a multi-pronged advance. Using infiltration tactics, it would be easy to envelop the
Piedmontese positions, allowing attacks to be launched where most unexpected. Finally, by putting pressure along the whole front it was reasoned that the Piedmontese defence perimeter would crack at some point, and then the columns could re-unite and push through the gap.
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known as the
Barricades. Following De Bourcet's advice, troops to the north and south of the position emerged throughout the mountains onto the rear of the Piedmont position, and rather than being caught in a trap the Piedmontese evacuated the valley without a fight. In accordance with instructions,
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was the problem of surmounting the alpine passes that guarded its approaches. Even a small number of defenders could effectively block an advance. De
Bourcet's reasoning was that with a numerical superiority of 33,000 to 25,000 the best result would be obtained by separating the attacking force into
500:
region in June. Once concentrated, the attacking columns lay on a front between Briançon and St. Etienne. On 5 July the Franco-Spanish army broke camp and headed in nine separate columns towards the heart of
Piedmont. Despite bickering between Conti and La Mina, the Franco-Spanish army experienced
557:
The siege of Cuneo began on the night of 12/13 September. Conti's plan involved three armies - one to besiege, one to oppose
Charles Emmanuel's Army and another to patrol the surrounding lands. Although Leutrum showed great ingenuity – lighting the sky to illuminate the trenches for his cannon and
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The brilliance of this plan was that as long as the first aim kept Conti and La Mina preoccupied with the main
Sardinian army and completely unaware of the other four aims, then the King would not need to win the coming battle. With the other aims fulfilled and winter and the snow closing in, the
624:
Although victory had gone to the Franco-Spanish army, it became apparent that evening that
Charles Emmanuel's brilliantly conceived plan had fulfilled most of its objectives. Although the Bourbon outposts around Cuneo were intact, the siege works had been destroyed, the garrison re-supplied and
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attack, however, was repulsed by the
Spanish and even Charles Emmanuel's grenadiers could make no headway. On the opposite flank the French could not get to grips with the Piedmontese because of a ditch and some barricades barring the way. In the centre, however, Conti made excellent use of his
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artillery, which provided cover for a French infantry attack. The battle for the centre lay in the balance until
Charles Emmanuel, realising that he would not be able to capture Madonna dell'Olmo, ordered an orderly retreat. By nightfall the two armies had disengaged.
661:"The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III., the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour" (
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On the reverse of this plate it says: "Le pavillon royal était véritablement le drapeau national au dix-huitième siecle...Vue du chateau d'arrière d'un vaisseau de guerre de haut rang portant le pavillon royal (blanc, avec les armes de France)"
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With King Frederick of Prussia advancing into Bohemia, Charles Emmanuel knew that the bulk of the troops needed for the defence of Cuneo would have to come from his own domains. With that in mind he held back his army of 25,000 near
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armies. In the end, a compromise was negotiated. Spain's plan was not to be followed until after the humbling of Piedmont-Sardinia, after which the joint armies would march into Lombardy to secure the Infante Philip his new realm.
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Late in September, Charles Emmanuel advanced his army from Saluzzo towards Cuneo while at the same time Conti moved his army towards the Piedmontese. By the close of day on September 29, Conti occupied a position between
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to await developments. To safeguard Cuneo he appointed Major-General Leutrum – who had performed well at Campo Santo – to command the garrison, and called out the kingdom's militia, which could act as a superb
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Charles Emmanuel had already decided that with his opponents' numerical superiority, a more ambitious plan was needed to relieve Cuneo. With this in mind the King proposed five separate aims for his army:
307:
467:. The chief aim of France was to humble Piedmont-Sardinia and to force her to detach herself from Austria, or better yet, force her to drop out of the war entirely. The French commander, the
471:, would not accept the Spanish plan of attack because he thought it was unsound, while the Spanish queen would brook no opposition to what she believed should be the key thrust of the joint
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The King of Sardinia had lost 4,000-4,400 men, whilst the Bourbon losses were 2,700-4,000 men killed or wounded. Other accounts give 3,000 losses for the Spanish and 5,000 for the French.
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The battle of Cuneo was brought about by a difference in Franco-Spanish policy during the middle part of 1744. Spain wished for an advance along the coast of Italy through
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continuously mounting sorties – by 28 September Conti's army was closing in on the fortress. It was at this point that the King of Sardinia decided to act.
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The engagement began around noon when the Croats (on loan from Austria) in the Sardinian army charged towards Madonna dell'Olmo. The
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French and Spanish would be forced to disengage from the siege and retreat into France. The King of Sardinia was playing for time.
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the Franco-Spanish army now converged on the Stura Valley in order to take advantage of the gap in Charles Emmanuel's defences.
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Annals of the Wars of the Eighteenth Century Compiled from the Most Authentic Histories of the Period · Volumes 1-2
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605:, whilst on the morning of 30 September Charles Emmanuel moved his army into position opposite Conti's.
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For his militia to attack the Franco-Spanish lines of communication in the Stura Valley.
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For Leutrum to lead a sortie to destroy the siege works east of the Gesso river.
643:"...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis..." (
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742:. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 454–463.
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521:, the last outpost before Cuneo, surrendered to Conti on 17 August 1744.
455:, which it already had been decided were going to be the future realm of
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798:"The Vinkhuijzen collection of military uniforms: France, 1750-1757"
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The Fortress in the Age of Vauban and Frederick the Great 1660-1789
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The Franco-Spanish army triumphed again on 19 July when it won the
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With this in mind, the Franco-Spanish army began to regroup in the
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The principal plan for invading Piedmont was devised by Lt-Gen
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800:. New York Public Library. 25 March 2011 . Archived from
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To send in supplies to Cuneo and evacuate the wounded.
16:
1744 battle during the War of the Austrian Succession
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427:. The battle ended in a victory for the armies of
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774:Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879).
571:A pitched battle with the Franco-Spanish army.
439:but it did not advance the victors' campaign.
850:Battles of the War of the Austrian Succession
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277:17,700-19,000 dead, wounded, sick or deserted
505:valley, the route passed through a 6 m
753:. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 614.
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254:Karl Sigmund Friedrich Wilhelm von Leutrum
865:Battles involving the Kingdom of Sardinia
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
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577:To attack Bourbon outposts around Cuneo.
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32:This article includes a list of general
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789:Renato Notabella, Granatieri in granda
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723:also the Bibliography pp. 403–431
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750:Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O
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501:several early triumphs. Entering the
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280:4,000-4,400 dead, wounded or captured
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719:The War of The Austrian Succession
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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133:Franco-Spanish indecisive victory
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244:Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
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480:Franco-Spanish advance to Cuneo
419:was fought on the outskirts of
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425:War of the Austrian Succession
319:War of the Austrian Succession
91:War of the Austrian Succession
1:
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517:; to cap it all, the town of
423:on 30 September 1744, in the
885:Military history of Piedmont
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784:. Vol. 8. p. 250.
451:to occupy the lands around
413:Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo
84:Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo
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855:Battles involving France
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486:Pierre Joseph de Bourcet
459:, the third son of King
875:Battles involving Italy
860:Battles involving Spain
781:The American Cyclopædia
739:Encyclopædia Britannica
562:Charles Emmanuel's plan
534:Infante Philip of Spain
515:Battle of Casteldelfino
53:more precise citations.
654:Vinkhuijzen collection
645:Ripley & Dana 1879
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197:Commanders and leaders
747:Jaques, Tony (2007).
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272:Casualties and losses
721:. pp. 187–189.
679:, pp. 187–188.
437:Kingdom of Sardinia
355:Casteldelfino (2nd)
345:Casteldelfino (1st)
179:Kingdom of Sardinia
810:Duffy, Christopher
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221:Marquis De La Mina
845:Conflicts in 1744
603:Madonna dell'Olmo
465:Elisabeth Farnese
461:Philip V of Spain
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365:Madonna dell'Olmo
324:Italian Campaigns
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191:Habsburg Monarchy
167:Kingdom of France
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104:30 September 1744
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804:on 6 April 2015.
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733:"Flag"
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335:Saint Tropez
142:Belligerents
89:Part of the
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395:Genoa (2nd)
385:Genoa (1st)
380:Rottofreddo
350:Villafranca
340:Campo Santo
51:introducing
839:Categories
711:References
689:Duffy 2015
370:Bassignano
34:references
701:Cust 1862
620:Aftermath
552:guerrilla
435:over the
264:c. 33,700
824:(1862).
812:(2015).
677:Browning
599:Caraglio
498:Dauphiné
490:Piedmont
400:Assietta
375:Piacenza
360:Velletri
259:Strength
118:Piedmont
109:Location
554:force.
547:Saluzzo
519:Demonte
473:Bourbon
443:Prelude
390:Antibes
47:improve
776:"Flag"
772:
757:
592:Battle
507:defile
433:France
188:
164:
130:Result
36:, but
629:Notes
610:Croat
503:Stura
453:Parma
449:Genoa
429:Spain
421:Cuneo
122:Italy
114:Cuneo
755:ISBN
656:2011
601:and
431:and
411:The
101:Date
536:by
415:or
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778:.
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651:(
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309:e
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57:(
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