The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-24

Army of Italy, which, already half famlshcd
upon the rocks of Gonoa. was struggling against
overwhelming odds. At tho same time he began
to collect. drill, and organize in different parts
OF France bodies of men that were destined to
unto near Lake Geneva, and. together with
other troops in France already fit for service.
were 20 form Il third army, TO be known MS tho
Army OF Reserve. which BOnaparte himself in
tended to lead over tho Great st. Bernard into
tho plains Of Italy.
Now for u glance at the topography Of tho the
ntrc of operation, the situation of the opposing
forces and tho plans OF the contcnding powers.
Early in April, 1900, an Austrian army OF 1o0,.
900 soldiers, commanded by Marshal Eray,
guarded the right banks OF tho upper Rhine.
Tho right wing extended beyond Strasburg;
the left, well up into tho Alps cast of SwitZcr.
land; while the centre, which formed tho
greater part, occupied The Black Forest in tho
angle of tho Rhine made by it's abrupt change
of direction at Basic. Facing tho Austrian
army on the opposite or left side OF the river
was the French Army of tho Rhine. commanded
by Morcau. Including the French forces
in Switzerland, which may be regarded
rs an immense bnstion dividing Germany
from Italy, it numbered 10000 soldiers, and
extended from the st. Gothard on the right to
Strashurg on tho left. The Austrian army in
Italy consisted of 1904 600 soldiers,
and was commanded by Gen. Mclas. The greater
part of 1t was in the vicinity of Genoa and along
the onninos and Maritime Alps. the remainder
occupying the fortrceses Of northwestern Italy
and guarding the entrances from passes open.
ing from tho north thereto. Opposed TO the
army Of Molas was the French army of Italy.
1t consisted OF 1000 soldiers. OF whom SO, 900,
commanded by Massena, wcro holding the
passes of tho Apennincs and Maritime Alps
from Genoa TO the Col di Tenda. The
remainder. 1000 strong. commanded by Gen.
Thurreau, was guarding the Mont Gents Pass
in the French Alps. A British feet was in the
Gulf of Genoa and a British corps, 10000
strong. was at Port MHhon in Minorca. Such
were the positions and numbers of the opposing
armies that were facing each other in Germany,
France, Switzerland, and Italy at the b ginning
Of hostilities early IN April. 1900. Against the
two Austrian armies, supported by the British
navy and a British corps, which might, at any
time, be thrown upon the coast of France,
Bonaparte could not expect to make much
Roadway. Unless he could increase his own
forces, a French victory was doubtful. Thus it
was that, early in the winter, he had seen the
necessity OF creating an army Of reserve, which
could be sent to reinforce Moreau in Germany
or Massena in Italy, rs circumstances might
require. On the other hand, it is to be noted
that Bonapartc, as First Consul. had. for the
first time. full control Of all military opera
tions. His genius for warfare, therefore, was
now to have full play. whilc the sblest
Austrian commander, the Archduke Charles,
had been sent into n kind OF honorable exile.
and the so-called Aulic Council directed all
military operations from Vienna. The plan of
campaign adopted by the Allies was that the
Austrian army under Kray in Germany should
remain on the defensive. holding Moreau in
check, II possible, while the Austrian army
under Melas attacked the army OF Italy along
the Apennines and Maritime Alps. In this way
the Allies expected that the Austrian forces in
Italy, 50 superior in numbers to the French.
would be able, with the help of the Brit
ish fleet, to blockade Genoa and to drive
the army Of Italy across the Var into
southern France. This movement being accom-
plished. the purpose was that Melas, supported
by the British navy. and by the British corps sta
toned at Port Mahon should invade France and
capture Toulon. If this operation succeeded, 1t
was expected by the Allies, who supposed the
French Army of Reserve to be n myth. that
Moreau would detach a sufficient force from the
Army of the Rhine to march on Toulon for the
purpose Of driving back the Allies. whereupon
Kray could take the offensive. force the cross.
ings of the Rhine and invade France.
The plans Of the Allies seemed reasonable.
But they reckoned without the genius of Bona
parte. who. on his side. had two projects. both
of which it may be we'll to indicate. The first
plan conceived by Bonaparte was to leave Mas
! sena ~inItaly on the defensive to hold Melas in
check. then to unite the Army OF Reserve with
Moreau's army. to cross the Rhine in force be-
tween Schaffhauscn and Lake Constance. and
to attack that part Of Kray's army occupying
the Black Forest in the angle Of the Rhine be-
tween Lake Constance and Strassburg. BY this
movement Bonaparte calculated that he could
defeat kray. drive him north, sever his COM
munications with Vienna, and either destroy or
capture his army. II successful in this opera
ton, he could descend the Danube and seize the
Emperor's capital; then, by taking possession of
the Tyrol and the Carnic Alps, he could occupy
the Bremen and Ponteba passes. which opera
ton would cleave the communications OF Melas
in Italy and cut him off from vienna. With
Kray's army captured or destroyed, with the
French holding the only passes by which the
Austrians in Italy could retreat. and with Bona
partc in possession OF the Austrian capital, the
campaign must end; tho Austrian Emperor
would be compelled to mako peace. This plan
had great advantages and promised decisive re-
suits, but It could not be carried out, owing to
the rivalry between Moreau and Bonapartc.
The former, being jealous of the latter, refused
to serve under him. At n later day this jealousy
caused Moreau to lose his ommand but at this
%juncture Bonaparte was not in q position to
force n quarrel with him.
In adopting another plan, moreover. Bonaparte
WAS, doubtless. influenced somewhat by the
hope of gaining n great victory with the army
that he. himself, had created. II he could cross
the Alps with the Army of Reserve and strike a
blow which would decide the fate OF Italy, he
alone would reap the glory. By following in
the footsteps OF Hannibal. too. he would be more
likely to dazzle the French people, and to fix
deeply in their minds the splendor of his
achievement. Bonaparte's second plan was
that Moreau should cross the Rhine and attack
Kray in such a direction as to push him back
from Lake Constance toward the north; that he
should then detach q corps of 10000 or $4,000
soldiers from his army and send them across
Switzerland by the st. Gothard Pass into Italy.
where they were to unite with the Army of Re.
serve, to BIO led by Bonnparte in person over the
great st. Bernard Pass. With these combined
forces Bonaparto %purposed to march south.
cross the Pc, seize the line OF retreat of the Aus
TRANS, and force them to night battle to recover