page_title: Joseph Nikolaus de Vins
section_title: French Revolution
hierarchical_section_title: Joseph Nikolaus de Vins / French Revolution
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Ritratto di Vittorio Amedeo III di Savoia (1726-1796) in abiti da incoronazione
context_page_description: Joseph Nikolaus Freiherr de Vins or Joseph de Wins, joined the army of Habsburg Austria and fought in the Seven Years' War where he was decorated for bravery. By 1773 he earned promotion to general officer. From 1783 he held important posts on the Military Frontier and led an independent corps in Croatia during the Austro-Turkish War. In the French Revolutionary Wars he commanded the joint forces of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont from 1792 until 1795. Though the French were held at bay during his tenure, his slowness and poor health prevented Piedmont's lost territories from being recovered. Throughout the period much tension existed between the two allies. Ironically, the day after De Vins resigned, the French attacked and badly defeated his replacement. He was Proprietor of an Austrian infantry regiment from 1784 until his death.
context_section_description: In the spring of 1792, the First French Republic declared war on the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont. In the fall, the French invaded the County of Nice on the Mediterranean coast and Duchy of Savoy in the northwest. The French seized Chambéry in Savoy on 24 September and Nice on 29 September. In the south, the Piedmontese army withdrew to a powerful defensive position at Saorge (Saorgio), blocking access to the strategically important Col de Tende (Tenda Pass). The onset of winter weather spared Piedmont the loss of more territories. 
  Shocked at the incompetence of his high-ranking officers, King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia begged the Austrians to send a general to supervise the combined Austrian and Piedmontese armies. Accordingly, De Vins was appointed to fill the position on 21 December 1792. The French attacked Saorgio in June 1793 and were defeated. The Allies tried to mount a counteroffensive, but this effort was crippled by the new commander's slowness. De Vins planned to recapture both Savoy and Nice. Because he suffered badly from gout, De Vins intended to supervise both operations from the capital of Turin. Prince Maurizio, Duke of Montferrat, named to lead the invasion of Savoy, was directed to follow strict daily instructions from De Vins. Since Turin was 45 miles (72 km) away, the arrangement was impractical. In any case, the Savoy column was turned back with heavy losses at the Battle of Epierre on 15 September 1793.
  Charles-François Thaon, Count of Saint-André was directed to advance on Nice from Saorgio. This effort was complicated by the dislike that Saint-André and his Austrian subordinate Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi had for one another. Furthermore, the Piedmontese officer corps hated De Vins' chief of staff, Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau. At this time, areas of southern France rebelled against the revolutionary government. Large forces were diverted to contain the revolt at the Siege of Toulon, giving the allies a chance to recover territory. De Vins and King Victor Amadeus left in August for the southern front, where operations were supposed to start on 7 September 1793. On 18 October, six Piedmontese battalions defeated the French at Gilette. Three days later, there was an inconclusive skirmish at Utelle. In the end, the offensive petered out when snow began to fall in the mountains, prompting the disappointed king to return to his capital in mid-November.
  The following year, Sardinian General Dellera wanted to occupy Briga Alta northeast of Saorgio, but De Vins overruled him. However, Dellera convinced the army commander to position an Austrian force at Dego to the east. On 6 April 1794, French General Pierre Jadart Dumerbion launched an offensive which seized the port of Oneglia on the 9th. Argenteau attempted to organize a defense at Ormea but the French captured that town on 18 April and Garessio the next day. With Saorgio outflanked on the east, De Vins advised Colli to hold the position but to send back other forces not needed for immediate defense. Meanwhile, the Austrian force at Dego failed to send any help. Relations between the Allies were so poor at this time that some Piedmontese officers believed that De Vins had betrayed their nation. The Battle of Saorgio took place on 24 April and also included clashes at the Col Ardente on the 24th and Briga on the 27th. The French seized Saorgio on 28 April after Colli withdrew. By early May he abandoned the Col de Tende and fell back nearly to the fortress of Cuneo. On the coast, the French advanced to seize Albenga and Loano. 
  From August 1794 until March 1795, De Vins went on leave from the army. In his absence, Olivier, Count of Wallis suffered a defeat at the First Battle of Dego on 21 September 1794. The French failed to exploit the success and instead withdrew to Vado Ligure. After De Vins returned, he launched an attack along the Italian Riviera on 29 June 1795. French general François Christophe de Kellermann was defeated and driven back west, losing Vado. Kellermann was replaced by Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer and the new gener
caption: King Victor Amadeus asked for the Austrians to provide him with a general
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