Today marks 225 years since the Battle of Marengo, the dramatic conclusion to Napoleon's brilliant Italian campaign of 1800.

In early 1800 the French army in Italy was poorly organised and demoralised. The Austrians under the command of General Michael von Melas had significant success, reversing Napoleon's hard-won gains of 1796-1797 and pushing the French back to Genoa. Without further intervention the beleaguered French faced total defeat in Italy. From March, Napoleon, now the French head-of-state as First Consul, rapidly assembled an army. The plan was a daring one, to strike across the Alps at the moment the passes became even somewhat traversable. The French crossed in May, rapidly swinging behind the Austrians and severing Melas' lines of communication.

By June 13, Napoleon was in the vicinity of Alessandria, which was then occupied by 30,000 Austrians. Disinformation from an Austrian spy and uncertainty as to Melas's true position and intent lead Napoleon to disperse his forces dangerously widely. Rather than retreat, and to the North as expected, Melas intended to strike east from Alessandria. across the Bomida, with the centre striking for the bridge across the Fontanone stream at Marengo, which was only lightly defended by Claude-Victor Perrin's modest corps of Gardanne and Chambarlhac's divisions. The soldiers of Lannes and Murat were behind Victor, and Monnier and the Consular Guard were at Bonaparte's headquarters, some five kilometres behind Marengo. Desaix with Boudet's division had been sent toward Novi.