Battle of Lodi
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The Battle of Lodi took place at Lodi, Lombardy, Italy on May 10, 1796. Napoleon Bonaparte, future Napoleon I of France, won a victory against Austrian forces.
Having defeated the forces of Piedmont at the beginning of the campaign, Napoleon pursued the retreating Austrian forces eastward. In an effort to buy enough time to escape, the Austrians left a rearguard at a small town of Lodi, fortifying the bridge with several cannon and several thousand soldiers.
Napoleon decided to attack at once, and ordered a full charge across the bridge. Several French assaults were driven back with heavy losses, but Napoleon's troops continued to attack. Artillery was brought up to the riverbank to shell the Austrian forces; Napoleon sited many of the guns personally, much to the delight of his men. Eventually, the French succeeded in crossing the bridge and forcing the Austrians to retreat. Napoleon's troops' gave him the affectionate nickname "Le Petit Corporal" ("The Little Corporal") for his bravery in this battle.
The Battle of Lodi was not a decisive engagement, since the Austrian army had successfully escaped. But it became a central element in the Napoleonic myth and solidified Napoleon's personal relationship with his troops, who admired him greatly for his personal courage and willingness to face the same dangers as common soldiers.
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