In March 1848, the city ofMilan launched an uprising against Austrian occupation. Charles Albert supported the Milanese revolt and declared war on Austria. Venice also declared its independence from Austria. The Austrian Field MarshalRadetzky withdrew his forces from Milan to the defensive positions based on the four fortresses known as the Quadrilateral: Verona, Mantua, Peschiera, and Legnago. The Piedmontese took Peschiera after a short siege, but Radetzky received substantial reinforcements.
The battle
Around 15 July, the Piedmontese Army was widely dispersed on the war theatre, from the Rivoli plateau on the north to Governolo on the south. Marshal Radetzky attacked, on July 23, the Piedmontese II Corps, and forced it to retire first before Peschiera and then, after another successful attack on the 24th, behind the riverMincio, separating the Piedmontese Army in two. The Piedmontese High Command reacted slowly and uncertainly to the news coming from the north, and eventually it was decided to attack the Austrian army in the rear towards the village of Staffalo, with the bulk of the I Corps ; the attack, begun in the afternoon of the 24th, was successful and the single brigade which covered this area was forced to retreat. However, this lulled the Sardinian commanders into a false sense of complacency, and spurred Radetzky to stop his advance beyond the Mincio and march on these enemy forces. For the 25th, the Piedmontese were ordered to attack the enemy further in the area, while the II Corps was instructed to support the attack from the Mincio ; but what was supposed to be an offensive soon turned into a desperate battle to hold the advancing enemy. For the whole day, the outnumbered Piedmontese were subjected by attacks by two Austrian army corps, and by the end of the day the whole line had been forced to move back; however, the retreat was done in an orderly way and with the men fighting.
The aftermath
While not a total victory, the spirit of King Charles Albert and of his generals was all but broken; although initially intending to counterattack, the retreat behind the Mincio would only stop at Milano; after a small battle at the outskirts of the city, an armistice was signed and the Piedmontese Army retreated within the borders of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The attempt to renew the war effort the next year resulted in another victory for Radetzky and the effective end of the First Italian War of Independence; the Austrian Marshal returned all the rebellious provinces to Austrian rule.
