Speaking of it, the Kingdom of Sardinia was also a member of the anti-French coalition. However, once the war began, they hadn't really engaged with the French army seriously. For the most part, their responsibilities included a bit of naval blockade alongside the British and Spanish, but their main activities were talking big and minding their own business. When their navy discovered they couldn't handle the lightning-fast French ships, they discreetly joined the lucrative business of smuggling goods to France.
Because they had never truly clashed with the French on the battlefield, the Sardinian Kingdom's military had little insight into how strong or weak they really were. They weren't completely ignorant of the significant changes in warfare tactics these days. They were equipped with the new "musket," understanding the benefits it brought in terms of "skirmisher advantage." They even validated these advantages in their own military exercises. However, these things hadn't been tested in real combat.
The Sardinian Kingdom's skirmishers performed reasonably well during these exercises. While they did exhibit some sluggishness and laziness, it wasn't significantly worse than regular infantry. In fact, they were on par with Austrian skirmishers.
Generally, the Austrians, out of jealousy, liked to baselessly belittle the Sardinian Kingdom's army. Nevertheless, they would say, "Sardinian skirmishers seem decent."
The Sardinian generals, however, filtered out the "seem decent" part and were quite satisfied with their mastery of the new tactics. They modestly made the judgment, "Our skirmishers might have a slight gap compared to the acknowledged best, the French skirmishers, but they should still be top-notch in Europe."
The Sardinian Kingdom's 50,000-strong army gradually assembled, with General Colli as its commander. Colli believed they should wait for the Austrian allies to arrive before launching a full assault on the French, but the Austrians were taking their time. (Field Marshal Beaulieu believed the entire Italian army was not elite enough – Austria's elite forces were in Belgium and Poland, and as for the Sardinian Kingdom's army, Beaulieu thought they were less elite than Austria's non-elite forces. So, for now, it was best to take a defensive stance and wait for reinforcements.) Plus, the pressure from the king and nobility was too great, so General Colli decided to initiate a small skirmish to buy some time.
So, he dispatched a cavalry unit to attack a French garrison in Count Coney's estate. The cavalry safely returned to the camp and reported that they had retaken the territory, killing five or six Frenchmen and several Italian turncoats who had joined the French. To prove they weren't lying, they brought back the heads of these Italian traitors.
General Colli had some doubts about this victory's significance, but at this point, he needed a victory to ease the pressure. However, the victory seemed too small, as it only resulted in the deaths of five or six Frenchmen.
Colli summoned the cavalry unit's captain and inquired about the battle's details. After their conversation, the entire situation became clearer.
The cavalry unit, numbering less than a hundred, encountered over a thousand French troops and more than two thousand Italian rebels who had shamelessly joined the French near Count Coney's estate. The Sardinian cavalry immediately unsheathed their sabers, shouting "For God and the King," and fearlessly launched a brave charge against these invaders and traitors.
The French instantly fell into chaos, fleeing in all directions, while the Sardinian cavalry pursued and killed countless invaders and traitors. This victory was as glorious as the Battle of Montgisard, where King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, known as the "Leper King," had triumphed with only a few hundred horsemen against Saladin's army of twenty thousand.
General Colli reported this news to the king and informed the nobles who had been forced to abandon their estates and take refuge in the city. The entire city of Turin erupted in celebration.
Almost simultaneously, Napoleon received a similar report:
"Our troops encountered a group of about a hundred Sardinian cavalry near the Count Coney's estate and opened fire upon them. When our troops fired, those cavalry quickly retreated."
This report piqued Napoleon's interest because it marked their first encounter with a fully organized Sardinian cavalry.
"It seems the Sardinians are getting impatient, don't you think?" Napoleon thought. He decided it was time to shrink his forces in preparation for a possible major battle.
The next day, however, Napoleon received another report from that very location, along with several Italians.
Count Coney, upon learning that his estate had been retaken, was anxious to assess the extent of his losses. He sent his nephew and a group of servants to return to the estate overnight for inspection. Sadly, they all became prisoners of the French, including his nephew, Viscount Toldo.
Napoleon handed the viscount over to the Revolutionary Tribunal but released his entourage.
General Colli had to defend himself. He claimed that his cavalry had indeed achieved victory and retaken the estate, but once his cavalry returned, the French returned as well. So, he couldn't be blamed for it; it was just that the count was too impatient.
While General Colli could force such an explanation, it left him with no room for further delay.
At the same time, General Colli believed that his side had the upper hand and could fight. The enemy had no more than thirty to forty thousand troops, while he had a full fifty thousand. Furthermore, thanks to the Alps' barrier, the French lacked significant artillery, but his side had over a hundred cannons. The enemy was also lacking in cavalry, while his side's cavalry outnumbered theirs by several times. In this light, the advantages seemed significant, enough to warrant a battle.
On January 14, 1796, the main forces of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Napoleon's Fifth Army Corps took up their positions in Cuneo, preparing for a decisive battle.
General Colli knew that their greatest advantage was artillery, and he intended to use it to the fullest. Therefore, the Sardinian army lined up more than a hundred cannons in a single row in front of their position. Then, General Colli sent out his skirmishers.
This tactic was a routine strategy that General Colli had practiced in multiple exercises. He believed that his army had become quite adept at using this tactic. They would use artillery's grapeshot to suppress the enemy skirmishers, support their own skirmishers' advance, and then rely on the skirmishers' "musket" and the artillery's solid shot to break through the enemy's formation. After that, they'd deploy their cavalry to finish the fight.
During exercises, this strategy had proven to be quite effective, earning General Colli a fair amount of praise. He hoped that this meticulously researched tactic could also win him more glory on the real battlefield.
The Sardinian Kingdom's skirmishers began to advance, and through his telescope, General Colli saw the French skirmishers moving forward as well.
"Artillery, get ready! Use grapeshot to suppress the enemy skirmishers," General Colli ordered methodically.
However, the cannons hadn't fired yet, as the enemy was still out of range.
The Kingdom of Sardinia, albeit a member of the anti-French alliance, hadn't truly engaged the French forces in battle since the war began. Their contribution had mainly been naval support, following the British and Spanish in blockading the French. Their primary activities had involved trading with the French secretly after realizing their naval forces were no match for the nimble French privateers.
Due to this lack of direct confrontation with the French, the Sardinian military had little knowledge of its own combat capabilities. While they were not entirely ignorant of the changes in warfare, having adopted new "musket" rifles and understanding the advantages of dispersed infantry tactics, they lacked battlefield experience.
During military exercises in Sardinia, their infantry had shown satisfactory performance, despite occasional indiscipline and sluggishness. They didn't fare any worse than the Austrian infantry, and some even thought they looked better than the Austrians. General opinion was, "Sardinian infantry seems decent compared to the French."
The Sardinian army of fifty thousand gradually assembled under the command of General Colli. He initially intended to wait for the arrival of the Austrian allies before launching a full-scale attack on the French. However, the Austrians were slow to mobilize, mainly due to their belief that the Italian army was not as well-trained as the Austrian troops in Belgium and Poland. Colli, feeling pressure from the king and nobility, decided to stage a minor skirmish to relieve this pressure.
He dispatched a cavalry unit to assault a French-held position in the estate of Count Corni, which was followed by their return to camp with a report of successful land recapture, claiming they had killed five to six French and several Italian turncoats. To prove this, they brought back the heads of the Italian turncoats.
Colli had reservations about this small victory, but with the pressure mounting, he felt the need to show some success. Nevertheless, this victory felt insignificant since they had only killed a few French soldiers. Colli's dissatisfaction made him summon the cavalry captain to inquire about the battle's details, resulting in a more comprehensive understanding of the situation.
This cavalry unit of fewer than one hundred men had encountered over a thousand French troops and more than two thousand Italian rebels who had joined the French. The Sardinian cavalry immediately drew their sabers, shouting, "For God and the King," and launched a courageous frontal charge against these invaders and traitors. The French scattered in disarray, fleeing, while the Sardinian cavalry pursued them, killing numerous intruders and rebels. This victory was hailed as a brilliant success, akin to the Battle of Monségur, where Baldwin IV, the "Leper King," defeated Saladin's twenty thousand troops with only a few hundred cavalry.
Colli reported this victory to the king and informed the nobles who had abandoned their estates and sought refuge in the city, raising spirits throughout Turin.
Almost simultaneously, Napoleon received a similar report:
"Our troops encountered a Sardinian cavalry unit at the Corni estate and engaged in a firefight. Following our volley, the enemy quickly retreated."
This report caught Napoleon's attention. It was the first time they had encountered well-trained Sardinian cavalry.
"It seems the Sardinians are losing patience," Napoleon mused. He decided to redeploy his forces in preparation for the upcoming major battle.
The next day, Napoleon received another report from the same estate. This time it included several Italians who had been captured. It turned out that Count Corni, upon hearing of his estate's recapture, sent his nephew with servants to investigate the situation. Unfortunately, they all fell into French hands.
Napoleon handed the nephew over to the Revolutionary Tribunal but released the servants.
Colli found himself in a difficult situation due to the sudden change in circumstances. He believed the best course of action was to proceed with the battle. The French faced a smaller force of thirty to forty thousand, with superior Sardinian artillery (over one hundred cannons) and significant cavalry numbers. Colli assumed they could engage and exploit their advantageous position, given that the French were lacking proper artillery because of the Alps' terrain.
Colli was optimistic about his army's chances and believed that, while the French might have noticed their tactics, they still had the upper hand. He intended to maximize the use of their superior artillery, a strategy that had been practiced during their military exercises. The plan was to use cannon fire to suppress the French infantry and then deploy their own infantry to advance, aided by artillery. The Sardinians would rely on their "musket" rifles and artillery to open breaches in the enemy lines before committing their cavalry to the fight.
Their strategy had been well-rehearsed during exercises, and Colli was confident in its effectiveness. His confidence grew as the Sardinian infantry started advancing towards the French positions.
"Prepare the artillery! Suppress the enemy infantry with grapeshot," ordered General Colli, sticking to his well-practiced plan. However, the cannons remained silent as the enemy troops were still outside of their range.
The Sardinian infantry continued advancing but slowed down. They couldn't push forward too quickly to avoid entering the effective range of the French infantry without their own artillery support. Their role was to keep the French infantry, which was proud of their "line infantry" tactics, at a safe distance while allowing their artillery to eliminate them.
Unexpectedly, the French infantry stopped about three hundred yards away from the Sardinians.
"The French seem to have noticed our setup," General Colli explained to Count Corni, who was watching the battle alongside him. "They know that advancing will expose them to our artillery fire. However, if they keep advancing, I believe the brave French soldiers can endure the bombardment. Our infantry is stopping them, preventing them from closing in, and allowing our artillery to eliminate them."
Corni had come to push Colli's forces to rescue his nephew, the legitimate heir to his brother's legacy. He frowned as he observed the halted French infantry and asked, "What if they stay put and don't advance?"
"Simple. If the mountain won't come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain. We can move some of the artillery forward like this..."
As General Colli explained, he noticed that the French infantry had started generating puffs of blue smoke at their positions.
"How can they open fire at such a range? What are they hoping to achieve?" Colli exclaimed, surprised.
Even more surprising was the result: with the French infantry's first volleys, a considerable number of Sardinian soldiers fell.
"General, what's happening?" Count Corni asked, stunned. He also realized that, at this distance, achieving such accuracy was impossible.
"Maybe... perhaps they're using rifled guns," General Colli suggested.
In that era, only rifled guns could engage targets at such long distances. However, rifled guns were challenging to load, taking four to five minutes for each shot. If the entire French infantry was armed with these weapons, it meant they'd be defenseless for a significant period. Colli believed that as long as the Sardinian infantry quickly advanced, they could engage the enemy at closer ranges and gain the upper hand.
Thinking along those lines, General Colli issued the order for his infantry to advance. However, before his orders could be carried out, the messenger hadn't even reached his horse yet when the French infantry fired another volley. This time, even more Sardinian soldiers fell.
"How is this possible?" General Colli was shocked and then turned angry. Evidently, the French couldn't be firing rifled guns at such rapid rates. The only explanation was that these cowardly men were playing dead to escape the battle.
The following volley from the French infantry further confirmed these suspicions, and General Colli watched with a growing mix of astonishment and anger. One of the French soldiers had stood motionless, gazing around, while the Sardinian soldiers fell around him. After several seconds, he dramatically dropped his rifle, clutched his chest, and slowly crouched before lying on the ground.
"These damn cowards! After this battle, I swear I'll hang them from the gallows to dry!" General Colli had erupted in anger, feeling the bitterness and darkness of the world around him.
What followed was not only infuriating but heartbreaking. After the French infantry's continued firing, more Sardinian soldiers fell one after another. In an instant, over one thousand carefully trained Sardinian infantrymen disappeared from the battlefield.
This change left General Colli shocked and disheartened. Meanwhile, Napoleon watched with a sly smile. He was aware that his infantry had indeed struck their targets, but they couldn't possibly have killed that many Sardinian infantrymen. It was clear that the Sardinian soldiers were feigning death and fleeing the battle.
With their infantry routed, the French infantry advanced swiftly.
"Don't be afraid. This is just a minor technical setback; don't be afraid," General Colli consoled himself, "at least we have the advantage of artillery. If they dare come any closer, we'll blast them to smithereens!"
The French infantry continued to move forward, drawing near to the Sardinian artillery positions.
"Don't be afraid, just don't be afraid," he reassured himself, as the enemy infantry approached the range of their cannons.
However, as the French infantry halted, they raised their rifles...
"This... how is this possible? How can they have such range and firing speed?" General Colli was dumbfounded, now that the enemy was well within their effective range.
In the first volley from the French infantry, the Sardinian artillery was utterly silenced. The Sardinian gunners, who had survived the first volleys, had lost the courage to stand their ground and fled. Some even dropped to the ground, pretending to be dead.
"Cavalry! Charge and drive the enemy infantry back!" General Colli shouted.
Sardinia had a significant cavalry advantage, and during the Austrians' accounts of their battles against the French, they had stressed the importance of employing light cavalry to counter the French infantrymen. Light cavalry was relatively inexpensive and could move quickly. After all, no armor could withstand musket bullets.
Sardinian cavalry, the last hope, was now called into action.