As the continuous flow of unfavorable news from the North painted a grim picture, in the South, on the Italian battleground, Napoleon faced the challenge of Austrian and Russian forces.
The dynamics of Napoleon's campaign in Italy and the Austrian attack differed from his previous conquests. While crossing the Alps was a prerequisite for both his Italian and Austrian campaigns, the presence of the combined British and Austrian fleets allowed the Austrians and Russians to directly land in Italy by sea.
In March 1798, the Russian-Austrian coalition made a landing in the region of Ravenna. Upon learning of the landing of the Russian-Austrian coalition, Napoleon ordered the abandonment of the less defensible Ravenna and concentrated his forces further north. Meanwhile, the Russian-Austrian forces, after landing in Ravenna, reorganized and pushed northward, with their sights set on Modena.
In the original historical timeline, Suvarov had achieved significant victories in Italy, essentially wresting away all the territories gained by Napoleon in Italy, except for his achievements. Suvarov might have even marched into France if it weren't for the Austrians and British hindering his progress. However, in this alternate timeline, Napoleon had not ventured off to Egypt, and thus, Suvarov finally confronted Napoleon in Modena.
Suvarov didn't rush into battle; he had his troops establish defensive positions and took a personal cavalry detachment to scout the French lines.
Suvarov had never engaged the post-revolutionary French army before, but he had closely monitored their battles during the initial anti-French coalition. He had paid attention to the French performance in those conflicts while simultaneously dealing with the Polish forces. His observations on the French army were as follows:
"The most critical trait of the French army, which often goes unnoticed, is their diverse tactics. Every so often, the French change their methods of warfare. Especially General Napoleon Bonaparte, he frequently leads these tactical innovations. If we base our expectations of the French army on our impressions from the previous war and think that preparing to face them as we did last time is sufficient, we're in for a rude awakening."
Even though, in the past few months, the British and Prussians had secured several victories against the French in the northern front, and the French had not exhibited any remarkable new tactics in these battles, Suvarov did not alter his opinion. He remarked to others, "The English and Prussians are not facing Napoleon Bonaparte."
Suvarov reached a small hill not far from the French lines and surveyed their defensive positions.
"Peter, what do you think of their defenses over there?" Suvarov lowered his telescope and asked the young general riding alongside him.
"It's quite unique," the young general pondered and added, "and quite formidable."
"Explain," Suvarov inquired, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity.
The young general seemed aware of the importance of his response and did not answer immediately. Instead, he raised his own telescope, surveyed the area, and continued, "Marshal, as I see it, the enemy has dug trenches on the ground, and the dirt excavated from the trenches is piled in front, creating a breastwork. This provides excellent cover during firing. Considering the new rifles' ability to fire accurately at nearly five hundred yards, infantry attempting to charge would endure three to five volleys of rifle fire. Even if they manage to close within a hundred yards, it's unlikely they can aim accurately. This kind of defense is formidable.
Furthermore, the enemy's movement inside the trenches is mostly concealed, enabling them to concentrate troops for a counterattack. Additionally, I have yet to see their artillery, but it's inconceivable that they lack cannons. I remember you mentioned earlier that General Napoleon Bonaparte was initially famous for his skill with artillery."
"Peter, you've observed so much. Impressive. I don't have much to add for now," Suvarov Marshal smiled. "So, Peter, do you have an attack plan?"
"Not at the moment," the young general replied. "I believe our best course of action is to force the French out of their formidable defenses and into open battle. Directly assaulting such a fortified position is daunting. If we could threaten the French from the rear, as the British did in Moste, compelling them to retreat to avoid encirclement, it would be ideal. Then, we could defeat them in a pursuit battle."
Suvarov Marshal nodded and was about to speak when the captain of his guards, Shemyo, interrupted, "Marshal, French cavalry is approaching." Suvarov turned to look and saw a unit of French cavalry drawing near.
"If they don't welcome us, then let's not overstay our welcome," Suvarov chuckled and turned his horse to descend the small hill.
Back in the camp, Suvarov first instructed his staff to summarize the obtained information and then convened a meeting of the Russian and Austrian commanders.
There had been some disputes between Russia and Austria about who should lead the coalition army. The Russians naturally wanted Marshal Suvarov as the commander, while the Austrians preferred Archduke John, the younger brother of Archduke Karl, to take the helm. In the end, it was decided that Marshal Suvarov would command the joint forces, with Archduke John serving as the deputy commander. Despite the Archduke's high reputation in Austria, he had less influence and authority in Suvarov's presence.
With everyone in place, Suvarov called for a discussion on how to approach the formidable French defenses.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a rough sketch we've created based on the information we've gathered. The actual situation might differ from what's on this map, and I'm sure you're all aware of that. Now, let's discuss how we should…"
During the discussion, the generals offered various suggestions. Some believed they should create an appearance of bypassing the French defenses, moving directly towards Milan to lure the French out of their defensive positions, and then defeating them in an open battle.
However, this proposal was met with immediate opposition. What if the French chose not to leave their defenses? Would they dare march to Milan without a guarantee of a swift victory? If they couldn't capture Milan quickly, the French could cut off their supply lines, leaving the coalition forces in dire straits.
One Russian officer then suggested, "What about using the port of Genoa for our supplies?"
"Genoa is a neutral territory," Archduke John replied. "While our ships can enter Genoa, its capacity to provide us with supplies is limited. We can't just militarily occupy a neutral country, can we?"
The plan was ultimately discarded, mainly because it was impossible to take Genoa in the short term, given its decent military defenses.
Since bypassing the French defenses was not feasible, the only option was to test the defenses through an attack. Suvarov, having examined the map, concluded that they could not discern much without a practical confrontation. Thus, he decided to prepare for a tentative assault the next day.