诺瓦拉战役 (1849年)

历史

奥萨双方于1848年才达成一不稳定的停战仅持续不到七个月，萨丁尼亚国王卡洛·阿尔贝托就于1849年3月12日宣布废止协议。奥军便于伦巴第地区发起攻势，并在约瑟夫·拉德茨基元帅的率领下攻占了莫尔塔拉的要塞。

奥军攻占了莫尔塔拉后，与皮军在位于米兰西方28英里（45千米）的诺瓦拉地区交战。远比四万五千名皮军更有纪律的七万名奥军，又如同前一年的库斯托扎之战那样彻底击溃对方。皮军同时未能得到其他意大利诸邦的协助。哥洛拉莫·拉莫里诺将军被指控在诺瓦拉之战中违抗命令，并于同年被处决。

皮军随后被迫退至阿尔卑斯山脚下的博尔戈马内罗，同时奥军也占领了诺瓦拉、韦尔切利、特里诺，并打开了通往萨丁尼亚首都都灵的道路。

奥地利将军尤利乌斯·雅各·冯·海瑙男爵逼降了位于米兰东北方54英哩的布雷西亚，卡洛·阿尔贝托被迫退位给儿子维托里奥·埃马努埃莱(他未来成为意大利统一后的第一位国王)。 弗里德里希·恩格斯写道“在这场挫败之后，一场革命与成立共和国的期望在都灵被散播开来，然而却因卡洛·阿尔贝托传位于长子而被浇熄。” 尽管罗马共和国于2月宣布成立，以及威尼斯共和国也存在，皮埃蒙特共和国最终未能诞生。卡洛·阿尔贝托将自己放逐到葡萄牙的波尔图，不久便死于当地。

8月9日双方签订了和平条约，皮埃蒙特被迫赔偿6500万法郎给奥地利。每年都会有该场会战的历史重演。 奥地利的巡防舰诺瓦拉号就是得名于奥军此场胜利之后，该舰还曾于1857年及1859年进行环游世界的科学远征。

The Battle of Novara (or Battle of Bicocca; Bicocca being a borough of Novara) was one of the battles fought between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia during the First Italian War of Independence, within the era of Italian unification. Lasting the whole day of 22 March 1849 and ending at dawn on 23 March, it resulted in a severe defeat and retreat of the Piedmontese (Sardinian) army.

Overview

An uneasy armistice made in 1848 between Austria and Sardinia lasted less than seven months, before Charles Albert, King of Sardinia, denounced the truce on 12 March 1849. The Austrian army took the military initiative in Lombardy. Under the command of Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, it seized the fortress town of Mortara.

The seizure of Mortara led to a battle between Austrian and Piedmontese troops at Novara, 28 miles (45 km) west of Milan. Austrian forces (estimates vary from 41,000 to 70,000 tropps) thoroughly routed their Piedmontese opponents (estimates vary from 45,000 to 59,000 troops) as they had at the Battle of Custoza the previous year. Piedmont also suffered from a lack of support from the smaller Italian states. General Girolamo Ramorino was accused of disobeying orders before the Battle of Novara, and, that same year, he was executed.

The Piedmontese were driven back to Borgomanero at the foot of the Alps, and the Austrian forces occupied Novara, Vercelli and Trino, with the road to the Piedmontese capital, Turin, lying open to them.

Aftermath

Austrian general Baron Julius von Haynau subdued Brescia, 54 miles NE of Milan, and Charles Albert abdicated in favor of his son Victor Emmanuel, who would later become the first king of a unified Italy. Friedrich Engels wrote "that, after this defeat, a revolution and proclamation of a republic in Turin is expected, arises from the fact that the attempt is being made to prevent it by the abdication of Charles Albert in favour of his eldest son." A Piedmontese Republic was not created, though a Roman Republic had already been proclaimed in February, and there existed a Venetian Republic as well. Charles Albert exiled himself to Porto, Portugal, and died shortly thereafter.

A peace treaty was signed on 9 August. Piedmont was forced to pay an indemnity of 65 million francs to Austria. A reenactment of the battle occurs every year. The Austrian frigate Novara, which went on a round-the-world scientific expedition between 1857 and 1859, was named after this Austrian victory.