Battle of Lodi
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The Battle of Lodi took place at Lodi, Lombardy, Italy on May 10, 1796.
During the First Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte, future Napoleon I of France, won a decisive victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the River Adda. The Austrians lost some 2,000 men. This was Napoleon's first victory against non-French forces. After several victories of Napoleon the Austrian forces decided to flee. Their rearguard however decided to put up a last resistance at a small town called Lodi. The Austrian set up several cannons on the Lodi bridge. Rather than wasting time coming up with a strategy, Napoleon ordered a full charge. His troops fearlessly obeyed and charged the enemy, trying to shoot the men handling the cannons. Although initially beaten back, the French quickly charged again and wiped out the Austrian force. In this battle Napoleon himself fought quite courageously and battled his opponents, alongside his troops on the front line. Even as cannonballs flew by him, Napoleon bravely fought. Napoleon's troops' gave him the nickname "Le Petit Corporal" for his bravery in this battle. Literally this nickname means "The Small Corporal" but Napoleons' troops gave him this name out of affection since he fought alongside them which was normally the job of a generic corporal. Although this was a decisive victory, the Austrian army which Napoleon pursued managed to escape. Napoleon marched into the city and gave a speech that he had freed the Italians from the tyrants (the Austrians) who controlled them.
Soldiers on the French side included Pierre François Charles Augereau, duc de Castiglione.