ABSTRACT
Seven days before his marriage with Josephine (2 March 1796), Napoleon was nominated commander-in-chief of the Army of Italy. He was only 27. He was given a limited objective – to contain the Austrians in Italy – while the main thrust of the campaign was to be carried out by Hoche in Germany. Legend has it that Napoleon went about transforming the Army of Italy, which was demoralised and lacking in matériel and discipline, into an outstanding fighting force, making Italy the main theatre of operations. This is true up to a point. As the following documents show, his troops were far less heroic than the image of the grenadiers portrayed in official propaganda and were largely motivated by plunder. Bonaparte’s famous appeal supposedly launched on 27 March 1796 (‘Soldiers, you are naked and badly nourished’), was an invitation to pillage and loot, but is probably apocryphal. More interesting from a political point of view is the proclamation of 7 Floréal which Bonaparte made before attacking the Austrians with only 30,000 troops. Bonaparte appealed to their sense of honour and glory to perform ever greater feats. At the same time, however, he attempted to reassure the Italian civilian population by pointing out how severely he would deal with looters. The French army had been looting indiscriminately and Bonaparte’s orders two days previously to try and stem the pillage (Order of the Day, 24 April 1796) had proved ineffective.
Soldiers, in fifteen days you have won six victories, taken twenty-one flags, fifty-five pieces of canon, several fortresses, and conquered the richest part of Piedmont; you have taken 15,000 prisoners, killed or wounded more than 10,000.
Until now you have fought over barren rocks, distinguished yourselves by your bravery, but useless to the patrie. Today, your services are equal to those of the Army of Holland and the Army of the Rhine, and have compensated for everything. You have won battle without canon, crossed rivers without bridges, conducted forced marches without boots, bivouacked without alcohol and often without bread. The Republican phalanx, the soldiers of liberty, were the only ones capable of suffering what you have suffered. Thanks be to you, soldiers! The grateful Republic owes you its prosperity, and if, victors of Toulon, you were able to predict the immortal campaign of 1794, your present victories foretell an even better campaign.
The two armies which audaciously attacked you a short time ago now flee terrified before you; those perverse men who laughed at your misery and delighted in the thought of your enemies’ triumphs are now confounded and trembling.
But, soldiers, you have accomplished nothing since there is still so much to do! Neither Turin nor Milan is yet yours …
At the beginning of the campaign you were destitute; today you are abundantly provided for; you have taken numerous stores from your enemies; siege artillery has arrived. Soldiers, the patrie has the right to expect great things from you. Can you fulfil its expectations? The most difficult obstacles have undoubtedly been overcome, but you have more battles to deliver, towns to take, rivers to cross. Are there any among you whose courage is failing? Are there any among you who prefer to return across the summit of the Apennines and the Alps, to patiently endure the insults of those slave soldiers? No, there are none among the victors of Montenotte, Millesimo, Dego and Mondovi. All of you are burning to carry the war far from the French people; all of you want to humiliate those proud kings who dare dream of putting us in irons. All of you want to dictate a glorious peace which will indemnify the patrie for the enormous sacrifices it has made. All of you, on returning to your villages, will be able to say with pride: ‘I was a soldier in the conquering Army of Italy!’
Friends, I promise you this conquest, but there is one condition you have to swear to fulfil, and that is to respect the people you deliver, and to suppress the horrible pillage to which scoundrels encouraged by our enemies deliver themselves. Without it, you will not be the liberators of the people, you will be their scourge. You will not honour the French people, you will disavow them. Your victories, your courage, your success, the blood of our brothers who died in battle, all will be lost, even honour and glory. As for me and the generals who have your confidence, we would be ashamed to command an army without discipline, without bridle, which knows no other law than force. But, invested with the national authority, strengthened by justice and the law, I will know how to impose respect for the laws of humanity and honour which that little group of men without courage and without hearts trample underfoot. I will not tolerate that brigands soil our laurels; I will ensure that the rules I have passed are strictly observed. Looters will be shot without pity; several have been already. I have had occasion to note with pleasure the zeal with which good soldiers have executed these orders.
People of Italy, the French army has come to break your chains; the French people is the friend of all peoples. Come to meet them with confidence; your property, your religion and your customs will be respected.
We are making war as a generous enemy, and we only begrudge the tyrants who have reduced you to slavery.
General Headquarters, Cherasco, 7 Floréal, year IV
Source: Correspondance de Napoléon ler publiée par ordre de I’Empereur Napoléon III, 32 vols (Paris: 1858–69), vol. 1, pp. 187–8.https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781032618814/e9ac31eb-0a68-4fdc-b417-e6e5b1e67c6c/content/fig19_Unfig_001.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>