The affairs of Austria were not more promising on the side of Italy. The army of reserve that had been collect ed at Dijon, marched, as soon as the campaign opened on the Rhine, towards Italy. The First Consul joined them near the Lake of Geneva ; and the passage of the Alps was immediately prepared to be undertaken. The diffi culties only served to stimulate the ambition, the energy, and the talents of Bonaparte. The trunks of trees were hollowed into the forms of troughs, that the cannon might slide along in them ; the gun carriages were conveyed on sledges, and the wheels on poles. Their passage Was over Mount St Bernard, which the men could only ascend one by one, moving with the utmost caution. The descent was still more dangerous ; but so admirably were the measures of Bonaparte planned and executed, that scarcely any lives were lost ; and none of the cannon or provisions were left behind. Thus was effected the passage of a numerous and well-appointed army over the Alps,—an enterprise so extraordinary, that the Austrians, from a firm conviction that it was absolutely impracticable, never thought of op posing it. Aosta, the fort of Bard, Ivria, Romagno, and Vercelli, were taken. The Tessin() was crossed ; Milan entered without opposition ; valuable magazines were cap tured at Pavia ; and Placentia fell into the possession of Bonaparte, who, by his sudden and unexpected appearance, and by his subsequent masterly manoeuvres, completely out-generalled Melas.
He did not arrive, however, in time to relieve Genoa ; for Massena, after one of the most obstinate defences re corded in history, during which 15,000 of the inhabitants are said to have perished by disease and famine, was com pelled to surrender to the Austrian and British command ers on the 5th of. June. As soon as Genoa fell, Melas dis patched General Ott with 30 battalions to check the pro gress of the French, who hitherto had not penetrated fur ther than Piedmont ; but that general having suffered a dreadful defeat at ?Mon Abello, Melas collected his whole force between Allessandria and 'Fortuna. Here, on the 14th of June, was fought the battle of Marengo : for nine hours the Austrians were victorious ; but an imprudent or unskilful movement of General Melas, which was in stantly taken advantage of by General Dessaix, who made a vigorous charge with a body of fresh cavalry, turned the fate of the day. The victory was purchased by the death of Dessaix, to whose memory due honours were paid by his grateful countrymen.
The Austrian general, intimidated by his defeat, re quested a truce, which was granted on condition that Ge noa should be surrendered, as well as the principal for tresses in Piedmont and the Milanese. General Kray was desirous of extending this armistice to Germany, but to this Moreau would not consent ; and two battles were fought without much advantage on either side. The
French, however, persevered in their attacks, and at length opened themselves a passage into the heart of Bavaria. At this period, Count St Julien arrived with proposals of peace from the cabinet of Vienna, and the armistice was extended to Germany. This armistice did not lead to peace, for the Emperor, encouraged by Britain, resolved to try the chances of another campaign : hostilities, there fore, recommenced in the autumn. At first Moreau was surprised by the activity, and nearly defeated by the im petuosity of the Austrians ; but the Austrian general aban cloning his strong position, the fatal battle of lIohenlinden was fought on the 3d of December. In this battle, the Austrian centre was pierced, and their wings thrown into confusion ; their loss was dreadful ; their route complete. Pushing into Upper Austria, the victorious French reach ed the banks of the Ems. The cabinet of Vienna was alarmed; the Archduke, who had been deprived of the command of the army, was recalled ; but all his skill and efforts were in vain; and the Emperor mournfully saw that peace alone could save him from utter destruction. The treaty of Luneville was the consequence.
Soon after Mr Addington became prime minister of Bri tain, a negotiation was opened with France, which termi nated in the peace of Amiens, on the 22d of March 1802.
At this period, the territories of the French republic were very extensive, and her power extended even beyond these territories. With France, as it existed previously to the Revolution, was incorporated the Netherlands, and that part of Germany which lies on the west of the Rhine, as well as Geneva, the duchy of Savoy, and the principality of Piedmont. The Dutch republic was completely subser vient to the will of France ; the Swiss possessed scarcely a larger portion of national independence. Spain, under the appellation of an ally, was in fact a vassal state. The Cis alpine republic was completely under the yoke of the First Consul, who had been appointed its President for ten years. This republic not only comprehended the Milanese, but also a considerable part of the Venetian territories, the duchies of Mantua, Modena, and Parma, and some of the districts which had belonged to Rome. A vassal king go verned Tuscany, which was thus in reality placed under the power of France ; and the Ligurian republic was equal ly subservient. Over all this immense tract of country, therefore, extending from the Ems to the Straits of Gibral tar, and from the Atlantic to the Adriatic, did Bonaparte, as First Consul of France, exercise an absolute sway.