Editing 1796 (section)

=== October–December ===
* [[October 19]] – [[French Revolutionary Wars]]: [[Battle of Emmendingen]] – Austrian forces force the French to retreat, but commanding generals on both sides are killed.
* October – [[Jane Austen]] begins writing her first draft of ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'', under the title ''First Impressions'' (the book will not be published until [[1813]]).
* [[November 3]] – [[John Adams]] defeats [[Thomas Jefferson]], in the [[1796 United States presidential election|1796 U.S. presidential election]].
* [[November 4]] – The [[Treaty of Tripoli]] (between the United States and [[Ottoman Tripolitania|Tripoli]]) is signed at [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] (see also [[1797]]).
* [[November 6]]
** Catherine the Great dies, and is succeeded by her son [[Paul I of Russia]]. His wife [[Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg]] becomes [[Empress consort]].
** French forces (9,500 men) under Masséna attack the Austrian army at [[Fontaniva]]. After a desperate assault he is outnumbered, and forced to retreat to Verona.
* [[November 12]]
** [[Battle of Caldiero (1796)|Battle of Caldiero]]: French forces are defeated by the Austrians at [[Caldiero]], and pushed back to Verona. This marks Napoleon's first defeat, losing nearly 2,000 men and 2 guns.<ref name=Burton>{{cite book|first=Reginald George|last=Burton|year=2010|title=Napoleon's Campaigns in Italy 1796–1797 & 1800|pages=75–80|publisher=Leonaur Limited |isbn=978-0-85706-356-4}}</ref>
** [[Groton, New Hampshire]] is incorporated as a town.
* [[November 17]] – [[Battle of Arcole]]: French forces under General Napoleon defeat the Austrians at [[Arcole]]. After a bold [[Maneuver warfare#Napoleon's use of maneuver|maneuver]], he outflanks the Austrian army (24,000 men) under Freiherr [[József Alvinczi]], and cuts off its line of retreat. Alvinczi is forced to take up a defensive position behind the [[Brenta (river)|Brenta River]].<ref name=Burton/>
* [[December]] – The British government begins work on a 40-acre (162,000&nbsp;m²) site at [[Norman Cross Prison|Norman Cross]], for the world's first purpose-built [[prisoner-of-war camp]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Charters|first1=Erica|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i3rLsolt00UC&q=site+at+Norman+Cross%2C+for+the+world%27s+first+purpose-built+prisoner-of-war+camp&pg=PA244|title=Civilians and War in Europe, 1618-1815|last2=Rosenhaft|first2=Eve|last3=Smith|first3=Hannah|date=2012|publisher=Liverpool University Press|isbn=978-1-84631-711-8|language=en}}</ref>
* [[December 7]] – The [[U.S. Electoral College]] meets to elect [[John Adams]] president of the United States.
* [[December 18]] – British Royal Navy ship [[French ship Courageux (1753)|HMS ''Courageux'']] is wrecked on the [[Barbary Coast]] with the loss of 464 of the 593 onboard.