Editing André Masséna (section)

===Decisive victory at Zurich and Siege of Genoa===
[[File:Battle of zurich.jpg|thumb|Masséna at the [[Second Battle of Zurich]], 25 September 1799. Painting by [[François Bouchot]], 1837.]]

With the formation of the [[Second Coalition]] against France in 1798, Masséna was detached as a divisional commander to the [[Army of Mayence]] in August before taking command of the [[Army of Helvetia]] on 9 December.{{sfn|Six|1934|p=165}} He found himself in a difficult situation facing the Austro-Russian armies led by Archduke Charles and General [[Alexander Korsakov|Korsakov]]. During this long and difficult campaign, Masséna, in addition to his usual vigour, courage and tenacity, demonstrated great strategic acumen.{{sfn|Chandler|1988|pp=406-410}} At the head of around 30,000 men, he first took the initiative in the [[Grisons]] before falling back on [[Zurich]] in the face of Austrian numerical superiority. He was driven out of the city by Charles at the [[First Battle of Zurich]] over 4–6 June.{{sfn|Rothenberg|1982|pp=73-77}} After the Austrian night attack over 4–5 June, both sides rested on 5 June, but when the Austrians resumed their attack on 6 June, Masséna had abandoned the city and taken up positions in the surrounding mountains.{{sfn|Marshall-Cornwall|1965|pp=72-74}} He then entrenched himself behind the [[Limmat]] and repelled a new attack in August.{{sfn|Rothenberg|1982|pp=77-78}} Becoming aware of the advance of Russian field marshal [[Alexander Suvorov]] toward St. Gotthard in September, Masséna had used his troops in the south of Switzerland: General [[Claude Lecourbe|Lecourbe]]'s French division took the [[Gotthard Pass]], which required Suvorov to [[Battle of Gotthard Pass|retake it]] on 24 September, delaying his advance north towards Zurich. Suvorov then faced General [[Jean-de-Dieu Soult|Soult]]'s division blocking the route at [[Altdorf, Uri|Altdorf]] and then [[Battle of Devil's Bridge|took the Teufelsbrücke]] in the [[Schöllenen Gorge]]. The same day, 25 September, Masséna defeated the Austro-Russians under Korsakov at the [[Second Battle of Zurich]], arguably the greatest French victory of 1799.{{sfn|Griffith|1998|pp=11,200}}

Following this success, Masséna organized a series of combined movements to encircle the second Russian army under Suvorov. Unable to break through the French lines and aware of Korsakov's disastrous defeat, Suvorov turned east through the high and difficult [[Pragel Pass]] to [[Glarus]]. Despite defeats at the simultaneous battles of [[Battle of Klöntal|Klöntal]] and [[Battle of Muottental|Muottental]], the operation conceived by Masséna was a success: the Russian troops, badly battered, only escaped destruction by carrying out an exhausting retreat east into the 9,000-foot high mountains of the Panikh range. After a difficult march, the Russian army reached [[Ilanz]] on 8 October and then crossed the treacherous [[Panix Pass]], abandoning its baggage and all of its artillery.{{sfn|Gachot|1904|pp=182–473}}{{sfn|Chandler|1988|pp=406-410}} The victory at Zurich, considered Masséna's finest feat of arms,{{sfn|Chandler|1988|p=410}} had a decisive influence on the course of the war: through this strategic success, Masséna saved France from a planned invasion and led Tsar [[Paul I of Russia]] to withdraw from the Coalition shortly afterwards.{{sfn|Hulot|2013|pp=734-735}} Donald D. Howard writes:

{{Cquote|The defeat of the Russians and Austrians in this complex operation was the crowning achievement of Masséna's military career. Considering the strength and effectiveness of his foes, his own hazardous position, and the consequences of failure, he meticulously prepared to deliver a series of decisive blows; when they came, he crushed his enemy in detail. This success in Switzerland clearly demonstrated his leadership capabilities as a consummate strategist and tactician; it marked the beginning of the collapse of the Second Coalition, it dissuaded Prussia from joining the coalition, and even more important, it spared France an invasion that might have resulted in the overthrow of the Revolution.{{sfn|Horward|1997}}}}

After Bonaparte came to power in France through the [[coup d'état of 18 Brumaire]], Masséna took command of the remaining French forces in Italy.{{sfn|Six|1934|p=165}} These troops, defeated in several encounters, had established themselves on the [[Ligurian Apennines]]. Attacked by General [[Michael von Melas]]'s Austrian army, Masséna had to withdraw to [[Genoa]] where he was [[Siege of Genoa (1800)|besieged]], while Bonaparte marched with the Army of the Reserve to [[Milan]]. By the end of May, plague had spread throughout Genoa and the civilian population was in revolt. Negotiations were begun for the exchange of prisoners early in June, but the citizens and some of the garrison clamored for capitulation. Unknown to Masséna, the Austrian general [[Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz|Peter Ott]] had been ordered to raise the siege because Bonaparte had crossed [[Great St. Bernard Pass]] and was now threatening the main Austrian army. Describing the situation at Genoa, Ott requested and received permission to continue the siege. On 4 June, with one day's rations remaining, Masséna's negotiator finally agreed to evacuate the French Army from Genoa. However, "if the word capitulation was mentioned or written", Masséna threatened to end all negotiations.{{sfn|Horward|1997}} Two days later, a few of the French left the city by sea, but the bulk of Masséna's starving and exhausted troops marched out of the city with all their equipment and followed the road along the coast toward France, ending the siege of almost 60 days. The siege was an astonishing demonstration of tenacity, ingenuity, courage, and daring that garnered additional laurels for Masséna and placed him in a category previously reserved for Bonaparte alone.{{sfn|Horward|1997}}

[[File:Capitulation de Masséna à Cornigliano près de Gênes, en juin 1800.jpg|thumb|Masséna's capitulation at [[Cornigliano]], near [[Genoa]], in June 1800. Illustration by [[Felician Myrbach]], 1896.]]

By forcing the Austrians to deploy vast forces against him at Genoa, Masséna made it possible for Bonaparte to cross the Great St. Bernard Pass, surprise the Austrians, and ultimately defeat Melas' Austrian army at [[Battle of Marengo|Marengo]] before sufficient reinforcements could be transferred from the siege site. Less than three weeks after the evacuation, Bonaparte wrote to Masséna, "I am not able to give you a greater mark of the confidence I have in you than by giving you command of the first army of the Republic [Army of Italy]."{{sfn|Horward|1997}} Even the Austrians recognized the significance of Masséna's defense; the Austrian chief of staff declared firmly, "You won the battle, not in front of [[Alessandria]] but in front of Genoa."{{sfn|Marshall-Cornwall|1965|p=115}} Despite the praise, Bonaparte also criticized Masséna for capitulating too early in his memoirs, contrasting his actions with those of the Gauls under [[Vercingetorix]] when besieged by [[Julius Caesar]] in the [[Battle of Alesia]].{{sfn|Roberts|2014|p=330}}

Masséna was appointed commander of the Army of Italy by Bonaparte when the latter returned to Paris on 24 June 1800.{{sfn|Six|1934|p=165}} However, the poor financial situation of the army and allegations of corruption weighing on him and his staff led to his recall in August. He then saw himself exonerated from all command and retired to Antibes with his family, before settling in 1801 at the [[Château de Rueil]], in the ''[[banlieue]]'' of Paris.{{sfn|Hulot|2013|pp=749-756}}