Editing Napoleon (section)

===First Italian campaign===
{{Main|Italian Campaign of 1796–1797}}
[[File:1801 Antoine-Jean Gros - Bonaparte on the Bridge at Arcole.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A three-quarter-length depiction of Bonaparte, with black tunic and leather gloves, holding a standard and sword, turning backwards to look at his troops|''[[Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole]]'', by Baron [[Antoine-Jean Gros]], ({{circa|1801}}), [[Musée du Louvre]], Paris]]
Two days after the marriage, Bonaparte left Paris to take command of the Army of Italy. He went on the offensive, hoping to defeat the Kingdom of Sardinia in [[Piedmont]] before their Austrian allies could intervene. In a series of victories during the [[Montenotte campaign]], he knocked the Piedmontese out of the war in two weeks.<ref>{{Harvp|Dwyer|2008a|pp=195, 204-206}}</ref> The French then focused on the Austrians, [[Siege of Mantua (1796–1797)|laying siege to Mantua]]. The Austrians launched offensives against the French to break the siege, but Bonaparte defeated every relief effort, winning the [[Battle of Castiglione]], the [[Battle of Bassano]], the [[Battle of Arcole]], and the [[Battle of Rivoli]]. The French triumph at Rivoli in January 1797 led to the collapse of the Austrian position in Italy. At Rivoli, Austria lost 43% of its soldiers dead, wounded or taken prisoner.{{sfnp|Bell|2015|p=29}}<ref>{{Harvp|Dwyer|2008a|pp=245-50, 268-71}}</ref>

The French then invaded the heartlands of the [[House of Habsburg]]. French forces in southern Germany had been defeated by [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen]] in 1796, but Charles withdrew his forces to protect [[Vienna]] after learning of Bonaparte's assault. In their first encounter, Bonaparte pushed Charles back and advanced deep into Austrian territory after winning the [[Battle of Tarvis (1797)|Battle of Tarvis]] in March 1797. Alarmed by the French thrust that reached [[Leoben]], about 100&nbsp;km from Vienna, the Austrians sued for peace.<ref>{{harvp|Dwyer|2008a|pp=282–285}}</ref><ref>{{Harvp|Zamoyski|2018|pp=149-51}}</ref> The preliminary [[peace of Leoben]], signed on 18 April, gave France control of most of northern Italy and the [[Low Countries]] and promised to partition the [[Republic of Venice]] with Austria.<ref>{{Harvp|Dwyer|2008a|pp=285-86, 291}}</ref> Bonaparte marched on Venice and [[Fall of the Republic of Venice#12 May 1797: the Fall of the Venetian Republic|forced its surrender]], ending 1,100 years of Venetian independence. He authorized the French to loot treasures such as the [[Horses of Saint Mark]].<ref>{{harvp|McLynn|1997|p=132}}</ref><ref>{{Harvp|Dwyer|2008a|p=296}}</ref>

[[File:Napoleon at the Battle of Rivoli.jpg|thumb|left|''Napoleon at the [[Battle of Rivoli]]'', by [[Henri Félix Emmanuel Philippoteaux]]]]

In this Italian campaign, Bonaparte's army captured 150,000 prisoners, 540 cannons, and 170 [[Flag|standards]]. The French army fought 67 actions and won 18 [[pitched battle]]s through superior artillery technology and Bonaparte's tactics.{{sfnp|McLynn|1997|p=135}} Bonaparte extracted an estimated 45&nbsp;million French pounds from Italy during the campaign, another 12&nbsp;million pounds in precious metals and jewels, and more than 300 paintings and sculptures.{{sfnp|Bell|2015|p=30}}

During the campaign, Bonaparte became increasingly influential in French politics. He founded two newspapers: one for the troops in his army and one for circulation in France.<ref>{{harvp|Dwyer|2008a|p=306}}</ref> The royalists attacked him for looting Italy and warned that he might become a dictator.<ref>{{harvp|Dwyer|2008a|pages=304-05}}</ref> Bonaparte sent General [[Charles-Pierre Augereau]] to Paris to support a ''coup d'état'' that purged royalists from the legislative councils on 4 September—the [[Coup of 18 Fructidor]]. This left Barras and his republican allies in control again but more dependent upon Bonaparte who finalized peace terms with Austria by the [[Treaty of Campo Formio]].<ref>{{Harvp|Dwyer|2008a|pp=311-16}}</ref> Bonaparte returned to Paris on 5 December 1797 as a hero.<ref>{{harvp|Dwyer|2008a|p=322}}</ref> He met [[Charles Maurice de Talleyrand]], France's foreign minister, and took command of the [[Army of England]] for the planned invasion of Britain.<ref>{{Harvp|Dwyer|2008a|pp=327, 333-35}}</ref>