Stock Photo - Antoine Charles Horace Vernet, known as Carle (1758-1836) French school Title page of a book recounting the Battle of Marengo, written by General Berthier, Napoleon's war minister. Within the frame there is an image of Napoleon riding on a horse, being presented with trhe pages of this book by Maréchal Berthier. Black chalk, pencil and black ink, watercolour enhanced with white (56.2 x 42.6 cm) Alberto Ricci Photo The Battle of Marengo against Austria took place on 14th June 1800. Detemined to repel the Austrian forces from the positions they had recently regained in Lombardy and Piedmont, Napoleon Bonaparte assembled an army in Dijon and crossed over into Italy through the Great St Bernard Pass. A surprise attack by the Austrians under the command of Baron Melas in Marengo knocked Napoleon's army off course, forcing them to disperse. French defeat seemed imminent until a division that Bonaparte had sent further afield under the command of General Desaix de Veygoux returned in time to lead a successful counter attack. The French lost approximately 5800 men and the Austrians suffered a loss of 9400.