The name "'Second Coalition'" (
1799–
1802) designates the second major concerted effort of multiple European
powers to contain
Revolutionary France.
After
Napoleon Bonaparte mounted an expedition to
Egypt and, in spite of several land victories, was unable to transport his army back by sea after the
Battle of the Nile, a number of France's enemies prepared a new alliance with Britain to undo his previous conquests. Austria and Russia raised fresh armies for campaigns in
Germany and
Italy in
1799.
1798
See also:
The only military activity before the end of 1798 was in Italy, where
Naples captured Rome on
28 October (and with it the
Athena of Velletri) but was driven out by the end of the year.
1799
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In Italy, Russian general
Aleksandr Suvorov won
a string of victories driving the French under
Moreau out of the
Po Valley, and forcing them back on the
French Alps and the coast around
Genoa. However, the Russian armies in the
Helvetic Republic (''
Switzerland'') were defeated by
Andre Massena, and Suvorov's army was eventually withdrawn for political reasons.
In Germany,
Archduke Charles of Austria drove the French under
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan back across the Rhine, and won several victories in Switzerland. Jourdan was replaced by Massena.
Russia left the coalition on account of British insistence that they would have right to search any vessel on the sea.
By the end of the year, Napoleon had returned from Egypt, leaving his army behind, and took control of France in a coup d'etat. He reorganized the French armies and command for the next year's campaign.
1800
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In
1800, Napoleon took personal command of the army in Italy, and eventually won a victory at the
Battle of Marengo against the Austrian general
Michael Melas, driving the Austrians back toward the Alps.
In Germany, General Moreau defeated Archduke Charles at the
Battle of Hohenlinden, forcing him to sign an armistice.
1801
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In February
1801 the Austrians signed the
Treaty of Lunéville, accepting French control up to the
Rhine and the
French client republics in Italy and the
Netherlands.
1802
The
Treaty of Amiens between France and Britain began the longest break in the war between the two during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods.