Battle of Palestro
Montebello - Varese - San Fermo - Palestro - Turbigo - Boffalora - Melegnano - Magenta - Treponti - Medole - Solferino - San Martino
The Battle of Palestro was a battle between the French and Austrians on 31 May 1859.
Prehistory
After the battle of Montebello, in which the French were victorious, the French army moved its position. The army divided up, the greater part marched to Novare, a settlement near Milan, the capital of Lombardy. The rest of the army, which consisted mainly of Sardinian troops, remained in Robbio to protect the flanks. On May 30, the two armies continued their march continued to the river Sesia. So they took control of the Italian villages located there: Confienza, Vinzaglio and the most important village Palestro.
The Austrians had now already received message from the enemy advance by spies and Frederik Zobel, an Austrian general who commanded two of his infantry divisions to attack Palestro.
The Franco- Sardinian army went to the defense of the city just won and divided the army on.
The Battle
The Italians were commanded by Viktor Emanuell, and stood in front of the city of Palermo. The French troops were under the command of Général Pellé, who had to march on the flanks of the army, the French army.
The Austrian army consisted of two divisions, one commanded by Baron Jelacic and the second by General Lilia.
The Austrians opened the battle with an attack by Baron Jelacic on Robbio where the Sardinians pitched and pushed back this beginning. The Second Division was planning an attack on Palestro, but Victor Emanuell forestalled them and attacked them with his large army to the city. The Imperial and Royal Army was pushed back to the river, and drowned while trying to escape from the hostile army much in the floods. When Baron Jelacic heard of the defeat, he took his army to flight. The battle was decided.
Follow
The victory of the Sardinian - French army was used for a further advance of the troops to the north. There followed soon after the Battle of Magenta.