Battle of Lippa


The Battle of Lippa was an engagement which took place on 7 September 1813 in what is now Croatia, then part of Kingdom of Croatia, part of the Austrian Empire. Though a small engagement, the battle, which formed part of the Adriatic campaign of 1807–1814, which would lead to the fall of the Illyrian Provinces.

Background

When the War of the Sixth Coalition broke out, the Austrian Empire remained loyal to the French Empire, and foreign minister Klemens von Metternich aimed to mediate in good faith a peace between France and its continental enemies, but it became apparent that the price was to be the dismantling of the Confederation of the Rhine, the Napoleon-controlled union of all German states aside from Prussia and Austria, and the return to France's pre-Revolutionary borders. Napoleon was not interested in any such compromise that would in effect end his empire, so Austria joined the allies and declared war on France in August 1813.
The new Austrian Army of Italy was to attack in the direction of Northern Italy/Piedmont and force a southern front in France. In September the Austrians opened up their Invasion of Illyria, and on 7 September a small Italian garrison fought an Austrian brigade on its way towards Trieste. This action became known as the Battle of Lippa.
The battle ended in an Austrian victory, and the Italians fell back to Trieste.

Order of Battle

Franco-Italian ForcesBrigade Rougier, 5th Division, commanded by Général de Brigade Rougier
Austrian ForcesDivision Nugent, commanded by Generalmajor Römischer Fürst, Laval Graf von Nugent-Westmeath