Historedia
EuropeEvent

Siege of Genoa

When
1800
Where
Army of Italy command (location not specified in sources); Genoa and its approaches; Genoa
Episodes
6

From April to June 1800, an Austrian army under Michael von Melas besieged Genoa, held by a French garrison under André Masséna, while a Royal Navy squadron under Lord Keith blockaded the port. Famine reduced the defenders to starvation, and the French army was evacuated from Genoa on 4 June 1800.

Episodes

  1. 9 January 1800 · Army of Italy command (location not specified in sources)French Collapse and Masséna's Command

    After 1799 defeats, Masséna replaced the deceased Championnet as commander of the Army of Italy in January 1800.

  2. April 1800 · Genoa and its approachesInitial Dispositions and Sorties

    Before the investment, Miollis garrisoned Genoa with 8,000 troops while Soult held the Bocchetta Pass; Masséna later left 8,000 to defend the city and attacked westward.

  3. 4–19 April 1800 · Genoa and its approachesMelas's Offensive and Investment of Genoa

    Melas advanced with 62,000 men from 4 April, and by 19 April had driven Masséna into Genoa and placed the city under siege.

  4. 21 April 1800 · GenoaBlockade and Garrison Strength

    Ott's 24,000 Austrians besieged Genoa on land while Lord Keith's Royal Navy squadron blockaded it; Masséna had 12,000 fit men on 21 April.

  5. 20 May 1800 · GenoaFamine Within the City

    Starvation gripped the garrison; by 20 May 1800 the defenders were eating bread made from starch, linseed oil, and cacao.

  6. 4 June 1800 · GenoaEvacuation of the French Army

    On 4 June 1800 the French army was evacuated from Genoa, ending the siege.

Background and detail

Background. During 1799 the French position in Italy collapsed after defeats at Magnano and Cassano, and by the end of the year the French hold had shrunk to its 1796 extent. After Championnet died on 9 January 1800, André Masséna took command of the Army of Italy, which Melas's Austrians then attacked.

The Siege. Melas advanced with 62,000 men in three concentric columns, beginning his offensive on 4 April 1800. By 19 April he had pushed Masséna's forces back within Genoa's defenses and placed the city under siege. On land, 24,000 Austrians under Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz pressed the city, while a Royal Navy squadron under Vice-Admiral Lord Keith blockaded it from the sea.

Famine and Evacuation. Famine reduced the defenders to starvation; by 21 April Masséna had only 12,000 men fit to fight, with 16,000 too sick. By 20 May the French were eating bread made from starch, linseed oil, and cacao. On 4 June 1800 the French army was evacuated from Genoa, ending the siege.

Aftermath. Less than three weeks after the evacuation, Bonaparte gave Masséna command of the Army of Italy, and even the Austrian chief of staff credited the defense of Genoa with deciding the campaign. On 14 June 1800 Bonaparte defeated Melas's main army at Marengo.

People involved

Sources

  1. Siege of Genoa (1800) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-05
  2. André Masséna Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.