The outnumbered Austrians successfully fended off the attacks of their enemies in actions at San Bonifacio, Soave, and Castelcerino before retreating to the east.

In the opening engagements of the war, Archduke John defeated the Franco-Italian army and drove it back to the Adige River at Verona.

So embarrassed by his setbacks that he tried to minimize them in communications to his step-father Emperor Napoleon, Eugène determined to use his superior forces to drive the Austrian invaders from the Kingdom of Italy.

On 29 April, he ordered part of his troops to make a holding attack against Soave while he sent an Italian force to seize the high ground on the Austrian right flank.

[4][5][6] At the start of the 1809 war, General der Kavallerie Archduke John had authority over Feldmarschallleutnant Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles's VIII Armeekorps of 24,500 infantry and 2,600 cavalry, and Feldmarschallleutnant Ignaz Gyulai's IX Armeekorps of 22,200 infantry and 2,000 cavalry.

General-major Andreas von Stoichevich was detached with 10,000 troops to observe General of Division Auguste Marmont's XI Corps in Dalmatia, which French had held since 1806.

[8] Suspecting that Austria planned to initiate a war, Napoleon built up the French part of the Army of Italy to six infantry and three cavalry divisions.

[8] Eugène never led large formations into battle, yet Napoleon appointed him commander of the Army of Italy.

[9] To prepare his stepson Eugène for the role, the emperor wrote him many detailed letters advising him how to defend Italy.

By 14 April, he collected the five infantry divisions[12] of Jean Mathieu Seras, Jean-Baptiste Broussier, Paul Grenier, Gabriel Barbou des Courières, and Philippe Eustache Louis Severoli, and the light cavalry division of Louis Michel Antoine Sahuc.

[13] Nevertheless, believing he outnumbered John, Eugène attacked the Austrian army in the Battle of Sacile on 16 April.

When John suddenly launched IX Armeekorps against the weakened French left flank, Eugène called off his attacks and ordered a retreat.

Anxious for his northern flank, Eugène authorized Baraguey d'Hilliers to fall back to Rovereto.

The infuriated emperor sent Eugène a critical letter suggesting that he ask Marshal Joachim Murat to take command of the army.

[19] Pierre François Joseph Durutte's infantry and Emmanuel Grouchy's dragoon division rendezvoused with the Franco-Italian army near Verona.

John ordered Oberst (colonel) Samuel Andreas Gyurkovics von Ivanocz to capture a bridgehead on the Dese River with his 2,000 troops.

Gyurkovics ran into a far superior force under Austerlitz veteran, General of Division Marie-François Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga and was mauled.

He appointed Grenier to take charge of the VI Corps which included the divisions of Durutte and General of Brigade Louis Jean Nicolas Abbé and the 8th Hussars.

Seras defended the position with the 106th Line Infantry Regiment, one squadron of cavalry, and four guns, a total of 3,000 men.

However, Oberst Ignaz Csivich von Rohr and five companies of the Oguliner Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr.

Historian Digby Smith called casualties from both sides "light" but listed the skirmish as an Austrian victory.

Most of Eugène's army was deployed north of Arcole, though a few units lined the west bank of the Adige below the confluence of that river with the Alpone.

General-major Hieronymus Karl Graf von Colloredo-Mansfeld's brigade was made up of three battalions each of Infantry Regiments Strassoldo Nr.

General-major Anton Gajoli's brigade consisted of three battalions of Franz Jellacic Infantry Regiment Nr.

Smith expressed criticism of Eugène for neither supporting his troops at Castelcerino, nor mounting a holding attack in front.

John knew that with Napoleon advancing on Vienna, his position in Italy could be flanked by enemy forces coming from the north.

After breaking all bridges over the Alpone, John began his withdrawal in the early hours of May 1, covered by Feldmarschallleutnant Johann Maria Philipp Frimont's rear guard.

Meanwhile, Frimont defeated the light brigade at Montebello Vicentino and got across the Brenta in good order while destroying the bridges.

The new division was destined to play a key role in Eugène's victory at the Battle of Piave River on 8 May 1809.