The town of Castiglione delle Stiviere is located 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Lake Garda in northern Italy.

But his skill and the speed of his troops' march allowed the French army commander to keep the Austrian columns separated and defeat each in detail over a period of about one week.

Nevertheless, the battle marked the end of four months of rapid French advances across Northern Italy, and the front lines would remain anchored around Mantua until its fall in February of 1797.

After being defeated at the battles of Fombio, Lodi, and Borghetto by Bonaparte, the Austrian Army under Feldzeugmeister Johann Peter Beaulieu left almost 14,000 soldiers in the fortress of Mantua and retreated north toward Trento.

By 3 June, the French army invested the place, which was defended by Joseph Franz Canto d'Irles's Austrian garrison and 316 cannons.

In June, Bonaparte's army forced the Papal States, Tuscany, Parma and Modena to make peace, extorting large contributions.

André Masséna guarded the northern approaches with the bulk of his force in the upper Adige River valley on the east side of Lake Garda.

Leading the Right-Center (2nd) Column, Michael von Melas struck south with 14,000 soldiers down the west bank of the Adige.

From 31 July through 2 August, a complex series of operations occurred in the area of Brescia, Montichiari, Gavardo, Lonato del Garda and Salò.

Bonaparte concentrated Augereau, Masséna, Despinoy, and Kilmaine and recaptured Brescia on 1 August, clearing his supply line to the west.

Meanwhile, Wurmser dropped off a force under General-major (GM) Adam Bajalics von Bajahaza to lay siege to Peschiera.

[citation needed] By 5 August, Wurmser had concentrated 20,000 soldiers at Castiglione, including GM Josef Philipp Vukassovich's brigade from the Mantua garrison.

The Austrian left held Monte Medolano, a small hilltop crowned by a redoubt and some heavy guns.

While he pinned Wurmser with a frontal attack, the French army commander arranged for 5,000 men of Sérurier's division to smash into the Austrian left rear.

When the Austrian lines were bent into a V-shape, Bonaparte would break the hinge of the enemy's front with an assault on Monte Medolano, led by general Verdier.

Sérurier's troops, commanded this day by General of Brigade Pascal Antoine Fiorella, then appeared, led by the 5th Dragoons.

Chef de battalion Auguste Marmont galloped his horse artillery up to point blank range and opened fire.

As Masséna and Augereau attacked in front, two of Despinoy's demi-brigades led by Chef de Brigade Charles Leclerc arrived and captured Solferino.

Covered by some cavalry led by GM Anton Schübirz von Chobinin, the Austrians managed to retreat across the Mincio at Borghetto that evening.

[18]The Battle of Castiglione is witnessed by the title characters of the humorous fantasy movie Time Bandits (1981) in an early part of the film.