[4] In September 1792, the First French Republic invaded the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont and rapidly overran the Duchy of Savoy and most of the County of Nice.

Shocked at the ineptitude of his generals, King Victor Amadeus III asked the Austrians to provide an overall commander.

On 21 December 1792, the Austrian government selected Feldzeugmeister (FZM) Joseph Nikolaus de Vins to fill the position and also sent Argenteau and GM Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi.

While serving as de Vins' chief of staff, in some way Argenteau antagonized the Piedmontese officer corps, causing much discontent.

De Vins determined to remotely manage the Savoy offensive of Prince Maurizio, Duke of Montferrat while remaining at the capital in Turin.

Advancing according to a plan drawn up by the Army of Italy's artillery chief Napoleon Bonaparte, the French seized Oneglia on 9 April and turned north.

However, the French columns under André Massena brushed Argenteau's forces aside and seized Ormea and Garessio by 19 April.

On 30 April, Argenteau wrote a letter to Colli complaining that the Austrian commander at Cairo refused to send him any reinforcements.

[10] De Vins became ill and handed over command of the army to FZM Olivier, Count of Wallis on 22 November 1795.

By coincidence, the French army led by Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer attacked the next day to open the Battle of Loano.

According to G. J. Fiebeger, he was assigned four brigades under Oberst Karl von Salisch, and GMs Anton Lipthay, Mathias Rukavina, and Philipp Pittoni.

[16] On 10 April, Beaulieu attacked the French in the Battle of Voltri with 7,000 men in two columns under FML Karl Philipp Sebottendorf and Pittoni (detached).

[18] So, on the morning of 11 April, Argenteau assembled 3,700 men in 5½ battalions[19] and attacked the French position on Monte Negino.

In the Second Battle of Dego on 14 April, the French crushed the remainder of Argenteau's division, inflicting 3,000 casualties (mostly captured) on a force numbering 5,700 men.

[23] After these defeats, Beaulieu's army remained largely paralyzed at Acqui while Bonaparte forced the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont to sue for peace.