The plan was to starve Genoa into submission, and in order to cut off all approaches by sea, the British fleet began a naval blockade in February.

[3] Schulenburg's force reached the outskirts of the city in April, but realising they needed more troops they waited until twelve battalions of infantry from their Sardinian allies arrived in June.

The delay allowed the French and Spanish to send reinforcements to the city under Joseph Marie de Boufflers to bolster the garrison.

A major attack on the city was launched on 21 May, but the defenses of Genoa held, despite the fact that Boufflers contracted smallpox, and would die in early July.

The failed siege led to recriminations between Vienna and Turin with both complaining to their British allies in London about the alleged betrayal of the other.