Poorly supplied (uniforms and shoes were rare), and only getting reinforcements irregularly, the Army of Italy was sometimes reduced to looting to survive. When Bonaparte arrived (he took up command on 27 March 1796), indiscipline was rife. Chouan songs were sung by the troops, and a company of the Dauphin was formed. All the while improving the supply system as much as possible, Bonaparte also reestablished discipline. He condemned officers who had cried Vive le roi !, (English: "Live the king!"), dismissed the 13th regiment of hussards for indiscipline and dissolved an entire regiment when it revolted at the end of March. Purged in this way, the Army of Italy was subsequently the most Jacobin of all the French armies.
Its first victories improved things – allowing better resupply and easing pay problems through "war contributions" from the conquered lands – but memoirs (though not official communiques) speak of individual or collective failures right up to 1797.
Reserve army
Much of the original Armée d'Italie became the Army of Egypt. Another army, originally called the armée de Réserve, was formed at Dijon on 8 March 1800 (17 ventôse year VIII) and took the title Armée d'Italie on 23 June 1800 (4 messidor year VIII) when it was merged with the remains of the original Armée d'Italie. The new army's first commander was Masséna, followed by Bonaparte (as First Consul and "Commander in person") and général Berthier (its 'Général en chef' from 2 April to 23 June 1800).[1] It was under Berthier that this army beat the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo on 14 June 1800 (25 prairial year 8).[2]
Commanders
from 7 November to 25 December 1792: General d'Anselme, with neither the title nor the prerogative of a general
from 26 December 1792 to 9 February 1793, interim: maréchal de campBrunet
from 13 to 15 November, provisionally until the arrival of General Dugommier: General Doppet
from 16 November to 28 December: General Dugommier with the title of General and commander of the Army of Italy (général en chef de armée d'Italie)
from 29 December 1793 to 21 November 1794: General Pierre Jardat Dumerbion (with Napoleon Bonaparte and Andre Massena as subordinates)
from 21 November 1794 to 5 May 1795: General Schérer
from 6 May to 28 September 1795: General Kellermann,[α] commanded the merged Army of Italy and Army of the Alps (armée des Alpes), with the designation of the Army of Italy
from 29 September 1795 to 26 March 1796: General Schérer, resigned
from 27 March 1796 to 16 November 1797: General Bonaparte
from 17 November to 21 December 1797, interim: General Kilmaine
from 22 December 1797 to 3 April 1798: General Berthier
from 1 November 1798 to 31 January 1799: General Joubert, as part of the overall command of the Army of Rome (armée de Rome). From 11 to 25 December, the army's commander was effectively General Moreau.
^"The consular magistracy was essentially civil, the principal of the division of powers and of ministers' responsibilities made it undesirable that the first magistrate of the Republic should be immediately in command of an Armée; but no disposition, just as no principle, would oppose that which was present ... As it turned out, the First Consul commanded the armée de réserve, and Berthier, his major général, took the title général en chef." : Memoirs of Napoléon, vol. VI, p. 196
^Alexandre Berthier, Relation de la bataille de Marengo ...; Paris 1805. // Le Capitaine de Cugnac, Campagne de l’armée de Réserve en 1800; Paris 1900
^Napoleon's Italian Campaign 1805–1815. Frederich C. Schneid. 2002. pp. 161–200.[ISBN missing]
Sources
C. Clerget : Tableaux des armées françaises pendant les guerres de la Révolution (Librairie militaire 1905) ;