Replacement of Pichegru
Carnot supported replacing Pichegru with Moreau in a senior army command as the Directory reorganised its military leadership.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1796 in France
Explore 144 historical events and records for France in 1796.
Historical records for France in 1796
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 144 unique records.
144Unique records
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28Named events on this page
11Named people on this page
13Places on this page
February
March
Appointment of Bonaparte
Carnot supported the appointment of Bonaparte as commander in chief of the Army of Italy.
Commander of Army of Italy
Appointed Commander of the Army in Italy
Commander of Army of Italy
Napoleon received command of the Army of Italy, placing him at the head of the campaign against Austria and Piedmont.
Commander of Army of Italy
Appointed Commander of the Army in Italy
Marriage
Marries Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie
Marriage
Marries Napoleon I
Marriage to Josephine
Napoleon married Josephine de Beauharnais in Paris shortly before leaving to take command of the Army of Italy.
Marriage Witness
Barras served as a witness at the civil marriage of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais.
Departure for Army of Italy
Napoleon left Paris to join the Army of Italy after receiving its command earlier that month.
Army of Italy Command
Barras supported the decision that placed Bonaparte in command of the Army of Italy before the 1796 campaign.
April
Invasion of Italy
Leads the Army into Italy
Battle of Montenotte
Massena played a leading role at Montenotte during the opening French victories of Bonaparte's first Italian campaign.
Battle of Montenotte
Napoleon won at Montenotte, opening the Italian campaign with a victory that separated Austrian and Piedmontese forces.
Battle of Montenotte
Commands the Army of Italy against the Austrians & Sardinians
Battle of Millesimo
Commands the Army of Italy against the Austrians & Sardinians
Battle of Dego
Commands the Army of Italy against the Austrians & Sardinians
Battle of Dego
Fights at the Battle of Dego in Italy
Battle of Dego
Distinguishes himself at Dego in Italy
Battle of Dego
Massena fought at Dego as French forces continued separating the Austrian and Piedmontese armies in northern Italy.
Battle of Mondovi
Napoleon defeated the Piedmontese at Mondovi, increasing pressure on the Kingdom of Sardinia to seek an armistice.
Battle of Mondovi
Commands the Army of Italy against the Austrians & Sardinians
Armistice
Secures an Armistice with the Aerdinians
Armistice of Cherasco
Napoleon concluded the Armistice of Cherasco with Sardinia, securing French gains and freeing his army to concentrate against Austria.
Moreau Takes Command Army of Rhine Moselle
Moreau led the main French force campaigning across the upper Rhine during the Directory. His appointment placed a successful general in charge of an ambitious offensive.
May
Battle of Lodi
Drives the Austrians out of Lombardy
Arrest of Francois Noel Babeuf
Arrested for conspiring to overthrow the Directory
Babeuf Arrested for Equality Conspiracy
Babeuf and his associates were arrested over plans to overthrow the Directory and establish a more egalitarian republic. Their prosecution later moved to a special high court.
Battle of Lodi
Massena fought at Lodi during the French advance across the Adda toward Milan.
Battle of Lodi
Napoleon defeated Austrian forces at Lodi and forced a crossing of the Adda during the advance into Lombardy.
Battle of Lodi
Fights at the Battle of Lodi in Italy
Coup
Arrested for conspiring to overthrow the Directory
General
Appointed General de Brigade
Capture of Venetian Rep
Occupies the Venetian Republic
Entry into Milan
Napoleon entered Milan after the victory at Lodi, strengthening French control of Lombardy during the Italian campaign.
Invasion of Lombardy
Napoleon conquers Lombardy as far as Mantua then creates the Lombard Republic
Lombard Republic
Founds the Lombard Republic
Siege of Mantua
Drives the Austrians out of Mantua
June
Invasion of Papal States
Begins the invasion of Papal territory
Moreau Crosses Rhine near Kehl
French troops crossed the river at Kehl in June during a major offensive into southern Germany. The operation opened a route toward the Danube and Austrian communications.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.