Battle of Guastalla

Part of the War of the Polish Succession

Hand-colored period map (oriented with West towards the top) depicting the battle order

Date	19 September 1734
Location	Guastalla, County of Guastalla (present-day Emilia-Romagna, Italy) Coordinates: 44°55′0″N 10°40′0″E / 44.91667°N 10.66667°E / 44.91667; 10.66667
Result	Franco-Sardinian victory

Belligerents

France

Sardinia

Archduchy of Austria

Commanders and leaders

Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia

François-Marie, 1st duc de Broglie

François de Franquetot de Coigny

Dominik von Königsegg
Frederick of Württemberg †

Strength

49,000 men

40,000 men

Casualties and losses

1,600 killed
4,000 wounded

1,600 killed
4,200 wounded
1,600 horses killed

The Battle of Guastalla or Battle of Luzzara was a battle fought on 19 September 1734 between Franco-Sardinian and Austrian (Habsburg) troops as part of the War of the Polish Succession.

Following the death in February 1733 of King Augustus II of Poland, European powers exerted diplomatic and military influence in the selection of his successor. Competing elections in August and October 1733 elected Stanisław Leszczyński and Frederick August, Elector of Saxony to be the next king. Stanisław was supported primarily by France, while Frederick August was supported by Russia and the Habsburg Emperor Charles VI. On October 10, France declared war on Austria and Saxony to draw military strength away from Poland, and shortly thereafter invaded both the Rhineland and the Habsburg territories in what is now northern Italy. The Italian campaign was conducted in conjunction with King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, to whom France had promised the Duchy of Milan in the Treaty of Turin, signed in September 1733.

The Franco-Sardinian allies marched on Milan in October 1733, and occupied Lombardy without significant losses. In the spring of 1734 the Austrians responded in force, but suffered a bloody defeat in the Battle of San Pietro, won by the French under de Coigny and de Broglie. Following the victory, reluctance on the part of Charles Emmanuel to pursue the retreating Austrians led to relatively little action throughout the summer of 1734. In September Field Marshal Dominik von Königsegg-Rothenfels, who replaced Florimund Mercy (killed at San Pietro), renewed the Austrian offensive, winning a small victory near Quistello when his troops successfully raided de Broglio's headquarters on September 14, taking 1,500 prisoners and capturing Charles Emmanuel's silver service and campaign warchest. As the Austrians pursued the allies, they surrounded additional pockets of soldiers, taking another 3,000 prisoners. The allies fell back toward Guastalla, where they fortified a position between the Crostolo and Po rivers.

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Wikipedia