Eusebio Bava
Encyclopedia
Eusebio Bava was an Italian general who fought in the Italian Wars of Independence.
, in 1806 he fought as a volunteer under the French flag against Prussia
. He took part in the French campaigns in Spain and Portugal, and was captured by the British at Porto
in 1805. After Napoleon's defeat, he returned to Piedmont where king Victor Emmanuel I integrated his troops in the Piedmontese army as the Cacciatori piemontesi battalion. In 1838 he was appointed as commander of the Turin
division and two years later he became lieutenant general.
He commanded two corps of the Piedmonese
-Sardinian army under Charles Albert when the latter attacked Austria
in Lombardy
in the First Italian War of Independence
. After the successful Five Days of Milan
, Bava did not attack the retreating Austrian forces and only followed them up to the Mincio
river. Despite this setback (which subsequently was a cause of the Piedmontese defeat in the war), he won two battles in the war, at Governolo and Goito
.
After the decisive defeats of Sommacampagna
and Custoza
, he decided to retreat back to the Ticino
river to defend the Piedmontese heartland.
Bava had been a senator of Sardinia since 1848. He died in Turin in 1854.
Biography
Born at VercelliVercelli
Vercelli is a city and comune of about 47,000 inhabitants in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around the year 600 BC.The city is situated on the river Sesia in the plain of the river...
, in 1806 he fought as a volunteer under the French flag against Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. He took part in the French campaigns in Spain and Portugal, and was captured by the British at Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
in 1805. After Napoleon's defeat, he returned to Piedmont where king Victor Emmanuel I integrated his troops in the Piedmontese army as the Cacciatori piemontesi battalion. In 1838 he was appointed as commander of the Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
division and two years later he became lieutenant general.
He commanded two corps of the Piedmonese
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
-Sardinian army under Charles Albert when the latter attacked Austria
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
in the First Italian War of Independence
First Italian War of Independence
The First Italian War of Independence was fought in 1848 between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian Empire. The war saw main battles at Custoza and Novara in which the Austrians under Radetzky managed to defeat the Piedmontese....
. After the successful Five Days of Milan
Five Days of Milan
The Five Days of Milan was a major event in the Revolutionary Year of 1848 and the start of the First Italian War of Independence. On March 18th, the city of Milan, rose, and in five days of street fighting drove Marshal Radetzky and his men from the city....
, Bava did not attack the retreating Austrian forces and only followed them up to the Mincio
Mincio
Mincio is a river in the Lombardy region of northern Italy.Called the Sarca River before entering Lake Garda, it flows from there about 65 km past Mantua into the Po River....
river. Despite this setback (which subsequently was a cause of the Piedmontese defeat in the war), he won two battles in the war, at Governolo and Goito
Battle of Goito
The Battle of Goito was fought between the Piedmontese and the Austrian army on 30 May 1848, in the course of the First Italian War of Independence...
.
After the decisive defeats of Sommacampagna
Sommacampagna
Sommacampagna is a comune in the province of Verona, Veneto, northern Italy.In the frazione of Custoza two battles were fought during the Italian Independence Wars.The town's main football team is Associazione Calcio Somma....
and Custoza
Battle of Custoza (1848)
The Battle of Custoza was fought on July 24 and 25 1848 during the first Italian War of Independence between the armies of the Austrian Empire, led by Field Marshal Radetzky, and of the Kingdom of Sardinia, led by King Charles Albert of Piedmont....
, he decided to retreat back to the Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
river to defend the Piedmontese heartland.
Bava had been a senator of Sardinia since 1848. He died in Turin in 1854.