Antoine Marc Augustin Bertoletti

Antoine Marc Augustine Bertoletti
Lieutenant General Antoine Marc Augustin Bertoletti
Born	28 August 1775 Milan
Died	6 March 1846 Milan(aged 71)
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy(1805-13), Austria(1814-death)
Rank	Brigadier General Field Marshal
Battles/wars	Napoleonic Wars War of the Fifth Coalition Battle of Raab Battle of Wagram Peninsular War

Antonio Bertoletti,also known asAntoine Marc Augustin Bertoletti(August 28, 1775 – March 6, 1846) was aMilanesemilitary officerwho served theFrench Empireas ageneral of brigade,notably in thePeninsular War.

Military career

During theWar of the Fifth Coalition,Bertoletti served in the Italian theater under the command ofEugène de Beauharnais,the Viceroy of Italy. At the outbreak of war, he led a brigade inAchille Fontanelli's Division.Later, Jean Rusca took command of the division, which missed theBattle of Piave River.Bertoletti led his brigade in an action atKlagenfurton 8 June and at Papa,Hungaryon 12 June, as well as the majorBattle of Raabon 14 June.During theBattle of Wagram,his brigade defended Klagenfurt on Eugene's line of communications.

In June 1813, Bertoletti famously held the fortress ofTarragonawith 1,600 soldiers againstJohn Murray's 16,000-man British army. Realizing he could not hope to hold the outer walls with his small Franco-Italian garrison, he pulled back into the inner defenses and twooutworks.Ultimately, Murray abandoned the siege and 18 heavy cannon when he heard that two French relief columns were due to arrive. When the British expedition sailed away, Bertoletti alertly called for help from the nearest French column, which soon marched into the fortress. At the news that French reinforcements were nearby, Murray gave up a second plan to capture Tarragona.After theNapoleonic Wars,Bertoletti served theAustriancrown asfield marshal.He died inVienna.TheArc de Triomphebears the inscription BERTOLETTI on the 37th column.

References

• Bowden, Scotty & Tarbox, Charlie.Armies on the Danube 1809.Arlington, Texas: Empire Games Press, 1980.
• Glover, Michael.The Peninsular War 1807-1814.London: Penguin, 2001.ISBN0-14-139041-7
• Smith, Digby.The Napoleonic Wars Data Book.London: Greenhill, 1998.ISBN1-85367-276-9

External links

• The Names of 660 persons inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe