How did Napoleon defeat Austria at the Battle of Marengo?

At the Battle of Marengo on June 14, 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte secured a narrow victory over Austrian forces through a dramatic late-afternoon counterattack.

Earlier in the day, Napoleon had dispersed his forces, leaving him vulnerable to a superior Austrian army under Gen. Michael Friedrich von Melas. The French were pushed back and appeared to be facing defeat, leading Melas to believe the battle was won and return to Alessandria.1

The tide turned when Gen. Louis Desaix, responding to an urgent recall, arrived with his division. Napoleon and Desaix quickly organized a combined assault. Desaix’s fresh infantry attacked the Austrian center, while François-Christophe Kellermann’s cavalry executed a decisive flank charge that shattered the Austrian column. This maneuver caused panic among the Austrian ranks, forcing them into a full retreat. Although the victory was pivotal, Desaix was killed during the counterattack. The defeat compelled the Austrians to evacuate northern Italy west of the Mincio River.123