Michael von Melas

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Michael von Melas was a field marshal for the Austrian Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.

He was born in Transylvania in 1729 and joined the Austrian army at age 17. He served in the Seven Years' War as aide de camp for Leopold Joseph von Daun. He was promoted to colonel in 1781. He fought on the lower Rhine in 1794 and the middle Rhine in 1795.

He later led the Austrian army in Italy during Napoleon Bonaparte's campaigns in Italy, part of the War of the Second Coalition. Serving under Russian field marshal Alexander Suvorov, who commanded Second Coalition forces, he commanded Austrian forces in victories at the battles of Cassano, Trebbia and Novi and the Siege of Genoa.

He was later defeated by Napoleon at the Battle of Marengo. The day after the battle he signed the Convention of Alexandria, ceding control of Italy up to the Mincio River to the French. The Austrians then withdrew.

Melas was then commander in Bohemia.

[edit] Later life

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Melas retired in 1803 and died in 1806.