Siege of Gaeta (1806)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other sieges of this city at different dates, see Siege of Gaeta.

Battle of Campo Tenese Part of the War of the Third Coalition Date 26 February – 18 July 1806 Location Gaeta, present-day Italy Result French victory Belligerents First French Empire Kingdom of Italy Kingdom of Etruria Polish Legions Switzerland Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily Commanders André Masséna  ? Strength 12,000 7,000 Casualties and losses 1,000 killed or wounded 1,000 killed or wounded 6,000 captured

v • d • e War of the Third Coalition Invasion of England – Cape Finisterre – Ulm Campaign – Trafalgar – Caldiero – Amstetten – Cape Ortegal – Dürenstein – Schöngrabern – Austerlitz – Gaeta – Campo Tenese – Maida

The Siege of Gaeta of 1806 was a siege of the fortress city of Gaeta by French forces under André Masséna, which began in late February during the War of the Third Coalition. The garrison put up fierce resistance and Masséna had the greater part of his Army of Naples tied up in the siege for nearly five months. This prevented Masséna from sending reinforcements to quell an uprising that had started in Calabria as well as allowing the British to land an expedition force and score a victory at the Battle of Maida. However, the British failed to either capitalise on this victory or send support to the garrison of Gaeta and the city was finally captured on July 18, 1806 after French artillery finally broke through the city's defences.

Gaeta was then turned into a duché grand-fief in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples with the French name of Gaete, for finance minister Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin in 1809. Gaeta was the last city in Italy to remain loyal to Napoleon – it was not until a further siege by an Anglo-Austrian force, the last action of the Neapolitan War, that the city was finally retaken.