First Battle of Saorgio

First Battle of Saorgio
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Fort de La Forca on the Massif de l’Authion
Date 8–12 June 1793 Location Saorge, Alpes-Maritimes, France Result Austro-Sardinian victory
Belligerents
Austria Sardinia	France
Commanders and leaders
Joseph De Vins Count of Saint-André	Gaspard Brunet
Strength
10,000–12,000	17,000
Casualties and losses
unknown	1,532

The First Battle of Saorgio (8–12 June 1793) saw a French army commanded by Gaspard Jean-Baptiste Brunet attack the armies of the Sardinia-Piedmont and Austria led by Joseph Nikolaus De Vins. The local Sardinian commander in the Maritime Alps was Charles-François Thaon, Count of Saint-André. Though the French were initially successful in this War of the First Coalition action, their main assaults against the strong defensive positions on the Massif de l'Authion and the Col de Raus failed with serious losses. Saorge is now located in France about 70 kilometres (43 mi) northeast of Nice, but in 1793 Saorgio belonged to Piedmont. In April 1794 the French seized the positions from the Austro-Sardinians in the Second Battle of Saorgio.