Italian Authors of the 19th Century on the Austro-Russian Campaign in Italy in 1799

Abstract

The international historiography of the Italian Campaign of 1799 includes a large number of studies published around the world. The 19th century played a special role in its development, as it was during this time that the greatest number of archival materials were introduced into scientific circulation, and national historiographical schools actively exchanged research experiences. The first historical works in Italian on this topic appeared as early as 1799, and they were primarily factual in nature. Gradually, the focus shifted to the socio-economic, political, and cultural development of the region, and the military campaign itself was viewed in a broader geographical and chronological context as part of the long-standing rivalry between great powers for control of the region, as well as the struggle of the fragmented Italian regions for unity and autonomy. Another feature of Italian historiography was its regionalization: although the authors recognized the broad geographical scope of the events, they rarely sought to view them in a pan-Italian context, often focusing separately on the situation in Piedmont, Lombardy, Tuscany, or Naples. Unlike Russian historiography, Italian authors were much less likely to focus on Alexander Suvorov’s personality, although they acknowledged his widespread fame in 1799. While he continued to attract attention in the early years after the campaign, he was later placed alongside other commanders involved in the events. Nevertheless, his image remained positive in the vast majority of texts, although criticism was expressed towards the end of the century.