The Italian Lightning

The Italian campaign of 1796-97 revealed Napoleon's military genius in full flower. He divided the enemy, struck at their connections, and defeated superior forces in detail. At Lodi, he personally sighted cannons on a crucial bridge, earning the nickname "Le Petit Caporal" from his soldiers. Battles at Arcole and Rivoli became the stuff of legend, carefully cultivated through Napoleon's own dispatches and the newspapers he founded.

But Napoleon proved more than a military commander. He negotiated with defeated powers, reorganized conquered territories, and systematically looted Italy's artistic treasures for France. He created sister republics, ostensibly spreading revolutionary ideals while ensuring French dominance. Most importantly, he acted increasingly independently of the Directory, creating his own foreign policy and building a personal power base.

The Treaty of Campo Formio, which he negotiated with Austria in October 1797, marked his transformation from general to statesman. He had conquered most of northern Italy, knocked Austria out of the war, and established himself as France's most successful and popular general—all before his twenty-eighth birthday.