On 30 May 1848, in the First Italian War of Independence, the Piedmontese army of King Charles Albert defeated an Austrian force under Field Marshal Radetzky at Goito, on the Mincio river near Mantua. Radetzky had marched around the Piedmontese flank to cut their communications, but General Eusebio Bava's corps stopped his columns in an afternoon of fighting. That evening the besieged Austrian fortress of Peschiera surrendered. The victory was not followed up, and in July Radetzky struck back at Custoza.
A war for Lombardy
On 23 March 1848 the Sardinian government of Charles Albert, ruler of Piedmont and Sardinia, decided on war with Austria, which held Lombardy and Venetia. Between 8 and 11 April the Piedmontese secured the crossings of the Mincio in brief fights at Goito, Monzambano and Valeggio. The historian Piero Pieri dates the first clash at the Goito bridge, fought by Bava's advance guard, to 9 April.1
In early May the Piedmontese crossed the river and attacked the forts of Verona without result, then fell back to wait for the fall of Peschiera, which they were besieging. Radetzky, reinforced to about 60,000 men, left Verona with some 40,000 on the night of 27 to 28 May and marched south toward Mantua, intending to come up the Mincio behind the Piedmontese and relieve Peschiera.2
Curtatone and Montanara
On 29 May the Austrians ran into the Tuscan division of General De Laugier, reinforced by two Neapolitan battalions, at Curtatone and Montanara outside Mantua. The Tuscans were beaten after a stubborn resistance. The town of Goito's history of the battle puts them at about 4,000 volunteers, many of them students, and says their stand delayed the Austrians long enough for the Piedmontese to concentrate at Goito.3
The battle
Bava had 22 battalions, 24 squadrons and four and a half batteries in position at Goito, according to the Enciclopedia Italiana. On 30 May Radetzky's leading column came in sight of the town about 3:30 in the afternoon and was met by Piedmontese artillery; the town of Goito's account has the guns open fire at 3 p.m.. An artillery duel followed, which the Piedmontese won.4
Around 5 p.m. a second Austrian brigade attacked the Piedmontese right, held by the Cuneo brigade. Bava reinforced it with the Guards brigade, led by the heir to the throne, the future King Victor Emmanuel II, and with the Aosta brigade, extended his line and struck the Austrian left flank. Other Austrian columns did not arrive in time, and about 7 p.m. the Austrians were beaten and ordered to retreat, after nearly four hours of fighting. The town of Goito gives losses of 43 Piedmontese killed and more than 250 wounded, against 68 Austrians killed, 330 wounded and 200 missing.5
Peschiera, and a victory not exploited
The same evening the Austrian garrison of Peschiera surrendered, and the Piedmontese occupied the fortress on 31 May. The Enciclopedia Italiana notes that the artillery played a large part in both successes and that 30 May became the feast day of the Italian artillery. Bava was promoted to general of the army on 7 June.6
After two days of hesitation Radetzky pulled his force back toward Mantua. Pieri records that complaints soon rose against the king, his war minister Franzini and Bava for failing to exploit the victory. On 25 July Radetzky counterattacked and defeated the Piedmontese at Custoza, and on 9 August the armistice of Salasco ended the campaign of 1848.7
