French military successes in 1796 revealed that Napoleon was gaining control, fame and experience.
In 1796, Bonaparte took command of the French Army in Italy, which successfully led to the invasion of that country. He managed to take the Austrian forces out of Lombardy with his victory in the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole and defeated the army of the Papal States.
Following the protest of Pope Pius VI for the execution of King Louis XVI, France responded by annexing two small papal territories. However, Bonaparte ignored the orders of the Directory to march against Rome and dethrone the Pope.
In 1797, Bonaparte, commanding the army, defeated four Austrian generals whose troops were superior in number and forced Austria to sign a peace agreement. The resulting Treaty of Campoformio gave France control over most of northern Italy, as well as that of the Netherlands and the Rhine area. A secret clause promised to grant Venice to Austria. Bonaparte marched against Venice, occupying it and ending with more than 1,000 years of independence. That year, he organized the occupied territories in Italy in what became known as the Cisalpine Republic.
Bonaparte managed to absorb the essential military knowledge of his time and apply it successfully. As a planner on the battlefield, he was well known for his creativity in artillery mobilization tactics. However, its success was not only due to its innovative character, but also to its deep knowledge and intelligent application of conventional military tactics.
During his campaign in Italy, he became an influential figure in French politics.
