t to gain
better terms than those of the treaty of Campo Formio, and held that the
best chance of forwarding Austrian interests lay in prosecuting the war
in alliance with England. Austria, however, could not move without
English money. The English government promised a loan of L2,000,000 and
made subsidiary treaties with the Elector of Bavaria, the Duke of
Wurtemberg, and the Elector of Mainz for contingents to serve with the
Austrian armies. In April the Austrians under Melas defeated the French
in the mountain passes to the west of Genoa, shut up the left wing of
their army within the lines of Genoa, and forced the right wing under
Suchet across the Var. Their advance was stayed by Massena's defence of
Genoa. His troops suffered terribly from famine; they were shut in on
land by the Austrians and bombarded from the sea by British ships.
Meanwhile Bonaparte was preparing to attack the Austrians in northern
Italy as soon as their chief army in the Black Forest country under Kray
was effectually held in check by the French army of the Rhine, so as to
enable the French to use the Swiss passes. If Massena could detain the
Austrians before Genoa until Bonaparte descended into Italy, they might
then be taken in the rear. A promise had been made that a British force
would co-operate with the Austrians and excite the royalists of southern
France to insurrection. If such a force had landed on the rear of the
French, Suchet's corps must have been destroyed, Genoa would probably
have fallen, and the campaign might have had a different event. But the
ministers failed to see the supreme importance of supporting the
Austrians. They hesitated, and withdrew troops which should have been
sent to Minorca to form an army to co-operate with Melas, in order to
employ them in Portugal. There, however, they were not wanted, for
Portugal was not attacked. The great opportunity was lost. Sir Ralph
Abercromby with 5,000 men sailed from Minorca for Genoa on June 22, but
then it was too late.

[Sidenote: _BATTLE OF MARENGO._]

In April Moreau defeated Kray in a series of engagements and forced him
to retire to Ulm. Bonaparte, who had formed "an army of reserve" at
Dijon, crossed the Great St. Bernard in May with 41,000 men, reached
Aosta on the 22nd, and entered Milan on June 2. On the 4th Massena
capitulated, and led his half-starved force out of Genoa with the
honours of war. It had done its work by keeping the Austrians before the
city. The