Done by: Narzullayeva Sarvinoz Republic of Venice

The fall of the Republic

By 1796, the Republic of Venice could no longer defend itself since its war fleet numbered only 4 galleys and 7 galliots.^[12] In spring 1796, Piedmont fell and the Austrians were beaten from Montenotte to Lodi. The army under Napoleon Bonaparte crossed the frontiers of neutral Venice in pursuit of the enemy. By the end of the year the French troops were occupying the Venetian state up to the Adige. Vicenza, Cadore and Friuli were held by the Austrians. With the campaigns of the next year, Napoleon aimed for the Austrian possessions across the Alps. In the preliminaries to the Peace of Leoben, the terms of which remained secret, the Austrians were to take the Venetian possessions as the price of peace (April 18, 1797). They had long coveted access to the sea.