In late 1796 he took over command of the army that was fighting
Napoleon Bonaparte in the north of the
Italian Peninsula. After organising the
Tyrolean militia to face the threat of the
French advance in 1796, he was tasked with the third relief of the
Siege of Mantua. Alvinczy's army was largely composed of new recruits with few experienced officers. He defeated Bonaparte at
Bassano on 6 November and
Caldiero on 12 November. Ultimately, Bonaparte won a hard-fought victory over Alvinczi at the
Battle of the Bridge of Arcole on 15–17 November 1796. After at first withdrawing toward
Vicenza, the Austrians gamely reoccupied the field of battle on 22 November. But when he found that troops under his lieutenant
Paul Davidovich had begun their own retreat, he admitted defeat and fell back to Bassano. Despite deteriorating health, Alvinczy regrouped his forces for a final attempt to lift the
siege of Mantua. In January 1797, he launched a new offensive but suffered a catastrophic defeat at the
Battle of Rivoli on 14 January 1797. The defeat made the relief of the fortress impossible, and Mantua capitulated shortly thereafter. Consequently, Alvinczy was relieved of his command and replaced by
Archduke Charles. Following his dismissal, Alvinczy was appointed military governor of the
Kingdom of Hungary. This position was widely viewed as a form of dignified retirement for defeated senior commanders; his predecessor in the role,
Field Marshal Wurmser, had also been appointed governor following the surrender of Mantua, only to die months later from malaria contracted during the siege. Alvinczy, however, held the post for over a decade. In 1808, he was promoted to the rank of
Field marshal (
Feldmarschall) and was entrusted with the chairmanship of the commission created to reorganize the Austrian army. He died in
Buda two years after his promotion, on 25 September 1810. ==See also==