Until he had engaged this force in the south, Bonaparte would be able, should the need arise, to take it to Moreau’s assistance. Nevertheless, Bonaparte was busy with the creation of an army of reserve which was to be concentrated around Dijon and was destined to act under his command in Italy. It proved impossible to increase Victor Moreau’s Army of the Rhine to more than 120,000-too small a margin of superiority to guarantee the success required. Dagli Orti-Musée de L'Armée Paris/The Art Archiveīonaparte’s plan was to treat Italy as a secondary theatre and to seek a decisive victory in Germany.

Napoleon and his generals, detail of The Trophy of the 4th Dragoons, oil on canvas by Édouard Detaille, 1898 in the Musée de l'Armée, Paris.