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Battle of Marengo

Battle of Marengo

1 9.1
A decisive fight in 1800 near Alessandria, Italy where Napoleon's French army beats the Austrians
  • proper noun
: Batalla de Marengo
  • Historically, the Battle of Marengo is recognized as a crucial moment in Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power.

Examples

  • Soon after their return to France, General Dassai was killed at the Battle of Marengo, robbing Davu of a close friend and patron.

  • Soon after their return to France, General Dassai was killed at the Battle of Marengo, robbing Davou of a close friend and patron.

  • The Battle of Marengo took place in 1800 and marked a significant victory for Napoleon's army.

  • One of the key strategies employed during the Battle of Marengo was the element of surprise against the Austrian forces.

Synonyms

Marengo
vsBattle of Marengo
1 9.8

A place where Napoleon defeated the Austrians in 1800

is the named decisive 1800 battle fought near Alessandria that defeated the Austrians

Surface Forms

Morphology

battle + of + Marengo

The phrase 'Battle of Marengo' is compositionally transparent: combining 'battle' (a military fight) with 'of' + 'Marengo' yields 'a battle that took place at Marengo.' A B1 learner who knows the words and recognizes Marengo as a place can infer it denotes a military engagement at that location, even if they do not know the specific historical details or significance. This place-name construction (Battle of X) is cross-linguistically common and therefore easily interpretable.

Etymology

Battle of Marengo was fought near the village of Marengo in northern Italy in 1800, when Napoleon's army beat the Austrians. Because this quick and important victory gave France control of the area, the name Battle of Marengo is remembered as a 'turning point' in Napoleon's campaign.