The summer of 1796 was a really busy time for military activity in Europe.
Napoleon Bonaparte was in a hurry to consolidate his army with those of Italy in order to head off the Austrian expansionist intentions into northern Italy. At this point he had a lot of support from other European dynasties in opposition to Habsburg rapaciousness.
Between 1792 and '97 various Wars of The First Coalition pit the French, the Dutch, the Papal States, Tuscany, Parma and Modena to make involuntary alliances against the Holy Roman Empire. Napoleon was a great military tactician, but his diplomatic strategy left something to be desired. With better relations, he could have minimized or delayed the Austro-Hungarian pall that settled over much of central and Eastern Europe.
On the 4th of August, he outmaneuvered the Austrians in the area around Lake Garda, and won the Battle of Castiglione. He pushed them back, as he would in subsequent victories at Bassano, Arcole, and Rivoli.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Castiglione
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lonato
Napoleon spent that autumn and winter driving the Austrians out of northern Italy, but it would take a lot longer, until 1809 at the Battle of Wagram, that he could gain the upper hand in Vienna itself. And that didn't last long, unfortunately.