Battle of Custoza (1866) - Aftermath

Aftermath

The Austrians were victorious, both strategically and tactically. The Italians were driven back across the Mincio out of Venetia. It was, however, not a decisive defeat. To inflict a decisive defeat on the Italians, Albrecht's forces needed to drive southwest to seize the bridges across the Mincio (which the Italians had neglected to fortify). Such a pursuit would have trapped the disbanded remnants of the two Italian corps on the east bank of the river and would have enabled Albert to invade the Kingdom of Italy itself.

Instead, Albert did not order a pursuit because he thought the Austrians were too exhausted and the Austrian cavalry had been mauled by frivolus attacks in the morning, squandering the possibility to the destroy the demoralized Army of the Mincio. On June 26, 1866, Albert shifted his headquarters back to Verona, because he was concerned about a possible French reply to an Austrian invasion of Lombardy. He should not have been: even the Emperor advised Albrecht to ignore all political considerations.

After their loss at Königgratz (July 3), the Austrians were forced to transfer one corps from South Army to Austria to cover Vienna, weakening their foces in the Veneto. The Italians, however, resumed their offensive only in mid-July. Cialdini crossed the Po and occupied Rovigo (July 11), Padua (July 12), Treviso (July 14), San Donà di Piave (July 18), Valdobbiadene and Oderzo (July 20), Vicenza (July 21) and finally Udine, in Friuli (July 22). In the meantime Garibaldi's volunteers had pushed forward from Brescia towards Trento (see Invasion of Trentino) fighting victoriously at the battle of Bezzecca of July 21.

Despite the victory at Custoza and a naval defeat of the Italians at Lissa, due to Königgrätz the Austrians were forced to surrender to the Prussians and were forced to cede Venetia.