Egyptian Campaign

• Egypt was part of the ottoman empire but was inefficiently ruled by the Mamelukes so likely to not be able to resist french forces
• control over eastern Mediterranean would be a blow against British trade routes as Britain was Frances main enemy but their strong navy prevented invasion
• Egypt could be used as a base for the invasion of India also there was a considerable interest in scientific and cultural aspects of Egypt
• Bonaparte wanted to establish France's position as a major world power
• As Bonaparte's fleet crossed Mediterranean it was pursued by british forces but in may 1798 napoleons forces managed to sail past admiral nelsons navy and land in Egypt
• French troops captured Cairo which had been defended by mamluke cavalry who fled when faced with artillery fire
• napoleons forces immediately won decisive battles against the mamelukes including the battle of the pyramids 21 July 1798
• during the battle of the nile the french forces who were anchored at Aboukir bay were attacked and decimated by the british navy
• The French were stranded as there ships had been destroyed and all communications to France were cut off
• the french forces suffered from the bubonic plague at jaffa
• the heroic nature of the campaign was tarnished by the execution of 4500 Egyptian prisoners
• in February 1799 the french army of Egypt moved north into Palestine and Syria but encountered a tough siege at British controlled acre. by May a decimated french army limped back to Egypt
• in Europe war was breaking out and the cisalpine republic had crumbled and Russia was making conquests west
• France was in chaos so Napoleon decided to abandon his position in the Egypt to pursue his career in France in hopes of overthrowing the directory
• The Egyptian campaign was seen as a series of heroic events despite their losses and setbacks and napoleon was seen as a hero
• why was the Egyptian campaign seen as successful?

  • French victories in the battle of the pyramids
  • napoleon visiting plague victims in jaffa
  • the establishment of french power in the mystic east
• during the campaign french archaeologists made a great deal of discoveries in Egyptology.
• As a result of the campaign the frenchman, Bouchard discovered the famous Rosetta Stone which held the key to modern decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics