The Egyptian Campaign, 1798-99

Question 1

1. What was the position of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797?

Answer 1

• A hero in France
• Came to the rescue of the Directory in September 1797 when he sent General Augereau to purge the royalist from the council of five hundred in the coup of Fructidor

Question 2

Why did Napoleon shelve plans to invade England?

Answer 2

Hoches attempt to invade Ireland to destabilise England in December 1796 had been abandoned
Strength of the British navy made any seaborne invasion difficulty
Fleets of Spain and Batvian republic had been defeated in naval battles at Cape Saint Vincent (February) and camperdown (October)

Question 3

Why did Napoleon want to invade Egypt?

Answer 3

• Would protect French trade interest in India and the East
• to attach British commerce in the eastern Mediterranean and possession in India
• would undermine British access to India and the East Indies
• Would distract the British navy and make invasion if England possible
• Would establish a French presence in the middle east
• Be won easily
• Spread the enlightenment to the Egyptians

Question 4

Why did the Directory agree to his plan in March 1798?

Answer 4

Did not want to turn down an opportunity to get rid of popular and overambitious napoleon for a bit

Question 5

Why was the Egyptian campaign a success?

Answer 5

• Set off from Paris in May 1798 with the army of thee orient with 35,000 troops
• Took Malta
• Napoleon ventured into syria with a force of 13,00
• Took Jaffa in March 1799 where he shot 2000 prisoners

Question 6

Why was the Egyptian campaign a failure? (consider the link to the Second Coalition).

Answer 6

• Defeated by admiral nelson’s British naval squadron, destroying the french fleet at the anchor in Aboukir Bay in August, cutting Napoleon off from France
• Napoleon could not fulfil his original intention of moving into India
• Napoleon had to abandon a siege of Acre (in Palestine) as he underestimated the resilience of the defenders and the ability of the British
• Napoleon’s expulsion of the Knights of St john from Malta on his way to Egypt in 1798 angered Tsar Paul of Russia
  Austria Britain, Russia Ottoman empire Portugal, German and Italian states came together to form a new coalition against France in 1789-99
• They mounted several invasions including campaigns in Italy Switzerland and an Anglo Russian invasion of the Batvian Republic