Napoleon in Egypt

This lecture will discuss the preparations for the expedition, including the soldiers, sailors, and the scholars who also were invited on this trip. A major concern on the journey was to avoid the British navy, which was looking to destroy this fleet. On the way to Egypt, Napoleon conquered the small Island of Malta, which added to the wealth they carried.

In this lecture, the Mameluke overlords of Egypt will clash with the French army under Napoleon. The Battle of the Pyramids will be described, and how the French settled into Cairo.

Amidst the clash of two civilizations, there is a love story that developed between Captain Joseph Moiret and an Egyptian woman named Zulima. This lecture will describe how this relationship was able to begin through a captured French woman who had been enslaved 20 years earlier.

This lecture will describe the reasons for the French fleet remaining in the Bay of Aboukir, vulnerable to attack from the British Navy. Admiral Brueys prepared his fleet for a potential attack, but there were weaknesses in his defensive strategy.

British Admiral Horatio Nelson finally found the French fleet in the Bay of Aboukir, and commenced the famous Battle of the Nile. This epoch battle is described, including how the British ships took advantage of weaknesses in the French defensive line.

This lecture discusses the many results from the defeat of the French at the Battle of the Nile, including for Egypt, England, and the French there in Egypt. The lecture will especially focus upon Napoleon's responses to the crisis, which stranded the French there in Egypt.

In this lecture, we will discuss how the British were regularly intercepting French correspondence sent from Egypt to France. The British quickly published these many letters and reports in England, complete with sarcastic footnotes. All of this had a demoralizing effect upon the French in Egypt.

This lecture will describe the interesting work of the French scholars who accompanied the expedition. They did important work, and were able to secure the important artifact now called the Rosetta Stone. The lecture will especially highlight the work of Vivant Denon.

In this lecture, Napoleon marches through the desert to attack Turkish forces in Palestine and Syria. The campaign ended badly though, with defeats and plague, and their march back to Cairo was devastating. This failed campaign precipitated the final collapse, talked about in the next lecture.

In this lecture, Napoleon decides that it is advantageous for him to return to France, and he secretly did so, leaving the French troops in a dismal situation in Egypt. The remaining French were able to defeat British forces at Aboukir, but lost a great battle near Alexandria. The French surrendered, and they were able to secure generous terms that allowed the French troops to return to France.

In this last lecture, I will provide information concerning the future of many persons talked about in this course, as well as provide interpretations concerning the lasting legacy of the Expedition. Current archaeological discoveries concerning the Battle of the Nile will also be discussed.

This is an optional 10-question quiz that I will talk through, asking questions and allowing you time to answer on your own.