Napoleons Egyptian Campaign

Napoleons Egyptian Campaign In 1798 the French Revolutionary War in Europe reached a temporary pause, with the forces of revolutionary France and their enemies at peace. Only Britain remained at war. The French were still looking to secure their position, wished to knock out Britain out. However, despite Napoleon Bonaparte, the hero of Italy, being assigned a command to prepare for an invasion of Britain, it was clear to all that such an adventure would never succeed: Britain’s Royal Navy was too strong to allow for a workable beachhead. Napoleon’s Dream Napoleon had long harbored dreams of fighting in the Middle East and Asia, and he formulated a plan to strike back by attacking Egypt. A conquest here would secure the French hold on the Eastern Mediterranean, and to Napoleon’s mind open up a route to attack Britain in India. The Directory, the five-man body which ruled France, where equally keen to see Napoleon try his luck in Egypt because it would keep him away from usurping them, and give his troops something to do outside France. There was also the small chance he’d repeat the miracles of Italy. Consequently, Napoleon, a fleet and an army sailed from Toulon in May; he had over 250 transports and 13 ‘ships of the line’. After capturing Malta while on the way, 40,000 French landed in Egypt on July 1st. They captured Alexandria and marched on Cairo. Egypt was notionally part of the Ottoman Empire, but it was under the practical control of the Mameluke military. Napoleon’s force had more than just troops. He had brought with him an army of civilian scientists who were to create the Institute of Egypt in Cairo, to both learn from the east, and begin to ‘civilize’ it. For some historians, the science of Egyptology began seriously with the invasion. Napoleon claimed he was there to defend Islam and Egyptian interests, but he wasn’t believed and rebellions began.​ Battles in the East Egypt might not be controlled by the British, but the Mameluke rulers were no happier to see Napoleon. An Egyptian army marched to meet the French, clashing at the Battle of the Pyramids on July 21st. A struggle of military eras, it was a clear victory for Napoleon, and Cairo was occupied. A new government was installed by Napoleon, ending ‘feudalism’, serfdom, and importing French structures. However, Napoleon could not command at sea, and on August 1st the Battle of the Nile was fought. British naval commander Nelson had been sent to stop Napoleon landing and had missed him while resupplying, but finally found the French fleet and took the chance to attack while it was docked in Aboukir Bay to take on supplies, gaining further surprise by attacking in the evening, on into night, and early in the morning: only two ships of the line escaped (they were later sunk), and Napoleon’s supply line had ceased to exist. At the Nile Nelson destroyed eleven ships of the line, which amounted to a sixth of those in the French navy, including some very new and large craft. It would take years to replace them and this was the pivotal battle of the campaign. Napoleon’s position suddenly weakened, the rebels he had encouraged turned against him. Acerra and Meyer have argued this was the defining battle of the Napoleonic Wars, which hadn’t yet begun. Napoleon couldn’t even take his army back to France and, with enemy forces forming up, Napoleon marched into Syria with a small army. The aim was to prise the Ottoman Empire apart from their alliance with Britain. After taking Jaffa – where three thousand prisoners were executed - he besieged Acre, but this held out, despite the defeat of a relief army sent by the Ottomans. Plague ravaged the French and Napoleon was forced back to Egypt. He nearly suffered a setback when Ottoman forces using British and Russian ships landed 20,000 people at Aboukir, but he moved quickly to attack before the cavalry, artillery, and elites had been landed and routed them. Napoleon Leaves Napoleon now took a decision which has damned him in the eyes of many critics: realising the political situation in France was ripe for change, both for him and against him, and believing only he could save the situation, save his position, and take command of the whole country, Napoleon left – some might prefer abandoned – his army and returned to France in a ship which had to evade the British. He was soon to seize power in a coup d’etat. Post-Napoleon: French Defeat General Kleber was left to manage the French army, and he signed the Convention of El Arish with the Ottomans. This should have allowed him to pull the French army back to France, but the British refused, so Kleber attacked and retook Cairo. He was assassinated a few weeks later. The British now decided to send troops, and a force under Abercromby landed at Aboukir. The British and French fought soon after at Alexandria, and while Abercromby was killed the French were beaten, forced away from Cairo, and into surrender. Another invading British force was being organized in India to attack through the Red Sea. The British now allowed the French force to return to France and prisoners held by Britain were returned after a deal in 1802. Napoleon’s oriental dreams were over.

Red Barons Kills

Red Barons Kills Flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, more commonly known as the  Red Baron,  was not only one of the best pilots of World War I:  he has become an icon of the war itself. Credited with shooting down 80 enemy aircraft, the Red Baron owned the skies. His bright red airplane (a very unusual and ostentatious color for a fighting plane) brought both respect and fear. To the Germans, Richthofen was known as the Red Battle Flier and his exploits brought the German people courage as well as increased morale during the bloody years of the war. Although the Red Baron survived for much longer than most fighter pilots during World War I, he eventually met their same fate. On April 21, 1918, the day after his 80th kill, the Red Baron once again got into his red airplane and went searching for the enemy. Unfortunately, this time, it was the Red Baron who was shot down. Below is a list of the Red Barons kills. Some of these aircraft  held one and others held two people. Not all of the crew members were killed when their airplanes crashed. No. Date Type of Aircraft Location 1 Sept. 17, 1916 FE 2b near Cambrai 2 Sept. 23, 1916 Martinsyde G 100 Somme River 3 Sept. 30, 1916 FE 2b Fremicourt 4 Oct. 7, 1916 BE 12 Equancourt 5 Oct. 10, 1916 BE 12 Ypres 6 Oct. 16, 1916 BE 12 near Ypres 7 Nov. 3, 1916 FE 2b Loupart Wood 8 Nov. 9, 1916 Be 2c Beugny 9 Nov. 20, 1916 BE 12 Geudecourt 10 Nov. 20, 1916 FE 2b Geudecourt 11 Nov. 23, 1916 DH 2 Bapaume 12 Dec. 11, 1916 DH 2 Mercatel 13 Dec. 20, 1916 DH 2 Moncy-le-Preux 14 Dec. 20, 1916 FE 2b Moreuil 15 Dec. 27, 1916 FE 2b Ficheux 16 Jan. 4, 1917 Sopwith Pup Metz-en-Coutre 17 Jan. 23, 1917 FE 8 Lens 18 Jan. 24, 1917 FE 2b Vitry 19 Feb. 1, 1917 BE 2e Thelus 20 Feb. 14, 1917 BE 2d Loos 21 Feb. 14, 1917 BE 2d Mazingarbe 22 Mar. 4, 1917 Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter Acheville 23 Mar. 4, 1917 BE 2d Loos 24 Mar. 3, 1917 BE 2c Souchez 25 Mar. 9, 1917 DH 2 Bailleul 26 Mar. 11, 1917 BE 2d Vimy 27 Mar. 17, 1917 FE 2b Oppy 28 Mar. 17, 1917 BE 2c Vimy 29 Mar. 21, 1917 BE 2c La Neuville 30 Mar. 24, 1917 Spad VII Givenchy 31 Mar. 25, 1917 Nieuport 17 Tilloy 32 April 2, 1917 BE 2d Farbus 33 April 2, 1917 Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter Givenchy 34 April 3, 1917 FE 2d Lens 35 April 5, 1917 Bristol Fighter F 2a Lembras 36 April 5, 1917 Bristol Fighter F 2a Quincy 37 April 7, 1917 Nieuport 17 Mercatel 38 April 8, 1917 Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter Farbus 39 April 8, 1917 BE 2e Vimy 40 April 11, 1917 BE 2c Willerval 41 April 13, 1917 RE 8 Vitry 42 April 13, 1917 FE 2b Monchy 43 April 13, 1917 FE 2b Henin 44 April 14, 1917 Nieuport 17 Bois Bernard 45 April 16, 1917 BE 2c Bailleul 46 April 22, 1917 FE 2b Lagnicourt 47 April 23, 1917 BE 2e Mericourt 48 April 28, 1917 BE 2e Pelves 49 April 29, 1917 Spad VII Lecluse 50 April 29, 1917 FE 2b Inchy 51 April 29, 1917 BE 2d Roeux 52 April 29, 1917 Nieuport 17 Billy-Montigny 53 June 18, 1917 RE 8 Strugwe 54 June 23, 1917 Spad VII Ypres 55 June 26, 1917 RE 8 Keilbergmelen 56 June 25, 1917 RE 8 Le Bizet 57 July 2, 1917 RE 8 Deulemont 58 Aug. 16, 1917 Nieuport 17 Houthulster Wald 59 Aug. 26, 1917 Spad VII Poelcapelle 60 Sept. 2, 1917 RE 8 Zonebeke 61 Sept. 3, 1917 Sopwith Pup Bousbecque 62 Nov. 23, 1917 DH 5 Bourlon Wood 63 Nov. 30, 1917 SE 5a Moevres 64 Mar. 12, 1918 Bristol Fighter F 2b Nauroy 65 Mar. 13, 1918 Sopwith Camel Gonnelieu 66 Mar. 18, 1918 Sopwith Camel Andigny 67 Mar. 24, 1918 SE 5a Combles 68 Mar. 25, 1918 Sopwith Camel Contalmaison 69 Mar. 26, 1918 Sopwith Camel Contalmaison 70 Mar. 26, 1918 RE 8 Albert 71 Mar. 27, 1918 Sopwith Camel Aveluy 72 Mar. 27, 1918 Bristol Fighter F 2b Foucacourt 73 Mar. 27, 1918 Bristol Fighter F 2b Chuignolles 74 Mar. 28, 1918 Armstrong Whitworth FK 8 Mericourt 75 April 2, 1918 FE 8 Moreuil 76 April 6, 1918 Sopwith Camel Villers-Bretonneux 77 April 7, 1918 SE 5a Hangard 78 April 7, 1918 Spad VII Villers-Bretonneux 79 April 20, 1918 Sopwith Camel Bois-de-Hamel 80 April 20, 1918 Sopwith Camel Villers-Bretonneux