Napoleon's Quest to Conquer Egypt - Essay Example

Topic: Napoleon's Quest to Egypt Topic: One of the highlight of world's history is the invasion of French by Napoleon Bonaparte's lead to Egypt. After the death of Muhammad Bey, there was a decade-long struggle for governance among the Bey's. Eventually Ibrahim Bey and Murad Bey succeeded in declaring their authority and shared power in Egypt. Their dominance in the country lived an unsuccessful attempt by the Ottomans to bring back the empire's control (1786-91). The two continued in power until the French invasion in 1798 (U.S. Library of Congress, 2006). It was the lead of Napoleon that enables French to go to Egypt. One of the greatest military commanders and a risk taking gambler; a workaholic genius and an impatient short term planner; a vicious skeptic who forgave his closest betrayers; a misogynist who could captivate men; Napoleon Bonaparte was all of these and more, the twice-emperor of France whose military endeavors and sheer personality ruled Europe in person for a decade, and in thought for a century. Napoleon was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, on August 15th 1769 to Carlo Buonaparte, a lawyer and political opportunist, and his wife, Marie-Letizia Bonaparte. The Buonaparte's were a rich family from the Corsican nobility, although when compared to the great aristocracies of France Napoleon's kin were poor and pretentious. A combination of Carlo's social climbing, Letizia's adultery with the Comte de Marbeuf - Corsica's French military governor - and Napoleon's own ability enabled him to enter the military academy at Brienne in 1779. He moved to the Parisian cole Royale Militaire in 1784 and graduated a year later as a second lieutenant in the Artillery. Spurred on by his father's death early in February 1785, the future emperor had completed in one year a course that often took three. Despite being posted on the French mainland, Napoleon was able to spend much of the next eight years in Corsica thanks to his ferocious letter writing and rule bending, as well as the effects of the French revolution and sheer good luck. There he played an active part in political and military matters, initially supporting the Corsican rebel Pasquale Paoli, a former patron of Carlo Buonaparte. Military promotion also followed, but Napoleon became opposed to Paoli and when civil war erupted in 1793 the Buonapartes fled to France, where they adopted the French version of their name: Bonaparte. Historians have frequently used the Corsican affair as a microcosm of Napoleon's career. Napoleon became a hero in 1795, defending the government from angry counter-revolutionary forces; Napoleon was promoted to high military office, a position with access to the political spine of France. Bonaparte quickly grew into one of the country's most respected military authorities - largely by never keeping his opinions to himself - and he married Josephine de Beauharnais (Cronin, 2006). After the events in his place, he wants to explore the east and want to conquer Egypt. Many Historians had interpreted Napoleon's quest to Egypt that he wants to follow the footsteps of Alexander the Great. The French attempt to apply influence over Egypt was because of economics, a political need to deteriorate Britain and the personal needs of General Napoleon Bonaparte, who saw the shadow of unemployment - and a loss of influence - threatening as his armies in Italy were nearing the end of their successful struggles against Austria. Having seen the benefits of Britain's profitable colonies, France's Directory listened to Bonaparte's idea to invade Egypt, drive out the ruling Mamelukes and put up a modern style of government friendly towards French ways. Napoleon's swift victory may have been due to the way he adapted to the rigours of warfare in the Near East. He faced a highly developed cavalry with little of his own, but by organizing his infantry into hollow squares which faced four directions, he could repel a charge from any side. This combined with his artillery enabled Napoleon to resist the Mameluke attacks (Brahmrosensweig, 2006). On July 1, 1798, a French invasion force under the lead of Napoleon came ashore near Alexandria. The invasion force, which had sailed from Toulon on May 19, was escorted by a commission of scholars and scientists whose function was to investigate and put into detailed notes every aspect of life in ancient and contemporary Egypt. By this time there was a great rivalry between the French and the English on power and on conquest. The world was competing for trade for long years already that it had come to a point that the priced possession that can be taken to conquer is will be that of the eastern places. Among these places is Egypt. Egypt is known for its rich harvests of grains and other products that are important for trading. In the beginning of Egypt's Golden Age (about 1500 B.C.), perfumes and cosmetics were used only in ritual for gods or pharaohs; but in the Golden Age (which lasted until about 900 B.C.), they began to take a famous place in daily lives (and afterlives!) of Egypt's citizens. Egyptians took pride in the beautiful containers that held their perfumes and unguents, and the containers and garnitures de toilette (toilet sets) that held them were also things of great beauty. When glass first materialized in Egypt in the 18th dynasty (about 1558 BC), it was considered more precious than jewels (Jolique, 2005). All this things are very into trading. These were the pride of Egypt that attracted other big world traders. France wanted control of Egypt for two major reasons--its commercial and agricultural potential and its strategic importance to the Anglo-French rivalry. During the eighteenth century, the principal share of European trade with Egypt was handled by French merchants. The French also looked to Egypt as a source of grain and raw materials. In strategic terms, French control of Egypt could be used to intimidate British commercial interests in the region and to block Britain's overland route to India. Despite the difficulty of bringing his men and scientists to Egypt Napoleon was very much determined to explore what is Egypt. To get to Egypt, Napoleon needed three hundred ships to carry himself and his forty thousand soldiers (Tour to Egypt, 2006). When they came to the place they had no difficulty confronting the Mamluk army at Shubra Khit and Imbabah, and entered Cairo on July 25. Murad Bey fled to Upper Egypt while Ibrahim Bey and the Ottoman viceroy went to Syria. Mamluk rule in Egypt collapsed. Napoleon's position in Egypt was unstable. The French controlled only the Delta and Cairo; Upper Egypt was still under the lead of the Mamluks and the bedouins. In addition, Britain and the Ottoman government joined forces in an attempt to bring down Napoleon. On August 1, 1798, the British fleet under Lord Nelson annihilated the French ships as they lay at anchor at Abu Qir, thus isolating Napoleon's forces in Egypt. On September 11, Sultan Selim III declared war on France. On October 21, the people of Cairo battled against the French, whom they considered as occupying strangers, not as liberators. The rebellion had a religious as well as a national character and centered on Al Azhar mosque. Its leaders were the ulama, religiously trained scholars, whom Napoleon had tried to persuade to the French side. During this period, the populace began to regard the ulama not only as moral but also as political leaders (U.S. Library of Congress, 2006). To preclude an Ottoman invasion, Napoleon invaded Syria, but, unable to take Acre in Palestine, his forces retreated on May 20, 1799. On August 22, Napoleon, with a very small company, secretly left Egypt for France, leaving his troops behind and General Jean-Baptiste Klber as his successor. Klber found himself the unwilling commander in chief of a dispirited army with a bankrupt treasury. His main preoccupation was to secure the evacuation of his troops to France. When Britain rejected the evacuation plan, Klber was forced to fight. After Klber's assassination by a Syrian, his command was taken over by General Abdullah Jacques Menou, a French convert to Islam. The occupation was finally ended by an Anglo-Ottoman invasion force. The French forces in Cairo surrendered on June 18, 1801, and Menou himself surrendered at Alexandria on September 3. By the end of September, the last French forces had left the country. The occupation of French in Egypt has lasted for 3 short years. This spun of time is merely of little thing to world's history but the fall of the Mamluk armies was the important effect. Napoleon's conquest has leaded this army to decline with his good soldiers and good tactics to battlements. This part of history has revealed to us how the Middle East area was the source of European powers. This inaugurated the Anglo-French rivalry for influence in the region and brings the British into the Mediterranean. The French was able to note also the things found I Egypt. Among the most treasure they have gained is the knowledge about Egypt. The records of scholars about the plants, animals, and resources were the great things Napoleon had gathered in Egypt. The French invasion of Egypt also had an important effect on France because of the publication of Description de l'Egypte, which detailed the findings of the scholars and scientists who had accompanied Napoleon to Egypt. This publication became the foundation of modern research into the history, society, and economics of Egypt. Only 1,000 copies of the Description were printed, and complete sets are very rare today. Louisiana State University owns all the volumes of plates, examples of which are exhibited here for the first time. The copy of the Description on display includes many hand-colored prints, which were produced for only a few perceptive collectors as a special edition. The great rarity of these polychrome prints is underlined by the circumstance that not even the BibliothPque Nationale in Paris owns a copy of the hand-colored prints (Scenes from the Description de l'EgypteI, 2006). The eagerness with the exploration of the monuments of ancient Egypt had lead Napoleon's men to discover also the "Rosetta stone". This was the only way that the hieroglyphics of Egyptians are deciphered. Indeed al the knowledge about Egyptian antiquity and wonders was possible to learn. His scientists dig up for him the mummies of some of the mightiest Pharaohs, and so, as in our picture, the modern military hero found himself face to face with some of his earliest prototypes. It is clear why Napoleon has leaded himself to the ambitious quest to conquer Egypt. He was up to the power upon conquering the place and be prominent in the war of world trade at that time. He was able to know what Egypt is. It was of great honor in his name to be able to take note things about Egypt. Despite the short time they had hold on Egypt; French were able to gain a lot through Napoleon's lead. References: Brahmrosensweig (2006). Napoleon in Egypt ( A story). Cronin, V. (2006). Europian history: Napoleon. Jolique (2006). The Golden Age of Egypt. 25 April 2006 Tour to Egypt (2006). Egypt. . 24 April 2006. U.S. Library of Congress (2006). French Invasion and Occupation. Read More