When king Selim first conquered Egypt in the year 1517, he left the mamluks ruling provinces meanwhile under the authority of pasha, who the ottoman king nominated in turkey; his strategy was aimed to divide the power in Egypt between several opponents or rivals to keep Egypt away from progress and developments and meanwhile to keep Egypt away from independence.
And after 300 years, Egypt was deficient in political, military, economic, and even population.
So it was a fruitful chance to replace the state of inertia in Egypt since it was combined with the conflict between the French and British. So was the so-called french expedition to Egypt.
During Egypt’s long history, many campaigns conquered Egypt to get economic, political, and military benefits.
The shortest campaign to Egypt was the french expedition to Egypt under the leadership of napoleon Bonaparte in 1798, which lasted in Egypt for around three years.
The short period of this campaign in Egypt and the failure of it through the conflicts and stikes with Egyptian inhabitants, in addition to the battles of mamuleks which was gained by the french army, the battles with ottomans and British army in abu-Qir battles indeed.
All these points are the factors that failed in the french expedition to Egypt, but even this failure is not simple; because however, the failure of this expedition to Egypt the consequences of this expedition was unbelievable and inevitable since this expedition to Egypt played a critical role in revealing the value of Egypt’s role in culture, economy, and politics.
The leading cause of this expedition to Egypt “in my estimation,” was not to conquer just Egypt and construct a new colony in Africa to get its natural sources get the raw materials and harvests needed for France, but the core reason for this expedition was the conflict between the two central powers in Europe; France and England, but the British are mastering the fleet battles.
It was not easy to conquer England directly through the sea from France; the sea naturally guarded England against all it is sides like an isolated island, and the British military fleet was higher than the french one. Strategically it was more effective to defeat England through Egypt better than through England itself.
Why Egypt? The French scholars and consuls who worked in Egypt through their reports mentioned several times the value of Egypt as the main road which bound the handle between Europe and Indian colonies, in addition to the suitable change to get Egypt under France’s control through it is the weak position of mamluks and the sophisticated techniques of weapons which are more efficient in fighting than the old classic military tactics and techniques of mamluks.
All these points were grown up parallel with the appearance of the unique young general napoleon Bonaparte.
No one had risen to power faster than napoleon Bonaparte since his early ages he was a very intellectual and abnormal man with limitless ambition to obtain power and to attain his goal; he chose the military path exactly with infinitary troops, and however his short body he approved his ability to be a professional talent soldier and then a great general with new military strategies till nowadays a matter of study in whole military academies of the world.
After the french revolution in 1799, there was another revolution. Still, inside the government which ruled France at this time, which was called “dercteurs,” it is normal after each revolution to appear conflicts between those who are in the top government; each one won’t seek to get the best benefits possible; meanwhile, the was a fire of ambition between all of them called napoleon; an influential person with an extraordinary brain, military and strategic experience in addition to that more powered position through marriage to an old widow lady called madame Josephine.
So all the members of the “derecteure” tried hard to change his strategy direction through a campaign to Egypt, to add his achievements a great honor by adding to France’s new colony in Africa through their war with England.
The idea enlightened his brain napoleon, and for the first moment, he was very keen, feeling as if he would be like alexander the great and he would enter the history of the world through this chance.
However, his notice of trape of this expedition isolates him from the government to unknown destiny.
But he was stubborn, accepted the challenge, and decided, like every great strategic leader, that there was no retreat.