Napoleon's campaign in Egypt

By the end of 1797, the French Republic dominated Western Europe after defeating almost all its enemies, with only Great Britain still at war.

The French expedition to Egypt and Syria (1798-1801), led by Napoleon Bonaparte, aimed to establish a French colony in Egypt and threaten British possessions in India.

The initial idea had been to attack England directly, but the superiority of its navy made Napoleon quickly desist and offered an alternative to weaken The British by conquering Egypt, which was under Ottoman control. The Directory desperately needed to recoup the loss of its colonies in the West Indies, and Egypt's rumored wealth would make it a good addition to the French colonial empire, so Napoleon was allowed the expedition. Despite initial French victories, the campaign failed, and Egypt remained under Ottoman control.

However, this expedition led to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone and the birth of modern Egyptology.