Battle of Abukir (1799)

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For other battles with similar names, see Battle of Abukir (disambiguation).
Battle of Abukir (1799)
Part of the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria during the War of the Second
Coalition
Antoine-Jean Gros - Bataille d'Aboukir, 25 juillet 1799 - Google Art Project.jpg
The Battle of Abukir, by Antoine-Jean Gros. This painting depicts Joachim Murat's
face-off with Mustafa Pasha, who is seen on the right with the injury to his
fingers caused by a blow from Murat's saber.
Date 25 July 1799
Location
Abu Qir, Egypt
31°19′N 30°04′E
Result French victory

Belligerents
France France Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Napoleon Bonaparte
Joachim Murat (WIA)
Géraud Duroc (WIA)
Jean Lannes (WIA)
François Lanusse
Jacques-François Menou Mustafa Pasha (POW)
Strength
7,700 men[1]
Cavalry: 1,000[1]
17 guns[2] 18,000[3] or 20,000 men[2]
30 guns[2]
Casualties and losses
220 killed in action
600 wounded[3] 2,000 killed in action
11,000 drowned
5,000 captured
2,000 missing and unaccounted for[2]
Battle of Abukir (1799) is located in MediterraneanBattle of Abukir (1799)
Location within Mediterranean
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Egypt–Syria campaign
of the French Revolutionary Wars
The Battle of Abukir (or Aboukir or Abu Qir)[2] was a battle in which Napoleon
Bonaparte defeated Seid Mustafa Pasha's Ottoman army on 25 July 1799, during the
French campaign in Egypt.[4] It is considered the first pitched battle with this
name, as there already had been a naval battle on 1 August 1798, the Battle of the
Nile. (A second pitched battle followed on 8 March 1801.) No sooner had the French
forces returned from a campaign to Syria, than the Ottoman forces were transported
to Egypt by Sidney Smith's British fleet to put an end to French rule in Egypt.[4]
[5]

Seid Mustafa Pasha was an experienced commander who had fought against the
Russians. He knew that cavalry charges against the French squares were futile. So,
he sought to avoid them by fortifying his beachhead with two defensive lines. From
this beachhead Mustafa could carry out the invasion of Egypt. However, Napoleon
immediately saw the flaw in the tactic as it meant that the Turks had nowhere to
run if routed.[6]

The French attacked the Ottoman positions and quickly broke through the first
defensive line before it was fully completed. The second line, however, proved
tougher to defeat and the French withdrew for a while. At this point, cavalry
general Murat saw his opportunity and attacked with his cavalry, quickly routing
the exposed Turks.[6]

Murat's charge was so rapid that he burst inside Mustafa's tent and captured the
Turkish commander, severing two of the Turk's fingers with his sabre. In return,
Mustafa shot Murat in the jaw. Immediately, Murat was operated on and resumed his
duties the next day.

The Turkish army fled in panic. Some Ottomans drowned trying to swim to the British
ships two miles away from shore, while others fled to Abukir castle, but they
surrendered shortly thereafter. The Turkish army was annihilated, French losses
were under 1,000.[7] News of the victory reached France before Napoleon arrived in
October and this made him even more popular, an important asset considering the
troubles brewing in the French Directory. This battle temporarily secured France's
control over Egypt.[8]

Contents
1 Background
2 Battle
3 Aftermath
4 See also
5 References
5.1 Citations
5.2 Sources
6 External links