Chapter 4 Volume 1 Chapter 3
On the eve of his expedition to Egypt, he stayed in Paris for a period of time. Napoleon deeply felt that in this colorful metropolis, everything was a passing moment, and his honor had begun to fade away.Seizing the supreme power was his goal, but the time had not come, the Directory had not yet been corrupted, and he had not yet become the darling and idol of the army, although he had full confidence in the Italian Legion.He has to wait patiently.How can we make better use of this waiting time?The best way to do this is to start a new conquest, defeat France's main enemy, England, and establish new feats of glory to establish a higher prestige in France.
Napoleon set off to investigate the northern coast of France to see if it would be feasible to raid Britain from there.During the hasty journey of eight days, he consulted sailors, navigators, smugglers and fishermen with great patience.He asked questions, listened intently to the answers, and finally he concluded that to attack England from the Channel would be to risk the fate of beautiful France.He suggested to Foreign Minister Talleyrand to attack Britain from another part of the world, that is, Egypt.
Egypt has always been a place of his dreams.At this period of his life, he aspired to Alexander of Macedon more than Caesar, Charlemagne, or any other hero in history.Later, when he toured the deserts of Egypt, he half-jokingly, half-seriously expressed his regret to his fellow travelers that he was born too late, and in any case could not proclaim himself to be God there, as Alexander, who conquered Egypt, had done. or Son of God.He had often thought of Egypt when he was fighting in Italy, and he believed that Europe was too small for the really great work to be done in the East. In August 1797, he wrote to Paris and said: "In the near future we will feel that in order to really defeat Britain, we must occupy Egypt." Because occupying Egypt can not only disturb Britain's trade routes to India and the entire British Empire, but also It can also turn Egypt into a French colony, thereby compensating for the French colonies lost in the West Indies.It can also establish an effective base for further conquest of India, the main source of British wealth.
Although the Directory believed that it was unjust to attack Egypt, the territory of France's old ally, the Turkish Sultan, it agreed to Napoleon's plan for an expedition to Egypt.On the one hand, after defeating the continental power Austria, France urgently demanded a showdown with Britain, the reorganizer of the anti-French alliance; A young, ambitious young man turns against himself in Paris.The Directory had already seen that Napoleon would no longer obey him easily, as evidenced by the signing of the Peace of Campoformio.Especially when he was welcomed back on December 10, 1797, he did not accept the praise of his motherland with excitement and gratitude like a young soldier, but like an ancient Roman emperor after a victory in a war. Like going to a triumphal celebration organized by the servile parliament, the attitude is cold, gloomy and majestic, silent, and everything in front of you is taken for granted and commonplace.In short, his attitude is very disturbing.This expedition to Egypt was just in line with the wishes of the Directory. If the victory is returned, the Directory can thus consolidate its rule.If they were killed in battle, the Directory would be relieved, and they were willing to suffer the loss of a brilliant general.The expedition was decided, and on March 5, 1798, Napoleon was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.
The commander-in-chief immediately began busy preparations: patrolling the coast and the navy, organizing an expeditionary regiment, studying all the dynamics of the world political situation and all news of the activities of the British Nelson fleet.Napoleon selected soldiers for his expedition to Egypt almost one by one.He knew a lot of soldiers, and he had an astonishing memory. He knew which soldier was brave and strong, but who drank a lot;In order to enable his army to fight in the blazing sun and walk through the hot and endless barren desert, he must choose soldiers who can endure hardships and stand hard work.He also selected a group of senior officers, Berthier continued as his chief of staff, and Admiral Brues as commander of the fleet.In addition, there are a group of famous generals such as Kleber, Discher, Lana, Bessières, Murat, Junod, Davout, and Marmont.Josephine and her ex-husband's son Eugene Beauharnay also went as Napoleon's aide-de-camp.
Out of broad interests in science and literature and history, this expedition also took away many scientific research and engineering technicians.The famous mathematician Monge and chemist Berthollet selected for Napoleon 21 mathematicians, 3 astronomers, 17 civil engineers, 13 naturalists and mining engineers, 13 geographers, and 3 gunpowder engineers. 3 architects, 8 designers and draftsmen, 10 mechanics, 1 sculptor, 15 translators, 10 literati, 22 printers, with Latin, Greek and Arabic Typesetting typeface.In addition, it also has a wealth of books.The poetry collections of the ancient Greek poet Homer and the ancient Roman poet Virgil, Rousseau's "New Heloise", Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther", "Bible", "Vedas", Arion's "Alexander the Great" ", Renard's "The Political and Philosophical History of Europeans Opening up Commerce in East and West India", and the works of Voltaire and Montesquieu are all collected.
On May 9, Napoleon came to Toulon from Paris to supervise the final preparations for the shipment of 37,000 men from the Seventh Army.On the eve of boarding the ship, he delivered a very stimulating speech to the troops, promising that each soldier would get 6 acres of land when he returned home in triumph.
On May 19, the expedition fleet set sail from Toulon.The fleet consisted of 130 transport ships, escorted by 13 capital ships.In addition, there are 42 three-masted fast sailing ships, and a total of 300 large and small transport sailing ships.Among the capital ships, the "Orient" and "Amiral" each have 120 cannons.The army on the transport ship consists of 15 infantry regiments, 7 cavalry regiments and 28 companies (artillery companies, engineering companies, mine engineering companies, etc.), with a total of 24,300 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, 3,000 artillery, and 1,000 non-combatants. people.When the last soldier was on board, the sun rose, so brilliant that it was later happily called "Napoleon's sun" by the soldiers.The bright sun shines on the ships lined up in a semicircle, which is very majestic and majestic.Most of the officers and soldiers have followed Napoleon for a long time, and they believe that as long as he is there, victory is guaranteed.The hearts of the officers and soldiers are full of confidence and good hope for the future.
The destination of the expedition into Cairo was kept strictly secret, and only a handful of senior officials knew it was Egypt.Until the last minute, it was officially referred to as the left wing of the English Legion and declared that they were going to land in Ireland, bypassing Spain, through the Strait of Gibraltar.The news reached the ears of British naval commander Nelson, who believed it to be true.He defended Napoleon in the Straits of Gibraltar while the French navy left the harbor for the island of Malta.
The island of Malta is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the main traffic route from the Atlantic Ocean to the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, and it is also the best port in the Mediterranean Sea.At that time, there were 30,000 residents on the island, guarded by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. On June 10, the French fleet arrived at the island, and Napoleon immediately sent troops to land.The knights on the island surrendered after only token resistance.Napoleon declared the island the territory of the French Republic, abolished the Knights of St. John, confiscated their lands, and established a new government.
On June 19, the French fleet left the island while leaving 4,000 French troops to guard Malta to ensure the unimpeded shipping of the French troops in the Mediterranean.
On June 30, the French fleet successfully reached the Egyptian coast near Alexandria.Napoleon sent a cruiser to Alexandria for reconnaissance.Soon the cruiser returned from Alexandria, bringing with him the French consul, Margaron.From the consul's mouth, I learned that the British fleet had arrived here 48 hours before the French army arrived in Alexandria, and they were inquiring about Napoleon's movements everywhere.It turned out that when Nelson learned that the French army had occupied the island of Malta, he was fooled. He concluded that the destination of the French army was Egypt.So he drew up all the sails, took the shortest route, and went straight to Egypt, intending to destroy the French army at sea before they landed.But he was too hasty, and the British navy moved so fast that when he reached Alexandria, there was no sign of the French army at all.He asked the local residents, but the locals had never heard of Napoleon.Nelson was confused again. Since the French army is not going to Egypt, where will they go?Once again he wisely concluded that the goal of the French army was Constantinople, and he immediately led the fleet straight to Constantinople.
Fearing that Nelson might return at any moment, Napoleon decided to land immediately.At this time, the sea was rough, the wind was strong, and the weather was extremely bad.For the sake of safety, the Admiral of the Navy advocated waiting a few more hours for landing, and he asserted that Nelson would not turn back within a few days.But Napoleon sternly refused, he said: "Time is running out, and fate only gives me 3 days. If I don't make full use of it, we will fail." The naval commander had to issue a signal for all to land.
Although the landing was very difficult and many people drowned in the sea, it was finally completed. At 1 o'clock in the morning on July 2, the French army set foot on the land of Egypt. At 3 o'clock, Napoleon personally led 3 divisions to Alexandria.A few hours later, Alexandria fell into Napoleon's hands.
Napoleon stayed in Alexandria for 6 days.During this period, he issued a proclamation in Arabic to the local residents, which read as follows:
"The Beys who ruled Egypt have long insulted France and hurt its merchants, and their time has come for their punishment.
"This mob of slaves bought from Georgia and the Caucasus, has for a long time practiced tyranny in this most beautiful land of the world; but, Allah, to whom all are subordinate, has decreed that their rule shall Finish.
"People of Egypt, you will be told that I have come to destroy your religion, do not believe it! The answer is: I have come to restore your rights and punish usurpers, and I am more powerful than the Mamluks. Honor Allah, honor His Prophet and.
-------------------------- ① Mamluk originally intended to be a slave.During the Fatimid dynasty, Egypt recruited slaves from Greece and the Caucasus to form the Guards, which were called Mamluks. After the 13th century, their officers took control of Egypt and became the actual rulers of Egypt belonging to the Ottoman Empire in Turkey, known as Mamluk Bey.Bey originally meant a local ruler.Mamluks are also sometimes used to refer to the Turkish-Egyptian forces commanded by the Beys who ruled Egypt at that time.
"It is said that before Allah, everyone is equal in character, and there are only differences in intelligence, intelligence, and morality between people. However, what kind of intelligence, intelligence, and morality the Mamluks have, they monopolize everything that makes life satisfactory and beautiful. What about the means?... "The Egyptians should be called to all public offices; the wisest, most learned, and most virtuous should execute the government, and the people should be happy.
"You had great cities, great canals, and great trade. What destroyed all this, if not Mamluk greed, injustice, and tyranny?
"Legal teachers, chiefs, imams, please tell the people: We are the true friends of the Muslims. ... "The extremely happy people will be those who serve us!They will be successful in both career and status.
The happy people will be the ones who stay neutral!They will have time to study in order to understand us, and they will put themselves on our side.
"But the plague - triple the plague - will befall those who take up arms against us for the Mamluks! There will be no hope for them, they will perish.
"First, all the villages within nine miles of the passage of the troops shall send a representative to report to the general commanding the troops that they are loyal and have flown the blue, white, and red banners of the troops.
"Second, all villages that take up arms against the troops will be burned.
"Article 3, all surrendering villages shall fly the flag of our troops together with the flag of the Sudan.
"Article 4, the chiefs of each tribe should seal up the goods, houses and property belonging to the Mamluks, and be careful not to embezzle them in any way.
"Article 5, tribal chiefs, lawyers and imams should continue to perform their duties. All residents should stay at home and pray as usual. Everyone should thank Allah for the destruction of Mamluks and shout: Glory to the Sultan! Glory to the Sultan! His friends, the French troops! Excommunicate the Mamluks, and happiness belongs to the people of Egypt!"
Six days later, Napoleon ordered Kleber to be the local and provincial commander, and led about 9,000 garrison troops to stay in Alexandria, while he himself led the rest of the army to march towards Cairo.
This is the hottest season of the year.The whole army had to march 60 kilometers in the almost waterless desert. For the first time, the officers and soldiers really realized the hardship of this war.The vast desert is scorched under the direct sun, and water has become the most precious thing.Villagers ran away in a panic, poisoning the well or covering up the spring water before leaving.The French had no tropical clothing, not even a water jug, and the troops were thirsty, but there was nothing to quench their thirst except the disgusting pool of salt water.The air was full of poisonous insects, and the scorching light of the yellow sand weakened most people's eyesight, and many people became blind because of this. There were no traces of people, animals or vegetation on the road, only the Arab cavalry lurking around, attacking the straggling French army from time to time.The soldiers complained, could it be that the 6 mu of land promised to each person by the commander is here?The officers could not bear the harsh environment. General Disher, who was sent to Beida, wrote to Napoleon: "I beg you, don't let us stay in this place anymore. The soldiers are already discouraged and complaining in whispers. Order us to advance or to retreat. The villages are full of huts and have no source of income." Even brave and tried generals like Murat and Lana couldn't help complaining, and they angrily threw their cap badges Step into the sand.Only Napoleon stood above all these disasters, and he was determined to carry the war to the end.
Despite the exhaustion of the entire army, which was not allowed a minute's rest in each town, Napoleon's goal was to continue the march and immediately advance to Cairo.The news of the French invasion reached Cairo, which was decorated with lights and cheers from the Beys and their generals, who saw the French as "watermelons to be cut" and promised that every Mamluk would bring home Hundreds of hearts.So Murad Bey set out from Cairo with a small fleet of 2,000 Mamluks, 2,000 Turkish infantry and 60 ships.
On the night of July 13, Napoleon led his army to march south along the left bank of the Nile, while a French fleet commanded by Bailey also sailed up the river.At dawn, the French army arrived at Shobrakhi, where they encountered the Mamluk Cavalry Regiment led by Murad Bey.Napoleon immediately formed each of his divisions into a phalanx.There were many bayonets in the phalanx, and the cold light was overwhelming.There are cannons at the four corners of the phalanx.In order to maintain contact with the fleet on the river, the phalanx of one of the divisions was close to the Nile.At sunrise, the bands of each regiment played the "Marseillaise" in the center of the phalanx, preparing for the battle.
Facing the thick bayonets of the French phalanx, the Mamluk cavalry had no fear. They shouted and launched a brave charge, but they were quickly counterattacked by French bullets and grape shells, and had to be defeated.The Mamluk cavalry charged again, but to no avail. The phalanx of the French army was like an iron wall, motionless.Forced by the powerful firepower of the French army, the Mamluk cavalry had to retreat to Cairo.
Meanwhile, the French fleet on the Nile was in danger when it was intercepted by the Mamluk fleet.More than 30 French casualties.At this critical moment, the French gunboat hit the ammunition depot on the enemy's flagship with one shot, and all the crew members were killed. The enemy fleet was in chaos and hurriedly retreated, and the French fleet turned the corner.
After the battle, Napoleon immediately launched a pursuit.Despite the scorching heat, the French army advanced concurrently. At dusk on July 20, they arrived at the bifurcation of the Nile River, which is only 15 kilometers away from Cairo, and the neatly arranged and majestic pyramids are right in front of them.While everyone was admiring the pyramids, Napoleon climbed up a hillside and found that the Mamluk soldiers were already standing on both sides of the Nile River, with Murad Bey's army on the left bank and Ibrahim Bey's army on the right bank.
At 2 o'clock in the morning on July 21, the flags and flags in the open area near the pyramids were full of murderous intent. Both the Murad army and the French army were in formation, ready to show off.A famous pyramid war started.
At the center of the Mamluk side is the elite cavalry corps, consisting of 12,000 knights.The knights were all dressed in white robes, with feathers on their heads, and the swords and spears in their hands were shining.On the right flank of the cavalry corps was an infantry corps composed of 20,000 Turkish servants and Arabs.There are earth barriers built on their positions, and 40 old cannons are set behind the earth barriers.On the left flank of the cavalry regiment were thousands of Arab nomadic tribal soldiers, some on foot, some on horseback, some on camels, their costumes and weapons were disorganized.
Napoleon and his staff officers came to the front and carefully observed the enemy's position and the surrounding terrain. They quickly discovered several weaknesses of the Mamluk army: the formation of the cavalry regiment was very loose, and the formation of the infantry regiment was even more chaotic; to block infantry attacks; iron cannons were mounted on immovable naval mounts.After Napoleon's observation, he issued a specific combat plan to each division. Each division formed a square formation, and 5 divisions lined up facing the enemy.
Around 11 o'clock in the morning, bursts of war drums and bugles sounded.The French Disher Division first moved forward slowly.
A few minutes later, several other divisions also moved forward.
Seeing the French phalanx gradually approaching, Muradbey had a contemptuous sneer on his face.He drew out his sword, drew an arc in the air, and shouted: "Warriors, Allah bless us to destroy these hateful heretics. Go!" In an instant, the sand was flying, the hoofs of the horses were loud, and the Mamluk soldiers let out a frenzy. With wild shouts, they rushed towards the French phalanx with overwhelming momentum.
At this time, the French army stopped advancing immediately.The French commander ordered the first row of soldiers to lie down on the ground, the second row of soldiers to squat, and the third row of soldiers to stand upright.The three rows of soldiers raised their guns to take aim, and the soldiers behind quickly passed the loaded rifles forward.In the several gaps that appeared in the front row of each formation, the black muzzle protruded. This is a small mobile field artillery of the French army.When the Mamluk cavalry rushed to only 500 meters away from the French army, the French commander slashed down with his sword raised high, and all French formations sprayed dense bullets at the same time.
On the battlefield, guns and guns fired, and people shouted and neighed.The muskets and shrapnel of the French army swept the Mamluk cavalry down to the ground.In just a few minutes, the Mamluk cavalry had been massacred.A small number of cavalry rushed faster, broke into the French square without thinking about their own lives, and cut down several French soldiers, but then they all died in the bayonet bushes.Several groups of cavalry rushed into the lane between the two phalanxes, but were killed by fierce crossfire.The casualties of the Mamluk soldiers became more and more serious, while the French phalanx remained motionless.The ruthless bayonet and roaring artillery fire forced the remaining thousands of Mamluk cavalry to retreat.Napoleon took advantage of the momentum and swung forward, and the Disher division in the center quickly cut off the retreat of some enemy cavalry and wiped them out.The French army on the left quickly broke into the position of the enemy infantry corps, crossed the earth barrier without difficulty, and captured the dozens of cumbersome cannons.The French army on the right also defeated the tribal soldiers and captured hundreds of camels.Desperate, the defeated enemies jumped into the Nile River in groups, and countless people drowned.Those who did not have time to jump into the river were all killed by the French army, and the Nile River was immediately stained red with blood.Murad Bey led 3,000 remnants and fled in a hurry.Seeing that the situation was over, Ibrahim Bey on the right bank also led his army to retreat to Syria.
After these two hours of bitter fighting, the Mamluk soldiers were scared out of their wits. They called Napoleon the "King of Artillery" and "God's Whip". From then on, Napoleon's reputation spread throughout the East.The French soldiers also made up for the hardships experienced in the expedition to Egypt in this battle.They recovered a lot of valuables from killed and drowned Mamluk soldiers, and some soldiers often made a fortune from a corpse.
The barriers to Cairo were cleared, and French troops soon entered the city.The petrified inhabitants greeted the conqueror in silence.Napoleon issued the following proclamation to the people of Cairo: "Yesterday the Mamluks were either dead or wounded, and I was sending troops in pursuit of the stragglers who had escaped. Bring your boats along the river and send a delegation to inform me of your surrender, with bread supply my troops with food, meat, fodder, and barley. Do not be alarmed, be quiet, and I am sure there is no one more eager to serve your happiness than I."
The extremely tired French army was given a lot of food in Cairo, and they could finally have a good rest.But Napoleon did not sit idle, he immediately devoted himself to the organization and management of Egypt with abundant energy.He issued multiple orders, calling on the French army to strictly abide by military discipline, respect Islamic beliefs and local customs, and refrain from harassing mosques and local women.Napoleon personally participated in the worship activities in the mosque. He even expressed to the imams that he also believed in Islam and asked them to explain it to him.After many investigations, Napoleon decided to set up administrative, police, and taxation agencies in the provinces of Egypt. On July 27, he issued the following orders in the name of the National Academy of Sciences and Commander-in-Chief:
"First, each province of Egypt shall form a government composed of seven members, to take care of the interests of the province, to inform me of all the ills of the people, to prevent fighting between villages, to use the armed forces provided by the French governor to supervise and punish criminals and issue instructions to the people whenever necessary.
"Second, every province! A police officer who is always dispatched by the French governor. He commands 60 armed natives, and when necessary, he has to be transferred to various places to maintain order, leading to loyalty and tranquility.
"Article 3. Each province shall have a responsible Ombudsman to oversee the collection of the taxes and state revenues which formerly belonged to the Mamluks and which now belong to the Republic; under the Ombudsman there shall be Some necessary managers.
"Fourth, every censor shall have a Frenchman in charge, who shall report to the central treasury, and shall strictly carry out all orders which may be given to him."
Just as Napoleon was working on rebuilding Egypt's political system, news of the French fleet's destruction at sea suddenly came, and Napoleon was shocked.
It turned out that after Nelson realized that he had made a mistake in his judgment, he immediately turned his bow and followed the French fleet. On August 1, the watchtower of Nelson's fleet finally spotted the Bryes fleet moored in Aboukir Bay.At that time, the French fleet was not adequately defended in the open waters of Aboukir. On the afternoon of August 1, 14 warships of Nelson's fleet, carrying more than 1,000 artillery pieces, sailed downwind to Aboukir.The French fleet commander immediately issued an emergency assembly signal, but at this time almost half of the personnel were still collecting drinking water and supplies on the shore.Nelson judged that between the mooring line of the French fleet and the shoal, there must be enough space for the British ships to insert, so he made a very bold, almost risky decision: divide the fleet into two, and five warships Inserted between the French fleet and the shoal, the rest of the ships were on the seaward side, moving along the berthing line of the French warships, attacking the French ships from both sides.The French fleet had no gunners on the land side, because they never dreamed that this side would be attacked.The left and right sides of the French fleet were bombarded by close-range artillery fire from the British ships. They could only parry, but had no power to fight back.At dusk, the French flagship "Orient" exploded, and the commander of the fleet, Brues, was killed.At dawn the next day, except for two capital ships and two cruisers who were able to escape, the rest of the ships were incapacitated.
Napoleon was known for his vigor and composure, but after he learned the tragic news, he couldn't stand the sudden blow. His face turned pale and he was deeply saddened.At a glance he estimated the fatal consequences of this tragedy: all communication with France was cut off, and with it all hope of returning to France, unless condescended to surrender to an implacable enemy.
When his secretary urged him to wait patiently for the Directory's help, he yelled angrily: "The Directory is full of bastards! They hate me and wish I could die here to be happy. And, you see, the whole army has How dissatisfied, no one wants to stay."
Napoleon was rather agitated.But in a short while the dark mood that had hung over him was lifted, and he regained his firm self-control and composure.He realized that his most urgent task now was to lift the spirits of the troops and dispel pessimism.He encouraged his subordinates and said: "In this way, we are isolated on the land of Egypt. This is very good. We must survive the stormy sea, and the sea will calm down. Perhaps fate is destined for us to change the face of the East. We must Stay here and do great things here as the ancients did." "Egypt was a mighty empire. How well placed it was to attack England!" "We shall have to create a great empire . . . The sea separates us from our country, but no sea can separate us from Africa, nor from Asia. We are numerous, and we will not lack manpower to replenish our ranks, nor will we Ammunition is short." Napoleon's words reinvigorated the demoralized army with confidence and hope.
The loss of the fleet convinced Napoleon that Egypt must be organized quickly and effectively, and that it must gain a foothold in Egypt, where the French would remain for a considerable time.Napoleon's nimble, speculative mind seemed inexhaustible, and war, defence, taxation, government, courts, trade, arts, and sciences all attracted other attention.He issued orders and instructions without hesitation, in order to prevent the imminent danger of failure. On August 21, Napoleon established the Egyptian Academy of Sciences in the model of the French Academy of Sciences, with Monge as president and Napoleon as vice president.The mission of the Academy of Sciences is to promote Egyptian progress and spread culture.Archaeologists, geologists and historians examine the remains of ancient kingdoms from the Nile to the waterfalls of Aswan.Scientists and engineers study the prevention and control of infectious diseases and design irrigation projects.Under the leadership of chief engineer and architect Le Perle, they are conducting leveling surveys on the Isthmus of Suez and digging canals connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.Due to the destruction of the fleet, experts and scholars lost most of their property and many mechanical equipment, and many things had to be done from scratch.They expanded the cultivated area of grain and built large ovens and bakeries to solve the difficulties of food supply; they built breweries to brew local beer to meet the needs of troops; gunpowder.All this is to enable the French army to survive without relying on the European rear.
In order to establish the absolute dominance of the French in Egypt, Napoleon was relentless to anyone who dared to oppose the French.General Kleber, stationed in Alexandria, arrested the city's millionaire Sidi Muhammad al-Kolaim for treason.After this person was escorted to Cairo, the French army told him that if he wanted to save his head, he would hand over 300,000 gold francs.But this man believed that life and death depended on destiny. He said: "If I am destined to die now, nothing can save me, even handing over money. If I am destined to die, why should I hand over these things? "Napoleon ordered his head to be beheaded and displayed on the streets of Cairo with the inscription: "This is what happens to all traitors and oath breakers." To the panic of the wealthy Arabs, they gave the French all they could ask for.
Due to blackmail by the French army, a large-scale uprising broke out in Cairo at the end of October 1798.The power of the rebel army was very strong at one time, and all 15 French soldiers who went to suppress the rebellion were chopped into meat.Napoleon was so furious that he sent a large army to suppress the uprising, but the uprising failed and all the insurgents were hanged.
Soon after this insurrection, another Arab tribe attacked and killed a French army.Napoleon immediately ordered Adjutant Kluazze to encircle the entire tribe.A bloody repression began, with houses destroyed, men killed, and women and children taken to Cairo.
A few hours later, some donkeys laden with sacks appeared in Cairo Square.After the sack was opened, the heads of the men who had been killed were seen rolling around in the square.Residents of Cairo were shaken out of their wits by the horror.From Italy to Egypt, Napoleon always believed that "severely punishing a few" was an effective means of controlling conquered areas.Therefore, as long as anyone dares to offend the French soldiers, whoever will be severely punished by the commander-in-chief.
Egypt had become in Napoleon's hands, but an unexpected news made him feel indifferent to all this.He learned from Juno that Josephine, who was staying in Paris, continued to have an affair with Lieutenant Charles, and he was furious, so angry that he couldn't even speak coherently: "Josephine!...I'm thousands of miles away!... You cheated me like that! . . . Divorce! Public divorce! Let everyone know! . . . These two damned fellows! . . . I will kill these two immoral, shameless bastards with my own hands! . . . " Napoleon tempered getting worse and worse.To console himself, he hooked up with the wife of a cavalry lieutenant.
Josephine's infidelity made him very depressed. He wrote to his brother Joseph: "I need to live in isolation. I am tired of splendor and luxury. The source of emotion has been dried up and I have no taste for honor. Only 29 years old, but already He has gone through vicissitudes." But Napoleon was Napoleon after all, and this pessimistic mood did not last long. His enthusiasm for war and strong desire to conquer made him put aside his love for his children, stepped on his horse and set off again.Marching into Syria, Turkey saw that its territory Egypt was occupied by the French, and was very angry. The Sudan immediately sent troops to Egypt and declared war on France. In February 1799, Napoleon left General Disher to defend Egypt, and led 12,000 people to march to Syria to meet the Turkish army.
The road to Syria is equally arduous.The fatigue of the desert march and the lack of drinking water made the soldiers complain.
They cursed the Republic, cursed the man who started this expedition.Fortunately the cities along the way were very weak, and one by one they surrendered to Napoleon. On February 17, the French army occupied Arish Fort, and then occupied Gaza. On February 28, this exhausted team saw the lush and fertile fields of Syria for the first time. The soldiers could not help but think of the countryside of the motherland, and a sense of homesickness spontaneously arose.The mountains and oases made people forget for a while the hardships and hardships of the expedition.
On March 4, the French army surrounded the beautiful town of Jaffa.Napoleon announced to the residents in the city: "If you surrender, you can save your life. If you resist to the end, once Jaffa is captured, all the residents in the city will be killed." Jaffa did not surrender, and the French army began to attack. On the 6th, Jaffa fell.The French army rushed into the city, killing everyone they saw and looting everything they saw.At this time, someone came to report that about 4,000 fully armed Turkish soldiers were retreating in a well-fortified position. Napoleon immediately ordered Beauharne and Kluazer to lead the army to deal with them.When the French army arrived, the defenders shouted loudly: "Surrender if you can spare your life, otherwise, swear to stick to the position until the last drop of blood is shed." Seeing the large number of enemy troops, Beauharnay and Kluazze, Fearing that it would be difficult to win by fighting hard, he agreed to their request.The Turkish soldiers left their positions and surrendered their weapons.
When Beauharnay and Croazze returned with 4,000 prisoners to report, Napoleon angrily rebuked:
"What do you want me to do with this group of people? Do I have food for them? Or ship them to Egypt or France? Why do you do this to me?" The two generals argued that the commander-in-chief had instructed them to prohibit kill. "是的，"总司令以满腔热情答道：“对于妇女、孩童和老人即一切和平居民，但不包括武装士兵。你们的职责是要他们去死，而不该把这帮不幸的家伙带给我，你们要我把他们怎么办？"当天，拿破仑召集各位师长讨论如何处置这批俘虏，各师长一致认为现在口粮已不足，士兵们已多有怨言，再也不能把面包发给敌人吃，否则，军队将发生哗变。拿破仑犹豫不决，翻来覆去思考了３天，最后决定将这批俘虏枪毙。第四天，４０００名俘虏被押至海岸，一阵枪响，全部俘虏倒地而毙，这一惨剧令每个在场的人不寒而栗。
攻占雅法之后，瘟疫开始在军中流行，法军损失了约８０００人。但瘟疫并没能阻止拿破仑的前进。３月２０日，法军包围了阿克尔城堡。阿克尔城堡位于三面环水的半岛上，是巴勒斯坦的军事要冲，也是土耳其总督杰扎尔赖以顽抗的据点。阿克尔城堡有大炮２５０门，其守将是一位年长而英勇的人，他率领着一支非常强大的守城队伍。另外，阿克尔城堡还得到了一个英国海军支队的支援，这个海军支队拥有２艘战舰和几艘炮艇，其指挥是英国人西德尼·史密斯。在英国海军的旗舰上还有一位暂时充作英国陆军上校的法国炮兵军官菲利波。菲利波原是拿破仑在布里埃纳军事学校的同学，因参与反革命叛乱而被囚禁在巴黎的监狱。１７９８年４月２１日，他同一些王党分子一起帮助扣押在巴黎的英国军官西德尼·史密斯逃出监狱。３月１５日，他们到达阿克尔。由于他们二人在城中协助作战，更增加了法军攻克阿克尔城堡的难度。
这天，装载攻城火炮的法国船只到达阿克尔海边，拿破仑立即下令攻击。不巧海上大雾弥漫，看不清前面的目标，法军船只一直冲入到英国海军的怀抱中，英国海军不费吹灰之力便将船上的法军擒住了。船上的大炮也被土耳仆人拿来对付法军了。尽管没有大炮攻城，拿破仑还是包围了要塞的陆墙。３月２８日，法军发动了第一次不成功的突袭。４月１日，又发动了一场突击，仍未成功。法军不仅攻城损失惨重，而且每周死于瘟疫的多达１４０人。
在此之前，拿破仑从未遭受过失败，这次，他仍相信幸运之神不会其他而去。就在几次攻击失败以后，他还这样对秘书布里昂说：“我知道这个倒楣的地方已夺去我许多人的性命，消费了我许多时间。但是，事已至此，不能不试最后一着。如果我如愿以偿地成功，我会在城中找到总督的财宝和可供３０万人的武器。我要鼓动并武装叙利亚的平民，他们憎恨杰扎尔的残暴。你也知道，每次攻势中，他们都默祷他的毁灭。然后，我要向大马士革和阿勒波进军。向这个国家挺进时，不满暴政的百姓将云集在我的旗帜周围，扩大我的军队。我要向民众宣布废除奴役制和土耳其的暴虐政府。我要亲率大军光临君士坦丁堡。我要推翻土耳其帝国，并在东方建立一个伟大的新帝国，把我的名字载入史册。”
拿破仑对未来充满必胜信心，可阿克尔城堡守卫的强大却打破了他的东方之梦。法军围攻阿克尔城堡历时２个月，期间猛攻８次，均以失败而告终。由于损失惨重，拿破仑不得不放弃围攻。５月１７日，拿破仑宣布返回埃及。拿破仑至死仍对没有攻陷阿克尔城堡感到遗憾，他在圣赫勒拿岛的回忆录中说：“如果阿克尔早陷落，我当改变世界面目。""东方的命运决定于那个小镇。”
５月２０日，法军乘夜间悄悄撤离阿克尔城堡。病号和伤员已先期２天送走了。撤退比进军时更加艰苦，因为已经到了５月末，这些地方酷热难忍。士兵们既为难熬的干渴所折磨，又为火一般的烈日所暴晒，个个意志消沉。为了鼓舞士气，拿破仑不允许自己和其他高级军官有任何特殊化。瘟疫越来越严重，患者不得不留下，只有伤员仍旧带走。拿破仑命令所有的人急忙赶路，马、所有四轮车和马车全部用来运载伤员。这个命令下达以后，他的一个负责管理马匹的军官认为总司令应当例外，问他要哪一骑马，拿破仑大发雷霆，上前给问话的人一个耳光，并大声喊道：“全体步行！我第一个先走！难道你不知道命令吗？滚蛋！”
由于缺少马匹，许多重炮不得不丢弃在沙漠里。士兵们对大炮的丢失倍感痛心，因为大炮曾使他们屡战屡胜，大炮曾使欧洲为之震惊。
５月２４日，法军回到雅法。拿破仑下令炸毁该镇。２７日，一声巨响，该镇顿时夷为平地。１小时之后，拿破仑与数名医师商议后决定，用药物提前结束那些已濒于死亡的疾病患者的生命。
法军继续在酷热的沙漠中穿行。干渴难忍的士兵常常看见那虚幻的海市蜃楼，尽管每次上当，但每次看见时仍奔向那空幻的湖泊。等奔至近前，这些湖泊便化为盐碱沙漠，失望之情难以言喻。战马也因贪饮沙漠中的咸水，大量倒毙在路旁。
经过２５天的艰难行军，６月１４日，法军终于抵达开罗。为了稳定人心，拿破仑发布了一些哄人的公告，他说：“我带回了大批俘虏和军旗，我已扫平了杰扎尔的宫殿和阿克尔城墙。全体居民都已由海道离开该镇，杰扎尔受了重伤。"他说回转开罗只不过是由于穆拉德贝伊又出来作乱了。他命缪拉将军前去围剿穆拉德贝伊。穆拉德闻讯，迅速退去了。
离开埃及一个月后的一个傍晚，一名阿拉伯使者全速向拿破仑的住处奔来，他送来了驻扎在亚历山大港的马尔蒙将军的一份报告，报告中说：土耳其军在英国舰队的保护下在阿布基尔登陆，１５０００名敌军已经上岸。这个消息并未惊动拿破仑，他期待这个机会已经多时了。
他一刻也不迟缓，迅速率领军队开往前线。
这时，阿布基尔要塞和阿布基尔村后面的一处堡垒均已陷入土耳其军之手，驻守此地的法军全部被俘。坐镇在亚历山大港的马尔蒙曾赶来救援，但见情形不妙，又回师固守亚历山大港。正当马尔蒙担心亚历山大港可能遭土军围攻时，拿破仑的军队及时赶到了。７月２４日拂晓，法军开始攻击土军防线，缪拉率领一个骑兵旅奋勇冲杀，突破土耳其防线，砍伤和俘获了土军司令。土耳其全军涌入海中，被杀者或溺死者达几千人。幸存者重新登舰，抛弃了他们携带上岸的一切，仓皇逃窜。进攻、交战、败北、溃退，全都发生在转瞬之间，拿破仑得意洋洋地写道：“这是我所看到的最出色的战役之一。”
拿破仑已有１０个月没有得到法国和欧洲的任何消息，这次打败土耳其登陆部队，他想借机到土耳其那里了解一些欧洲的消息。他派使者送休战旗到土耳其海军舰队司令舰上，没想到使者为英国海军司令西德尼·史密斯所阻。他严密防范土军和法军间有任何直接的联系。按照史密斯的要求，休战旗送到了他的座舰。使者受到了良好的接待。英舰司令料想拿破仑还不知道意大利的惨剧，故意幸灾乐祸地将一卷报纸当作礼物送给拿破仑。
使者带回了报纸，拿破仑岂不及待地连夜翻阅，并不断地发出愤怒的喊声。原来，在拿破仑远征意大利期间，一个强大的反法联盟又成立了，法国丢失了意大利，法军在莱茵地区一败再败。法国国内四分五裂，到处存在着怨恨和不满情绪。"一群笨蛋！意大利丢了！我的一切胜利果实都丢了！我们必须离开埃及。"拿破仑看完报纸愤怒地说。
第二天清晨，拿破仑召来贝尔蒂埃和新任命的海军司令冈托姆，同他们密谈了２个小时，最后决定立即回法国。他命令冈托姆赶紧备妥２艘快速三桅船和２艘小船，外加四五百人两个月的粮食。他嘱咐贝尔蒂埃和冈托姆二人要严守秘密，不得走漏半点风声。８月５日，拿破仑离开了亚历山大港，１０日到达开罗。为了掩人耳目，他派人放风说，他要去上埃及考察尼罗河三角洲，并要求开罗的政务会议在他不在时，按时向他报告当地的情况。军中谁也没人怀疑这一消息的可靠性，因为去考察尼罗河三角洲是拿破仑早已决定了的事。
拿破仑一行四五百人离开开罗，抵达亚历山大港。８月２２日，拿破仑宣布，随他从开罗来的全体官兵的目的地是法国。全体官兵一阵欢呼雀跃，人人脸上显出极为兴奋的表情，他们早就在埃及呆够了。
在这里，拿破仑会见了梅努将军，他命他继续留在埃及，并对他说：“我要回巴黎去，我要驱散那些愚弄我们而不能治理共和国的律师。我将成为政府的首脑，我要团结一切党派，我要恢复意大利共和国，并且要稳固地占有这块美好的殖民地。”
此后，拿破仑又故意安排了一场明知自己不能赴约的约会，他邀请克莱贝尔将军到罗塞达来，同他会商极为重要的事情，他给克莱贝尔留下一封信，任命他为军队总司令，继续留在埃及，并授权他可以自由考虑撤出埃及的事宜。他在信中说：“考虑到英国舰队会随时出现，我决定把动身日子提前两三天。同我一起走的有贝尔蒂埃、拉纳、缪拉、安德列奥西和马尔蒙诸将军以及蒙日、贝托来先生。附上６月１０日前英国和法兰克福报纸多份。您可以从中看到我们已经失去了意大利，而曼图亚、都灵和托尔托纳三处被围困。我有理由期望曼图亚可以坚守到１１月底，我想在１０月之前到达欧洲。……因为我乐于以后世的好起作为对我一生中艰难困苦的奖赏，我是抱着深深的遗憾离开埃及的。国家的利益、国家的荣誉、天职的责任感和国内发生的非常事态使我决定从敌人的舰队中间冲出去，回到欧洲。我的心永远同你们在一起。我像我在你们中间的时候那样，珍重你们的胜利。如果我一日不去帮助我托付给您的军队或者不去巩固基地早已打好的宏伟大厦，那我就是非常不称职的了。"拿破仑相信这封信到达克莱贝尔将军手上时，他已在海上了。他想以这种方式逃避克莱贝尔的责备和避免面对他那倔强戆直的脾气。
８月２３日，夜色正浓，在微弱的星光下隐隐约约可以看见海面上前来警戒的海防舰。
拿破仑一行悄然登上舰船，开始了焦躁不安的大海航行。
船队在顶风中上下颠簸，航程单调乏味，拿破仑不停地在甲板上踱步。他对回国是否受到欢迎没有把握，对法国国内的事态也只知道一鳞半爪，海上又布满了敌人的船舰，时刻都有被俘的危险，所有这一切在拿破仑的心里投下了阴影。拿破仑严密监督着他每道命令执行的情况，出现一片最小的帆影也会令他陷入不安，他非常担心会成为英国人的俘虏。他不断告诫海军司令，不要遵循通常的航线，而要驶向外海。“我希望，"他说：“你一直沿非洲一边航行到撒丁岛以南，我这里有一小队勇敢的伙伴和几门炮。万一英国人追上我们，我立即上岸，带上这伙人走陆路到奥兰、突尼斯或者别的什么港口，从那里我们会找到办法回国的。”
经过４０多天的艰难航程，拿破仑船队成功地躲过了英国舰队的拦击，于１０月８日到达法国南岸弗雷居斯海峡附近的港口。１０月９日黎明，拿破仑一行在土伦东边的弗雷居斯镇上岸了。当这个小镇得知拿破仑将军回来了，平静的小镇立刻欢腾起来。人们抬着拿破仑和随他一起回来的每一个成员从岸边走上大街，街道上挤满了欢呼的人们。一个自称为代表的来访者向拿破仑喊道：“将军，请您立即去追击敌人。如果您愿意，我们拥戴您为国王。”
民众的欢腾给拿破仑准备夺取国家最高权力增添了信心。他在这里得到了法国在意大利败绩的详情。他决定当天晚上就回巴黎去，开始他那孤注一掷的冒险事业。 </div>