Causes of the Campaign

02Causes of the Campaign

The colonial rivalry between England and France

• The rivalry began in the seventeenth century and continued throughout the eighteenth century.
• The superiority of the English fleet prevented France from striking England on its own soil.

The French Revolution and the European alliance

• The French Revolution broke out in 1789; it was the first social revolution led by the sons of the middle class in alliance with the common people.
• It ended the feudal monarchy, established the republic and executed King Louis XVI.
• The kings of Europe realised the danger to their thrones, so they allied to restore monarchy and prevent the spread of its principles — and England was an important element in that alliance.
• European states launched several wars against France which ended in French victory over those alliances.

Napoleon's idea: strike England outside its territory

• Napoleon Bonaparte thought of delivering a military blow to England outside its own territory by invading Egypt.

The French objectives in occupying Egypt

• Facilitating the passage of French trade to the East instead of the Cape of Good Hope route controlled by the English fleet.
• Undermining the British Empire in the East.
• France's desire to establish a French colony in the East.