Siege of Toulon
The Siege of Toulon was a significant military engagement during the French Revolutionary Wars that began on September 7, 1793. French royalists had captured Toulon, a key naval base, and handed it over to British forces led by Sir Samuel Hood. The young military leader Napoleon Bonaparte played a crucial role in the siege, first taking command of the artillery and later influencing the strategy that led to the replacement of the initial French commander. Following Napoleon's tactics, French revolutionary forces attacked strategic forts, successfully capturing Fort l'Equilette on December 17. This victory allowed them to bombard the British fleet, prompting Hood to evacuate his troops and civilians the next day. The French retook the city on December 19, leading to harsh reprisals against the local populace. The siege was a critical turning point, marking a significant defeat for the British and solidifying Napoleon's rising prominence in the military, as he was promoted to brigadier general shortly after. The outcome of the siege not only had military implications but also served as a psychological boost for the revolutionary forces.
Siege of Toulon
Type of action: Siege in the War of the First Coalition
Date: September 7-December 19, 1793
Location: City and naval base on the French Mediterranean coast
Combatants: 35,000 French revolutionary troops vs. 35,000 British and other troops
Principal commanders: French, Major Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821); British, Admiral Sir Samuel Hood (1724–1816)
Result: Recapture of city and naval base by French revolutionaries
On September 7, 1793, French revolutionary forces began the Siege of Toulon, France’s greatest naval base, which French royalists had seized on August 28 and turned over to Sir Samuel Hood. Napoleon Bonaparte first wangled command of the artillery at Toulon and then, in a dispute over strategy, obtained the replacement of General Jean-François Carteaux by Jacques Dugommier. Following Napoleon’s strategy, the besiegers assaulted the forts overlooking the harbor. On December 17, the crucial Fort l’Equilette fell to Napoleon’s troops, whose guns then bombarded the British fleet in the harbor. On December 18, Hood embarked his troops and a number of civilians and sailed away. The French revolutionary forces retook the city the next day and unleashed terrible reprisals on the citizenry.
Significance
The siege and recapture of Toulon deprived the British of control of France’s major naval base on the Mediterranean coast and was a great psychological victory for the revolutionary forces. Napoleon, now age twenty-four, was promoted immediately to brigadier general, Toulon having been the first major step in his military and political career.
Resources
Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Macmillan, 1966.
Connelly, Owen. Blundering to Glory: Napoleon’s Military Campaigns. Wilmington, Del.: Scholarly Resources, 1990.
Cormack, William S., and Michael Sydenham. “Counter-Revolution? Toulon 1793.” History Today 37 (October, 1987): 49–55.
Crook, Malcolm. Toulon in War and Revolution. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press, 1991.