Battle of the Pyramids
The Battle of the Pyramids was a significant military engagement that took place on July 21, 1798, during Napoleon Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign. Following the successful capture of Alexandria, Bonaparte's forces, consisting of approximately 35,000 troops, advanced toward Cairo and confronted the main Mamlūk army across the Nile. The battle was characterized by the French infantry utilizing modern military tactics and weaponry against the Mamlūks, who were predominantly mounted cavalry. The French employed a formation known as the divisional-sized squares, which effectively countered the cavalry charges and inflicted heavy casualties on the Egyptian forces.
As the Mamlūk army attempted to exploit vulnerabilities in the French lines, they faced devastating fire from muskets and cannons. By the end of the day, the surviving Mamlūk forces were forced to retreat, marking a decisive victory for Napoleon and effectively ending organized resistance in Egypt. This battle underscored the advantages of modern warfare over traditional methods and had broader implications, including the involvement of the Ottoman Empire in the War of the Second Coalition. The outcomes of the battle contributed to political shifts in France, paving the way for Napoleon's rise to power.
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Subject Terms
Battle of the Pyramids
Type of action: Ground battle in the War of the First Coalition
Date: July 21, 1798
Location: Giza plateau, near Cairo, Egypt
Combatants: 35,000 French vs. 60,000 Mamlūks
Principal commanders:French, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821); Mamlwks, Murad Bey (d. 1801), Ibrahim Bey (1735?-1817)
Result: The French overthrew the Egyptian Mamlūk regime, advancing Napoleon’s Oriental Plan to attack British India
In early July, 1798, Napoleon Bonaparate’s 35,000-man Egyptian expedition landed near Alexandria, quickly seized it, and moved up the west bank of the Nile toward Cairo. On July 21, almost directly across the river from Cairo, the French brought the main Mamlūk army to battle. Although the primary Egyptian strike force was cavalry, the French infantry began the assault. First they attacked the enemy right flank, driving them from the Nile village of Embabeh, then assaulted the left flank anchored at the Giza pyramids.
Advancing in mutually supporting divisional-sized squares, the French infantry proved impervious to Mamlūk cavalry charges. As the Egyptians vainly tried to find exploitable gaps in the French formations, they were mown down by mass musket and cannon fire. That evening, the surviving Mamlūk forces dispersed; Ibrahim Bey retreated toward Syria, and Murad Bey withdrew the remnants of his shattered forces into Upper Egypt.
Significance
Napoleon’s victory ended organized Egyptian resistance, emphasized the superiority of modern weapons and tactics over medieval ones, and introduced the divisional-sized infantry square. It also brought the Ottoman Empire into the War of the Second Coalition. Subsequent Anglo-Turkish and Russo-Turkish cooperation doomed the Oriental Plan, destabilized the French government, and allowed Napoleon to seize state power on November 9, 1799.
Bibliography
Glubb, John B. Soldiers of Fortune: The Story of the Mamlukes. London: Hodden and Stoughton, 1973.
Herold, J. Christopher. Bonaparte in Egypt. London: H. Hamilton, 1962.
Wilkinson, Spencer. The Rise of General Bonaparte. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1992.