Battles & Campaigns · 1800
Battle of Heliopolis
Heliopolis, near Cairo, Egypt
What happened
The French Army of the Orient under General Jean-Baptiste Kléber fought a much larger Ottoman army under Nassif Pasha. When an Ottoman army marched on Cairo, Kléber's 10,000 men formed four squares and attacked. The Ottoman army broke under French artillery fire and withdrew to Syria.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It saved the French army in Egypt from a desperate position. Kléber then retook Cairo, where people had risen against French rule.
What came next
Kléber was assassinated in Cairo in June 1800, and his successor, Menou, was a much weaker leader. British forces landed in Egypt the next year.
Did you know?
Before the war Kléber had trained and worked as an architect, designing buildings in Alsace.
Timeline
- 9 March 1753Kléber is born.
- 24 January 1800Kléber signs the Convention of El Arish.
- 20 March 1800The French win at Heliopolis.
- 14 June 1800Kléber is assassinated in Cairo.