Battle of the Nile
Aboukir Bay, Ottoman Egypt
What happened
British Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson fought the French fleet of Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys, which had carried Napoleon's army to Egypt. Napoleon invaded Egypt as a first step toward threatening British India, and Nelson chased the French fleet across the Mediterranean. He found it anchored in a line in Aboukir Bay, near the mouth of the Nile. Some of Nelson's ships sailed around the end of the French line and attacked from both sides, and in a battle that lasted into the night, the French fleet was destroyed.
Why it matters
Result: British victory. Leaders: Sir Horatio Nelson against Brueys d'Aigalliers. Why it matters: It was a decisive victory for Nelson and made him famous across Europe.
What came next
Nelson was made Baron Nelson.
Did you know?
Napoleon's invasion of Egypt was meant as a first step in a campaign against British India.
Timeline
- 1-3 August 1798Nelson destroys the French fleet in Aboukir Bay.
- 1799The French are defeated at Acre.