Best Outcome for Napoleon's Egypt Campaign?

So I was reading an article in Military History Magazine which covered Napoleon's Egyptian campaign and subsequent withdraw. So I was wondering how far he could have gone and what more he could have gotten if anything. For instance what if Acre falls to him? Or the British fleet for whatever reason isn't able to cut him off and etc etc? Also what long term effects of a better campaign?
 

Germaniac

Donor
Near ASB best outcome is Napoleon matching on Constantinople and proclaiming himself Kaysar of Rum and emperor. Even then Napoleon won't hang on long as Russia and Britain do not want to see a French general on the eastern thrown.
 
I can see the French establishing a more long lasting foothold in Egypt. However I feel that any attempt by Napoleon to establish control over Egypt would first require the defeat of the British navy. No matter how successful Napoleon's forces are on land if French controlled Egypt can't be resupplied then it is a lost cause.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
If the French Navy hadn't been blown to bits at the Battle of the Nile, I can see a longer French presence in Egypt. But the expedition into Palestine was never going to amount to more than a raid, even Napoleon had taken Acre. Territorially, Egypt was as far as he would get.
 
Near ASB best outcome is Napoleon matching on Constantinople and proclaiming himself Kaysar of Rum and emperor. Even then Napoleon won't hang on long as Russia and Britain do not want to see a French general on the eastern thrown.

If he conquered Constantinople doubt he would use the words "Kaysar" and "Rum". Both of those are Turkish, so he may crown himself Emperor of Rome, Emperor and King of France and King of Egypt maybe?
 
He just could not conquer Constantinople. He could even less have held it if he had conquered it. And he could even less conquer the ottoman empire.

The more he could do was snatch Egypt and Syria from ottoman control, as Mehmet Ali did and entrust it to local allies.
 
So I was reading an article in Military History Magazine which covered Napoleon's Egyptian campaign and subsequent withdraw. So I was wondering how far he could have gone and what more he could have gotten if anything. For instance what if Acre falls to him? Or the British fleet for whatever reason isn't able to cut him off and etc etc? Also what long term effects of a better campaign?

I believe the mistake was going to the east towards Levant. Staying in Egypt was practical and defensible. You had the resources their to supply your troops.

Plus, Napoleon can fill his ego by being the new Pharaoh. If he had a Grand Army of 500k, why not go to east, otherwise with his resources in otl, defending and consolidating his power in Egypt was better.
 
Napoleon's fleet gets intercepted on it's way to Egypt by Nelson and is totally wiped out, including Napoleon himself. Europe is spared 15 years of war driven by one man's mad ambition.

(Oh you meant best *for Napoleon*?...)
 
OTL was actually a pretty good run for him. While he mostly lost his army the fame from it allowed him to take over France.

He probably should have killed Ibrahim Bey.
 
Napoleon's fleet gets intercepted on it's way to Egypt by Nelson and is totally wiped out, including Napoleon himself. Europe is spared 15 years of war driven by one man's mad ambition.

(Oh you meant best *for Napoleon*?...)

Well of course. What fun would it be if Britain continued to be OP ;)
 
Napoleon's fleet gets intercepted on it's way to Egypt by Nelson and is totally wiped out, including Napoleon himself. Europe is spared 15 years of war driven by one man's mad ambition.

(Oh you meant best *for Napoleon*?...)

There's still going to be war. Louis XVIII isn't suddenly going to take over in the event of Napoleon's death and the French Republic isn't going to abandon its client states.
 
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