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In 1798, the Directory offered to let Napoleon Bonaparte lead an invasion of England. Napoleon determined that France’s naval forces were not yet ready to go up against the superior British Royal Navy. He had a different idea: invade Egypt to wipe out British trade routes to India. The Directory gave the plan their approval.

At first, Napoleon scored a victory against the Mamaluks at the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798, but his army was soon stranded in Egypt when his naval fleet was obliterated by the British at the Battle of the Nile in August of that year.

On 24th August, 1799, Napoleon heard word that the Directory was losing it's grip on power in France, due to their losses in the War of the Second Coalition, and thus, deserted his soldiers to return to France. In October, he returned to a hero's welcome. He soon overthrew the unpopular, weakened Directory and crowned himself Emperor.

But what if Napoleon stayed in Egypt, rather than returning to France?
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