The warships commanded by Bonaparte left Toulon, a Mediterranean port on the south coast of France, bound for Egypt.
Napoleon Bonaparte and his army were dispatched to conquer Egypt. The Directory sought to improve its own trade, exploit the developing links with Egypt and its wealth, whilst at the same time disrupt England’s trade in the Mediterranean and India. The Orient has always fascinated westerners how many young readers have not had their imaginations inflamed by the tales of One Thousand and One Nights? In 1798, the French government, the Directory, was particularly interested in Egypt, an important country on the English trade route to India.
