When Napoleon Attempted To Conquer Egypt | Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign | Timeline

this channel is part of the history hit Network [Music] foreign [Music] at the head of an army of 40 000 men Napoleon Bonaparte embarks on the conquest of Egypt his aim is to drive out the mamaluks who are occupying Egypt which is a part of the Ottoman Empire and thereby cut off England's route to the Indies and disrupt her trade certain a victory Bonaparte takes along 167 Scholars from all disciplines whose mission is to support the military campaign and to study all aspects of Egypt with a View to a lasting occupation but while the French army earns an important victory over the mamaluks at the Battle of the pyramids its Fleet is destroyed by the English with no way to return Bonaparte is now a prisoner of his own Conquest and another enemy is advancing the Ottoman Empire which does not want to see the French gain control over Egypt Bonaparte decides to take the initiative and embarks on a military campaign against Syria where the Ottoman and mamaluk forces are gathered the scholars Morse and Bertoli accompany Bonaparte while Villages and a small group of scientists travel up the Nile to the South which they're eager to visit alas after weeks of traveling we arrive in Luxor at night we will have to be patient a little longer my God this night will be so long given that we are itching to apply our rulers our compasses and Plumb lines to the walls and columns which have stood here for centuries [Music] even the soldiers who until now only saw us as a burden and source of problems when they had to accompany us and who understand nothing of the reasons for our presence and our interest in what they call Old Stones even these soldiers were lost in admiration before the vestiges of the Temple of Karnak they pay tribute to the beauty of this site before these ruins fell back into the silence in which they had stood for so long [Music] [Music] what does it say down there that it's not vertical [Laughter] what brings you here I could ask the same of you no you first well I'm going back to Cairo with General does it I can't take any more from Cairo to Aswan to the Red Sea I've been racing from one to the other we just received authorization to go to Aswan what's it like which nowhere near as good as felai from the point of view of the harmony of the proportions it's one of the most beautiful things you can see in Egypt oh where can we sit down I want to show you something Splendid right here only one single time General Jose had a unique objective capturing Murad Bay only once did he allow us to make a halt it was a Denver 80 kilometers from here Temple three quarters buried in the sand and at the back there was a room which we reached by climbing on the roof we found this on the ceiling [Music] how I only had time to do this rather poor drawing but if you go there and I strongly urge you to you must produce some better ones from what I was told this zodiac is an outstanding testimony to the astrological knowledge of the ancient Egyptians it's magnificent [Music] foreign there were explorers who traveled individually to Egypt and who pretty much sketched what they saw here for the first time we've got engineering graduates we've got Architects we've got people who are trained in drawing and who are precise students young people who apply geometric principles and scientific methods to their work and their way of illustrating The Monuments unlike the older Scholars such as donor who always adds a little tree or an animal to his sketches in this case they reproduce what they see so that from a scientific point of view it is indisputable after long months of being confined in the north villier and julwa are finally in the heart of Egypt's archaeological riches and Karnak is only one stop on a journey that will take them farther south to places whose inaccessibility has rendered the mythical if you love history then you will love history hit our extensive library of documentary features everything from the ancient origins of our earliest ancestors to the daring mission to sink the bismar history hit has hundreds of exclusive documentaries with unrivaled access to the world's best historians we're committed to Bringing history fans award-winning documentaries and podcasts that you cannot find anywhere else sign up now for a free trial and timeline fans get 50 off their first three months just be sure to use the code timeline at checkout [Music] that's enough of our travels what about General to say tell us how things are going in Syria tell us the news don't tell me you don't know I won't believe you did something happen to Saturday no as far as I know he's fine what about malls oh he's safe too tell them what you told me will you he was with the expedition it was he who brought the news of the Syria campaign Syria we're not there yet Perhaps we never will be everything went fine until the taking of Gaza and Jaffa Jaffa fell in a day 2 000 ottoman Fighters killed and three thousand taken prisoner the following day Bona parts he didn't want to be burdened with prisoners he ordered he didn't know how he could feed them and he didn't want to let them go so they could fight against us again so want some water no wine here carry on he ordered them to be executed they were taken to the beach and shots when the number of bodies grew just too many the prisoners were marched to the dunes and the massacre continued [Music] and then when the ammunition ran out the rest had to be killed by bayonet [Music] I'm a soldier God knows I've seen dead men but never so many corpses people whose lives we promise would be safe if they surrendered in addition to the massacre of prisoners there are grave health problems a plague epidemic sweeps through the Army's ranks the soldiers who are not affected are terrified to restore their courage Bonaparte who carefully avoids uttering the word plague tries to demonstrate that the disease is not to be feared he pays a long visit to the sick he helps carry the body of a soldier whose uniform is soiled by the burst pustulant bubos before de Jeanette the expedition's chief physician pushes him out saying the visit has gone on long enough there are two points of view among the Physicians there is the point of view of De Jeanette who thinks the word plague will crush the Soldier's morale and then there's the point of view of the surgeon who says the soldiers should be told the truth that way they can take measures to avoid spreading the disease in particular they will understand why they are told not to take the clothes of victims there is a debate on this subject and Bonaparte settles the matter backing to Jeanette's view Dishnet the French army takes Gaza and Jaffa so easily that everyone thinks all they have to do is show up in front of Saint John of acre and the Pasha in charge will surrender the reality is quite different bonaparte's besieged the town for two months now day and night attack follows attack but to no avail and resulting in heavy losses among the French troops and officers General cafarelli is killed klebere is outraged at the scale of French losses he writes Bonaparte is a general at the cost of 10 000 men per day two English warships await the French off the coast of heifer to the south of Saint John of acre and it is their Commander Sydney Smith who is organizing the defense of the town an officer in the English Navy Sydney Smith is notorious for having torched the French Fleet in too long as part of England's action against the French Revolution he is working towards a reproachment between England and the Ottoman Empire and has orders to thwart bonaparte's Ambitions in the east foreign to be able to overpower a place by Brute Force such as when one is laying Siege it obviously requires Siege artillery which means Heavy Artillery but the French no longer control the Seas so they can no longer bring in supplies by ship and when they try to do so they come up against the English so this artillery never reaches Bonaparte and he doesn't have the resources to take the town so he has to Stage an old-style blockade like an ancient Siege but this blockade cannot work because the English are sending in supplies so instead of a few days The Siege goes on for several months all right the Syria campaign grinds to a halt at Saint John of acre and Bonaparte has no choice but to retreat he doesn't want to spread the plague epidemic by taking the sick back to Cairo and reluctant to leave them to the Turkish scimitars he gives orders for those infected to be given a fatal dose of opium degenet the chief physician refuses but a compliant pharmacist carries out the Grim instruction one of the key features about the Egyptian campaign that never goes away this was British propaganda at the time was Napoleon kills prisoners and Napoleon commits euthanasia on his soldiers who have Bubonic plague now these are things that Napoleon never denies on the return to Cairo the toll of the Syria campaign is catastrophic thousands of prisoners executed hundreds of plague victims with euthanasia for the sick bonaparte's Army has lost some 4 500 soldiers and all of them have died in vain shook the failure of the Syria campaign sounds the death knell for his hopes of an Eastern Empire it's all over Bonaparte realizes that he will one day have to account for this and he will face some criticism all other business can wait the only matter we have to deal with today is the creation of a committee to study the plague and what exactly do you expect of this committee General the plague that spread through our troops from Jaffa to Saint John aveca took a terrible toll it's the only thing responsible for our return to Cairo without having conquered everything as far as Constantinople I want to know indeed I demand to know how this sickness could have put us in a situation of leaving territory to our enemies from where they could prepare to attack us again was it not simply because you were blinded by your thirst for Conquest that you wanted to hide from your men the sickness of which they were victims you published a text in which you stated this disease was not the place on your orders on your orders alone you were afraid of the effect the plague would have on your troops well if you were certain of the nature of the disease it was up to you to convince me but perhaps you were not capable of that because you're not a real doctor but some sort of a charlatan everything's fine everything's fine please leave and close the door armed guards in a place dedicated to science and the Arts the Egyptian Air does not suit you citizen General it has turned you into nothing less than an oriental despot come along now this is a grave matter but we must deal with it impartially and leave our passion to one side I propose that this committee be created this very day and that its aims will be clearly established and will independently carry out inquiries that are exclusively scientific and medical with no interference from military questions yes but without me As You Wish citizen degenet no one is forcing you You'll Play No part Bonaparte is only just returned to Cairo from Syria when he learns that an ottoman Landing has taken place at Abu Kia the French presence in Egypt is under greater threat than ever before but this threat coincides with a discovery that will change our understanding of ancient Egypt forever to the east of abukir stands the fort of Rosetta it's in a poor State and is in need of repair ahead of a possible anglo-turkish attack in the course of the work a heavy Stell of black granite engraved in mysterious languages is Unearthed by Chance the officer who finds the stone Captain Bouchard is a member of The Sciences and arts commission a member of The Institute of Egypt also happens to be on site no one at this time knows how to read hieroglyphics nor the writing that takes up the middle part of the Stone both men can read Greek the text says that this decree is written in three languages hieroglyphic demotic and Greek the text in hieroglyphs should therefore be identical to the Greek text they realize the importance of this discovery in the midst of the military preparations they wrap up the stale and ship it to Cairo immediately they realized that this Stone which Bears the name of the Pharaoh Ptolemy is written in each of the languages and they think that these three texts say the same thing from there they can decipher the hieroglyphics who succeeded in doing this but as he was only eight years old at the time of the Egyptian campaign he can't have done it then contrary to popular belief [Music] have reached Aswan in southern Egypt and are wholly unaware of the recent discoveries the disastrous expedition to Syria and the new battles that are looming their leader has reproached them for drawing hieroglyphs instead of taking measurements of irrigation systems so the two young scientists set about this task as quickly as they can whilst obstinately continuing to visit temples if I had made the whole trip from Paris just to see this that would be enough to make me happy you know what they should do toss away all the Travelers accounts published so far they missed the best places well [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] you done foreign what did you wish for you shouldn't tell anyone your wish it won't come true you believe that I don't know I think it only works if you believe in it in any case the ancient Egyptians believed in it our Boatman also seems to believe it hmm oh good God The Boatman we'd better get going I don't think he's going to be happy Sailing by night as villier and July struggled to find the words to describe their emotions in the face of the beauty they've discovered a thousand kilometers to the north at abukir cannon firing zone foreign ly the Turkish forces have not taken the initiative to attack as soon as they landed they have not moved from the Bay of abukir which leaves Bonaparte time to assemble his troops and March them swiftly to abukir where the Turks are crushed one characteristic of these Turkish armies is they have lots and lots of followers they offers very very new very huge numbers but never very particularly well organized and obviously the superior Firepower of the French infantry takes its toll there's a lot of panash amongst the Turkish Fighters notably the Cavalry but they're not very good with the firearms and so the French win every time was the distraction of the French Fleet sees the Ottomans driven back into the sea 2 would erase the humiliation of abukir-1 the ruler of the pyramids was the winner of abukiya Bonaparte has just shown that he is still capable of military success and life in Cairo returns to normal as if nothing happened on the road to Syria no no don't be fooled like all children I played at being a soldier but I never imagined for a second that I'd be a general and don't think I'm happy being one today I bear the burden out of Duty to my country not because I want to why do you think I so enjoy your company as a child I dreamed of being an inventor I could see myself becoming another Newton Newton having resolved the problem of Attraction there was no longer any room and what do we know of the movement of the smallest of bodies what do we know of molecules of the atom almost nothing I would happily have left the planets to Newton to study the secrets of life and the universe we will have plenty of time to continue our discussion but now I must leave you gentlemen General I have a report that I'd like to get to The Institute of France would you be so good as to pass it on never fear santileer your report will reach the Institute thank you General he's leaving what who's leaving The General in Chief is returning to France and leaving behind his army bet my life on it [Music] under cover of night Morse and bertule the scientific leaders and the artist vivaldo have their personal effects taken discreetly to abukir they're just waiting for One Last Passenger and an important one the organizer of this clandestine trip one year after his arrival in Egypt Bonaparte set sail to return to France Bonaparte leaves the Army without telling anyone not even his successor General kleber who he has appointed General in Chief in his place learns the news from a letter he's Furious but since he is now in charge of this Army which is still in some difficulty he makes an address to the soldiers in which he hides his true feelings my soldiers Imperial duties dictate that the General in Chief Bonaparte has gone to France powerful reinforcements will arrive or else a glorious peace will carry you back to your Homeland in receiving the burden which Bonaparte had to carry I feel its importance and all that is arduous about it but on the other hand I appreciate your worth I only have to think about the honor of being at your head the honor of commanding you and my strength swells the truth is that after the disastrous Syria campaign klebere is inheriting a catastrophic situation he writes to the director pointing out the lack of weapons and Munitions and the loss of a great many men he overstates matters somewhat to push his appeal for help describing soldiers going about naked and with nothing to eat since the supplies were exhausted but this tactic will soon work against him at the moment Bonaparte sets foot in France contrary to what one might imagine he has after all left his army almost deserted as some would say Bonaparte is welcomed in triumphed for months in the Republic there have been rumors a ruling regime at the time has undergone several in the previous years and you have to bear in mind that the director Emmanuel cies who has just come to power is himself preparing a coup and to carry this out he needs a general or a saber as he calls it after pondering who could act as this saber he learns of bonaparte's return from Egypt and the general who was present with him General Morrow says there's your man he can lead Aku much better than me making the most of his Prestige and the confusion that Reigns at the highest level of State Bonaparte overthrows the regime and sees his power he now has more pressing concerns than what's happening in Egypt unaware of their leaders departure villier and choloir let their crew return to Cairo and stop at Thebes opposite Luxor where they'd not enough time on the outward Journey this time they have several weeks to explore the region this one looks quite good don't you think yes in any case it's much better than Donald's yes we should make some copies for the astronomers at the commission they'll make a better use of it than we will I'm sure they will I don't know anything about astronomy [Music] he's been saying for an hour that he wants to talk to the men who do the drawings I'm sick of him what shall I do it's an impacting do you speak Arabic I've learned a few words stay you can help if there are words we don't understand yes spread it out [Music] okay can I see this take how much ask him how much he wants for this just ahead [Music] after searching as far as we could for mummies we turn to one of those men who make a profession of grave robbing to find amulets and other objects which they sell for high prices I wouldn't mind that shallis Zeus [Music] ask him where we found them where'd you find it under our questioning he told us that one day in the nearby Mountain mummies of dogs had been found I promised him a rich reward if he took us to the place where these mummies were hoped to find embalmed human bodies but have to make do with mummified animals but in the course of their excavation they make a far more important discovery since the days of ancient Rome eleven tombs had been discovered in the Valley of the Kings in Thebes where the Pharaohs were buried the two young scholars find a 12th when we return to France we'll be missing one thing the name of the Pharaoh for whom this tomb was dug it's no doubt written somewhere on the walls yes but we can't read it don't let that stop you copying it all perhaps someone will manage to decipher it [Music] don't worry they'll find our bones in two or three thousand years and think this tomb was for us [Music] young scholars are a real gift from France given to the ancient Egyptian civilization despite all the political and Military difficulties they encounter the young scholars find the time to make sketches of the ancient monuments they analyze them visit them compare them and then write reports which afterwards they present to the Institute of Cairo [Music] foreign ER is of the same opinion but we have amassed such a quantity of measurements and drawings that sorting them all into order can only be done on our return to Cairo or better still France because I think we have now fulfilled our mission and we can serenely contemplate returning home [Music] we're in the middle copying the hieroglyphs and suddenly the light went out we hadn't paid any attention to the candle thank you we had to crawl out following the wall patting our hands along the floor because in the middle of the corridor there was a drop of about 10 meters I think video found it a little unnerving well can you tell me what we're doing here right now we must have at least 10 000 harrogas still to copy that's not amusing have left why don't we return the English the English don't care a fig about us there's no point arguing if you want my opinion Bonaparte brought us here so we would boost his glory by teaching the French about the country he was set to conquer liberate though if you prefer liberate then conquer and now he's gone clay bear is keeping us here because uh he doesn't want to take responsibility for bringing bonaparte's mission to an end if if that's the case we may be here for a while yet indeed maybe it's written in the stars that will be buried in this damn country to science it's a science and to knowledge the knowledge [Music] powerful reinforcements or a glorious peace clebair had promised his soldiers but now he's given up on those reinforcements so he instructs General dese to negotiate with the English representative Sydney Smith an agreement to evacuate Egypt I will carry out my task as best I can but why signing a court so quickly as a soldier I'm convinced that it is still possible to beat the ottoman Army which would allow us to then negotiate with England from a position of strength I'm confident that you can defeat the Ottomans to say but even in defeat they will come back with fresh forces now Mama looks were beaten and yet they are still a danger and the Egyptian population has not been won over by the French presence and never will be they could Rebel again each battle one leaves us weakened and if we must continue to fight England just has to wait until we no longer exist at least let's drag out the negotiation while we await Aid still this idea of being in a position of strength again [Music] still this idea that all those battles were not in vain don't hold out any false hopes to say we have no Fleet left and will never receive reinforcements how can France send Aid to Egypt when it needs all of its forces to fight against the anti-republican coalition now it's up to the Army in Egypt to find a way to return to France as soon as possible to fight for the Republic we cannot hope for better than an agreement to evacuate Egypt negotiated with Sydney Smith General menu is fiercely opposed to this unless it's in the framework of a peace Accord for the whole Mediterranean neither Sydney Smith nor myself have a mandate to negotiate an overall peace deal in the Mediterranean let's consider ourselves lucky that the Ottomans have signed the treaty and that the English do not hold us prisoner [Music] very well goodbye to San Cleber are both seeking an honorable way to bring an end to the French presence in Egypt Jose by continuing the war kleber through an immediate cessation of combat it's the English who will force the two men to reach agreement General [Music] no thank you [Music] my government has decided not to ratify your Accord with Sydney Smith it didn't need to be ratified my government decided differently Nelson the point of view of Admiral Nelson prevails indeed while our two countries are at war in Europe my government does not want to see your soldiers return from Egypt to swell the ranks of the French army that is unworthy coming from an officer sir Sydney Smith was dismissed for concluding that Accord with you [Music] your letter to your government detailing the deplorable situation your armies are in was intercepted it carried considerable weight in my government's decision we will only accept a capitulation under which the French will surrender their weapons and consider themselves prisoners never you think our army is beaten but you will find out that it is not if we have to we will fight our response to this insult will be victory is facing a very difficult situation since the Egyptians also realize how weak the French are and the English and ottomans are at the gate contrary to what one might think the Army is not as dismayed by bonaparte's departure as some have said this is because to some extent clever seems like the man for the moment he is a great General who has led a glorious campaign in Germany among the troops there are some who have been following him for a long time so there is a very tight bond between the rank and file and kleber cleburner finds himself with three enemies the mamaluks the Ottoman Empire and the English he must at all costs prevent the Ottomans reaching Cairo and rallying the inhabitants to drive out the French whom the English could then just pick off [Music] the soldiers just want to return to France instead of which clever asked them to fight again some 40 000 Ottomans joined by Twenty Thousand mamalukes under Ibrahim Bay amassed a few kilometers from Cairo kleber can only Master 11 000 including a thousand five hundred Cavalry the Ottomans and the mamaluks are five or six times more numerous than the French after several hours March and an initial Victorious clash with an advance guard of some six thousand Ottomans the French army faces the bulk of the Ottoman and mamaluk forces more than 50 000 men thank you at noon thousands of Horsemen charged towards clever's forces [Music] the engineer malus recalls the Cavalry charged wave after wave the Ottomans let out war cries circling rapidly around us they surrounded us blocking out the horizon it goes on for hours throughout the day's successive waves sweeped down and attacked clebers Square formations over and over again [Music] by the evening clebair's Army is still facing charges by Ottoman and mamaluk cavalry but the strategy of infantry squares proves effective depleted exhausted the enemy leaves the battlefield at midnight the French have lost 600 Soldiers the enemy more than 8 000 men this was one of clevere's greatest victories in his Memoirs Bonaparte writes of the Awakening of the Lion Club air ready to hang on to the Egyptian lands until a general peace agreement settles the fate of the expeditionary Army is fighting the Turks and the English the Egyptians profit from the situation and revolt against the French in Cairo and so clever has to rush back from heliopolis to put down this second Uprising in Cairo it's a very serious event takes clay Bell 30 days I think to put it down he loses 500 men fighting from house to house he is like a surgeon cutting out a cancer bit by bit in order to conserve the Army's supplies food Munitions and ships which are kept at the Port of bulac the second Revolt in Cairo is more violent and bloody than the first although there are fewer victims wants to teach the Egyptians a lesson and to demonstrate the power of the French army and that he is still the strong man in Egypt it takes Cleber 35 days and the loss of 500 men to take back control of Cairo subsequently he restores order to the administration refills the coffers by collecting taxes and totally brings to heal a country which was running away from him a month before klebere no longer talks about returning to France knowing it to be impossible this suits the English but it's not to the liking of the grand vizier head of the Ottoman armies who has clever assassinated by a fanatical student who himself is captured and impaled in a Public Square [Music] could not appoint a successor and so the usual rule is applied the oldest of the division's generals takes command of the army meaning General Manu he is a figure who is not widely liked I think and is certainly not appreciated for his abilities he does his best he converts to Islam in the hope that somehow this might make a difference but it doesn't really he's criticized for having named his son by this with the same name as the man who killed clay Bell so he has a totally different approach from his predecessors foreign [Music] [Music] are you thirsty [Music] you know to begin with I didn't like you I was like my comrade I thought you were just a burden on our mission and now now having spent weeks with you in the desert I understand gentlemen I have a message for you all soldiers accompanying artists or scientists have orders to rejoin their units immediately gentlemen don't stay here you'll get yourself killed for nothing all troops fall in forward what it's over manudin oppose us while Bonaparte and clever wanted to see our work advance but now he's abandoning us all this will only be good for lighting on fire we cannot complete what we have started all this will have been in vain asses asses oh yes General no Mr Abdullah perhaps we are asses as you claim but if anything is to remain of this Expedition it will be what we have brought back certainly not your command how could this General who's not fit to run the kitchens find himself at the head of the arm who would you have put there with clear bear assassinated and they say gone there's no one else laughs what do we do now if you want to get yourself killed for nothing we carry on alone without escort otherwise we go back to Cairo six months ago I was dying to see my family then I Found A Renewed taste for work but now I only want one thing to go home to France Egypt will soon be in the hands of the English and the Ottomans we have no more business here [Music] they will have to wait for more than a year before returning home and before that Manu who dreams of turning Egypt into a French Colony will suffer a crushing defeat [Music] when the English landed in abukir supported by the arrival of an ottoman Army General Manu takes 13 days before deciding to attack canapus where the English have set up camp this leaves them time to organize their defense Manu launches a dawn attack by midday the French army is beaten after the battle of cannabis menu divides his forces Alexandria and so this division this breaking up of the Army in Egypt is the beginning of the end has no information about what's going on in Alexandria there's no longer any communication between Alexandria and Cairo and his army find themselves cut off from Cairo and threatened with destruction he's forced to sign a capitulation with the English and the Ottomans and from that moment some 14 000 French are evacuated and what's more on English ships barricades himself in Alexandria he sets up defensive positions to protect the city and stop the English occupying it while he awaits reinforcements from France one should always be wary of leaders who say they will hold out until they die with their men this is what the new promises in Alexandria but in the end after feeble resistance he also capitulates and it was thus three years after the arrival of this Army of the Orient which became the army of Egypt the French would all return home it's essential yes of course but one of the examples we have gentlemen I have good news the members of the Science and Arts commission are authorized to Embark for France there is there is however one condition upon which the English insists you must all leave the entire collections you have gathered and all your studies drawings sketches and copies of highlights we didn't do all that work for nothing it works these words are considered as belonging to France but constitute Spoils of War for the English three years were produced enough I'm as disappointed as you are but I could obtain nothing more there you have it you must be satisfied with returning home safe and sound which is something thank you gentlemen thank you Gentlemen please like all of you I want to go home and see my family but I've collected hundreds of animals here of all kinds and which are unknown in Europe and now I'm supposed to abandon them I'd rather die of course is a terrible tactician and a poor negotiator even if he tries to salvage any of this I doubt he can find the words to convince the English we must write to them Santa there your quilt General Manu tries to pass off the studies and collections as personal belongings not those of the Republic but the English General who controls the port of Alexandria will have none of that the scholars issue a threat rather than see our works stolen we will destroy it and Scatter it in the Sands or toss it into the sea from the Science and Arts Commission of the French Republic to the general commander of Alexandria no we will not give in no we will not allow such a sacrifice to be carried out we ourselves will burn our Treasures count on the Judgment of History you too will have burned a library in Alexandria Joshua santileer finds the right words the loss of the Library of Alexandria which housed tens of thousands of Papyrus Scrolls was a symbol of cultural destruction the English General and command at Alexandria does not want to be held responsible for the loss of studies carried out by French scientists [Music] he gives in the scholars can keep their collections papers and certain antiques that they have gathered all these objects will be considered personal effects that cannot be seized on condition that they may be carried by the scholars themselves alas the stone discovered that Rosetta is too heavy to be carried by a single man and must be left to the English the French Scholars keep only copies foreign the elements contrived to make the return Voyage an additional trial underlining the Fiasco of the end of the Egyptian campaign don't worry everything's fine [Music] you find this funny [Music] all we need now is to sink to complete the picture okay [Music] foreign [Music] of the 167 Scholars who initially landed in Egypt 25 of either died from sickness or been slain the others trickle back to France with the soldiers on ship switch by Quirk of Fate fly the English flag [Music] when after six weeks of a harsh Voyage the members of The Sciences and arts commission arrive in too long on the 6th of November 1801 the health services send them on to Marseille since the hospitals are full of sick and injured soldiers returning from Egypt the scientists are placed in quarantine in a freezing cold Warehouse where they must remain for another month itching to get home oh come on oh I see good God they're treating us like animals we're not staying here for 40 days we just cattled fetch your desk and krill we must write them a letter [Music] clever wanted all the scholars on the expedition to bring together their work in a single groundbreaking publication Ten Years Later the description of Egypt the sum of all the work by the Science and Arts commission marked the birth of a new science egyptology [Music] at Napoleon's request the description of Egypt is published in a Sumptuous Edition illustrated by hundreds of drawings which would make modern and ancient Egypt known to the French public it's above all the reproductions of the temples pyramids palaces and other marvels of antiquity which will leave the greatest impression Bonaparte thus ensures that the disastrous military campaign in Egypt is forgotten All That Remains is the memory of the scientific campaign and all the beauty it reveals to the world [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: Timeline - World History Documentaries

Views: 47,483

Keywords: Artistic contributions, Arts and sciences, East meets West, East-West relations, French conquests, French sailors, Historical contacts, Historical encounter, Historical exploration, History Hit, Interdisciplinary study, Military expedition, Muslim culture, Naval fleet, Navy, Scholarly missions, Science mission, Scientific exploration, Scientists, Timeline - World History Documentaries, Western perspective

Id: ZU0PJwjfbFo

Length: 51min 25sec (3085 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 17 2022