Napoleon in egypt and his effect on education , newspaper ,edition, Essay

Napoleon in egypt and his effect on education , newspaper ,edition, military - Essay Example t the months Alexander spent in Egypt, from late October 332 till April 331, marked a psychological turning-point in his life." By right of conquest Alexander "became simultaneously god and king, incarnation and son of Ra and Osiris; he was Horus the Golden One, the mighty prince, beloved of Amen, King of Upper and Lower Egypt."2 Previously, in Macedonia, rumours of Alexander being the son of a God had circulated. His mother claimed his father was Zeus-Ammon and it was said that he had a ring as a token of this paternity. However, it was in Egypt for the first time "he learnt that he was in truth a god, and the son of a god. Greek tradition distinguished sharply between the two; Egypt did not."3 He was not merely the son of a God but a God. Over two millennia later another rising military and imperial star, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt. Like Alexander before him, Napoleon, for a host of diverse reasons, both personal and political, opportunistic and strategic, turned his eyes to the Nile delta. The campaign is regarded as one of his first defeats. However, while it may have been a failure militarily, and was followed by Bonaparte becoming First Consul, then Emperor, and it had profound consequences on European history beyond the military and strategic. The months Napoleon spent in Egypt cannot be described as a psychological turning-point in his life, as they were for Alexander. However, the fact of the matter is that, Napoleon departed for Egypt as a leading military leader and returned a candidate for Emperor. Militarily, the campaign was a defeat. The Army of Italy was shipped to Egypt and campaigned along the Nile. It won some battles and it lost some battles. Ultimately, Nelson destroyed the French fleet in Aboukir Bay and left the army stranded in Egypt. At this point Napoleon returned to France where he became First Consul. Critics argue he abandoned his army in Egypt. His advocates claim he returned to the seat of government to rescue the