Historians continue to debate the rather murky motives for the French expedition to Egypt. One of the most frequently mentioned theories states that the Directory seized upon the Egyptian campaign largely as way to dispose of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Directory's control of France was precarious and they were not sorry to see him depart, nor were they upset by the possibility that the successful and politically ambitious general might be stranded or killed in the desert. (Of the five directors, Paul Barras may have had an additional incentive to be rid of the young General; reputedly he resumed his affair with his former mistress Josephine, reducing Napoleon from conqueror to cuckold.) According to historian J. Christopher Herold, French Foreign Minister Talleyrand, somewhat of an Anglophile, was more interested in the diplomatic than the colonial value of the venture. Duff Cooper, Talleyrand's biographer, maintains that Talleyrand and Bonaparte may have fired each other's enthusiasm for Egypt, but the foreign minister wanted the unpredictable young general out of the way until he could complete his own plans for the overthrow of the Directory. Bonaparte himself, fresh from the glory of his first Italian campaign, dreaded the anti-climax of inactivity, and sought another military challenge, far from the divisive politics of Paris, while awaiting the opportune moment to take power. Later, in his memoirs, Napoleon observed that the Directory needed constant war in order to survive, so the invasion served the interests of many. More Napoleon in Egypt Napoleon in Egypt: Introduction Napoleon in Egypt: Why Egypt? Napoleon in Egypt: Alliance and Assembly Napoleon in Egypt: Expedition Commences Napoleon in Egypt: Expedition Arrives Napoleon in Egypt: Battle of the Pyramids Napoleon in Egypt: French Artillery Strength Napoleon in Egypt: French Dragoons Uniform Guide Napoleon in Egypt: French Light Cavalry Uniform Guide Napoleon in Egypt: French Army of Orient Order of Battle (text: fast 10K) Napoleon in Egypt: French Army of Orient Order of Battle (graphics: very slow: 314K) Cover Illustration: Napoleon in Egypt Back to Table of Contents -- Napoleon #13 Back to Napoleon List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by Napoleon LLC. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. The full text and graphics from other military history magazines and gaming magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com Order Napoleon magazine direct