Battle of the Nile

Battle of the Nile, naval action fought on August 1-2, 1798, during the Napoleonic Wars, between the British and the French in Abū Qīr Bay, about 24 km (about 15 mi) northeast of Alexandria, Egypt. A French fleet of 17 ships, commanded by Vice Admiral François Paul Brueys d'Aigailliers, had sailed from Toulon, France, with Napoleon Bonaparte and the army with which Napoleon intended to conquer Egypt, before attacking the British in India. The British fleet of 14 ships, under Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson, entered the bay at twilight and caught Brueys's ships anchored close to shore. After a battle that lasted into the night, the French were forced to admit defeat; all but four of their vessels either surrendered or were destroyed.

Nelson's victory cut off Napoleon's line of communication with France, eventually causing him to abandon his expedition to the Middle East. The British thus gained control of the entire Mediterranean, and they were soon able to induce various European powers to join them in a new coalition (1799) against France.