II.

First Coalition

In the War of the First Coalition (1793-1797), France fought against an alliance consisting of Austria, Prussia, Great Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1796 Napoleon was entrusted by the government of France, the Directory, with conducting military operations against Austrian forces in northern Italy. In less than a year, Napoleon had led his troops to victory over the larger Austrian army. In 1798, he was made the leader of an expedition to conquer Egypt as a base for future attack against the British possession of India. The invasion was ultimately unsuccessful, and Napoleon returned to France. Although the two campaigns took place before Napoleon's government, the Consulate, was established, they are generally regarded as the opening phases of the Napoleonic Wars. The campaigns were the first in which Napoleon displayed on a large scale his genius as a commander; early battles of the War of the Second Coalition are also included in this category.