Siege of Acre
-
What was the Siege of Acre in 1799?
The Siege of Acre in 1799 was Napoleon Bonaparte's failed attempt to conquer the Ottoman-controlled city of Acre (now in northwest Israel). The siege, which lasted from March 18 to May 20, 1799, was a major setback for Napoleon, marking the end of his imperial ambitions in the East and giving the British control of the Mediterranean.
Acre's defenses were strengthened by the British Royal Navy, commanded by Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, and a French émigré officer. Despite multiple French assaults and a victory against a Turkish army at Mount Tabor, the French forces couldn't overcome Acre's formidable defenses. Facing shortages, disease, and mounting casualties, Napoleon was forced to retreat to Egypt.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which countries or groups were involved in the Siege of Acre?
The Siege of Acre in 1799 involved multiple groups and countries. Napoleon's French forces laid siege to Acre, a walled city in Ottoman-controlled Palestine (now in northwest Israel). The city's 5,000-strong garrison was supported by two Royal Navy ships under Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith. A French Ă©migrĂ© officer, Antoine Le Picard de PhĂ©lippeaux, also helped improve the townâs fortifications. Additionally, a large Ottoman Turkish army was sent to raise the siege, but was defeated by General Jean-Baptiste KlĂ©ber at the Battle of Mount Tabor.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Who led the French and Ottoman forces during the siege?
During the Siege of Acre in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte led the French forces. Acre was under Ottoman control, with a garrison of 5,000 soldiers supported by British Royal Navy ships commanded by Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith.
The French launched multiple infantry assaults, but the defenders repulsed them. Although the Turks sent a large army, General Jean-Baptiste Kléber defeated them at the Battle of Mount Tabor on April 16. The French eventually breached Acre's walls but discovered that the defenders had constructed internal fortifications. Facing shortages, disease, and a British blockade, Napoleon retreated to Egypt.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why did the French try to capture the city of Acre?
Napoleon's forces tried to capture Acre in 1799 because it was a strategic, walled city in Ottoman-controlled Palestine. Napoleon hoped that by seizing Acre, he could disrupt British trade in the Levant and potentially threaten Britain's position in India. However, the defense of Acre was assisted by the British, who captured the French siege artillery. The French were ultimately unsuccessful in their siege, suffering heavy losses due to strong fortifications and British naval support. This defeat marked the end of Napoleon's hopes of creating an empire in the East.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did the Ottomans and their allies defend Acre against the French attack?
During the Siege of Acre in 1799, the city's Ottoman garrison, supported by British Royal Navy ships under Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, successfully defended against Napoleon's forces. The British navy captured some of Napoleonâs siege guns and, along with French Ă©migrĂ© officer Antoine Le Picard de PhĂ©lippeaux, improved Acre's fortifications. Despite facing a series of French infantry assaults and formal siege operations, the defenders, resupplied by sea, constructed internal fortifications that thwarted French attempts to breach the walls. Although General Jean-Baptiste KlĂ©ber defeated a large Turkish army sent to relieve the siege at the Battle of Mount Tabor on April 16, the French, suffering from shortages, disease, and casualties, were ultimately forced to retreat.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What was the outcome of the Siege of Acre and how did it affect Napoleon's campaign in the region?
The Siege of Acre (March 18 to May 20, 1799) was Napoleon's unsuccessful siege of the Ottoman-controlled, walled city of Acre. It was his first setback in the Egyptian campaign and marked the end of his hopes of building an empire in the East.
Acre's 5,000-strong garrison was supported by Royal Navy ships under Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, who improved the townâs fortifications. French assaults were repulsed, and though the French secured artillery to breach Acreâs walls by the end of April, internal fortifications built by the defenders stymied their attacks.
Acre was resupplied by sea, while the French suffered shortages, disease, and casualties. Napoleon accepted defeat and retreated to Egypt. The French suffered 2,200 dead, and 2,000 wounded or ill, out of 13,000.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Siege of Acre, Napoleonâs unsuccessful siege of the Ottoman-controlled, walled city of Acre (today in northwest Israel) that lasted from March 18 to May 20, 1799. It was his first setback in the Egyptian campaign and one of his few defeats, and it marked the end of his hopes of carving out an empire in the East. Furthermore, the resulting British command of the Mediterranean Sea made the whole expedition to Egypt increasingly irrelevant.
Effectively marooned in Egypt through the loss of the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile (1798), Napoleon decided to continue his war with the Ottoman Turks and marched into Palestine. On March 18, his forces encountered the walled city of Acre, whose 5,000-strong garrison was supported by two Royal Navy ships of the line under Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith. The British had captured a flotilla containing half of Napoleonâs siege guns, and the townâs fortifications were improved by Smith and Antoine Le Picard de PhĂ©lippeaux, a French Ă©migrĂ© officer. Smith was a particular bĂȘte noire of Napoleonâs, having organized the British and Royalist evacuation of Toulon six years earlier, setting numerous French ships afire, and then been imprisoned in Paris for two years on Napoleonâs orders until finally being paroled, During the siege at Acre Smith wrote Napoleon, taunting him with the fact that âa poor prisoner in the cell of the Temple prison . . . an unfortunate for whom you refused, for a single moment, to give yourself any concernâ was now thwarting the French commanderâs efforts to seize âthe sands of Syria.â
A series of French infantry assaults was repulsed, forcing Napoleon to instigate formal siege operations. To add to his difficulties, the Turks sent a large army to raise the siege. General Jean-Baptiste Kléber was ordered to repel this force, and, despite being heavily outnumbered, he inflicted a crushing defeat on the Turks at the Battle of Mount Tabor on April 16.
By the end of April, the French had secured sufficient artillery to make a breach in Acreâs walls. Five desperate assaults were launched by the French from May 1â10, but when the attackers had fought their way onto the walls, they discovered that the defenders had built a series of equally formidable internal fortifications. While Acre continued to be resupplied by sea, the demoralized French were suffering grievous shortages, with disease starting to take hold and with mounting casualties that could not be evacuated by sea because of the British blockade. Reluctantly, Napoleon accepted defeat and began the long retreat back to Egypt.
Tel Akko, the hill southeast of Acre where Napoleon established his camp, is still known as "Napoleonâs Hill." The site, formerly that of a Canaanite and then Phoenician city, is a popular tourist attraction, along with a cemetery of Napoleonâs soldiers.
Losses: French, 2,200 dead, 2,000 wounded or ill of 13,000; Ottoman Turkish, unknown.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
