![Bonaparte ante la Esfinge, por Jean-Léon Gérôme](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Bonaparte_ante_la_Esfinge%2C_por_Jean-L%C3%A9on_G%C3%A9r%C3%B4me.jpg)
The Convention of El Arish was signed on 24 January 1800 by representatives from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in the presence of a British representative. It was intended to bring to an end the
French campaign in Egypt and Syria
The French campaign in Egypt and Syria (1798–1801) was Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign in the Ottoman territories of Egypt and Syria, proclaimed to defend French trade interests, to establish scientific enterprise in the region. It was the ...
, with the repatriation of French troops to France and the return of all territory to the Ottomans.
In December 1799 the British government had issued orders that its commanders were not to allow a separate treaty to be agreed between the Ottomans and France in which their troops would be returned to Europe. However these instructions did not reach the British naval commander in Egypt,
Sidney Smith, until after the convention had been signed. When Smith and his senior officer,
Lord Keith
Baron Keith was a title that was created three times in British history, with all three creations in favour of the same person, Admiral the Honourable Sir George Keith Elphinstone. He was the fifth son of Charles Elphinstone, 10th Lord Elphinsto ...
, communicated this stipulation to the French forces the French commander
Jean-Baptiste Kléber
Jean-Baptiste Kléber () (9 March 1753 – 14 June 1800) was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars. After serving for one year in the French Royal Army, he entered Habsburg service seven years later. However, his plebeian ances ...
was outraged. He ordered his troops to attack the Ottomans and won the subsequent
Battle of Heliopolis
The Battle of Heliopolis or Ayn Shams was a decisive battle between Arab Muslim armies and Byzantine forces for the control of Egypt. Though there were several major skirmishes after this battle, it effectively decided the fate of the Byzantin ...
on 20 March. When it heard of the convention the British government agreed to honour it, but it came too late. Hostilities continued until the
surrender of French forces at Alexandria in August 1801, after which the French troops were returned to France on board British ships, in accordance with the terms of the original convention.
Background
France
invaded the nominally Ottoman-ruled Egypt in 1798 with an army led by
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. Initially successful in taking control of key cities, an expedition to Syria led to defeat and Napoleon returned to France after successfully defeating Ottoman force at the
Battle of Abukir in July 1799. Napoleon left command of the French forces in the hands of
Jean-Baptiste Kléber
Jean-Baptiste Kléber () (9 March 1753 – 14 June 1800) was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars. After serving for one year in the French Royal Army, he entered Habsburg service seven years later. However, his plebeian ances ...
. The army was in a poor position, threatened by Ottoman force under
Kör Yusuf Ziyaüddin Pasha advancing from Syria and Kléber's troops were near to mutiny following their abandonment by Napoleon.
Convention
![Admiral Sir Sidney Smith (1764-1840) - Louis-Marie Autissier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Admiral_Sir_Sidney_Smith_%281764-1840%29_-_Louis-Marie_Autissier.png)
Kléber made contact with the commander of local British naval forces, Commodore
Sidney Smith, with regards to entering peace negotiations. It has since been disputed by historians as to whether either man had the necessary authority to carry out the negotiations and to agree any compromises, but with their governments being two months travel away it seems that a pragmatic approach was taken and negotiations began via letter. Kléber stated that any peace would be contingent on his men being allowed to leave Egypt on board Ottoman ships with all their baggage and weapons. He demanded safe passage from attack by Ottoman forces, a dissolution of the alliance of the Ottoman Empire with Britain and Russia and for the Ottoman Empire to pay the costs of feeding and lodging French forces until they could be evacuated. Kléber also wanted an immediate halt to all offensive action and movement of Ottoman forces, an action that Yusuf refused to agree to.
[
The 250-strong French garrison at ]El Arish
ʻArish or el-ʻArīsh ( ar, العريش ' , ''Hrinokorura'') is the capital and largest city (with 164,830 inhabitants ) of the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on the entire Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Mediter ...
mutinied and opened the town to occupation by Ottoman forces. The Ottomans began a massacre of the French troops until halted by their British liaison officer. Shortly afterwards Smith, Yusuf and two of Kléber's officers met in the town to open negotiations. Yusuf stated that he would provide safe passage and transport back to France but was not willing to meet the remaining requests. Kléber then dropped his requirement for a halt to the movement of Ottoman forces and conceded that the alliance between the Ottomans and Russia and Britain could remain in place until a formal peace treaty could be agreed. Kléber insisted that the Ottoman Empire needed to pay for the upkeep and provisions of the French troops until the evacuation could be agreed. Yusuf agreed to the revised terms and signed the convention on 24 January 1800.[ Smith did not sign the document.]
Aftermath and repudiation
Kléber personally ratified a copy of the convention on 26 January and copies signed by Yusef and Kléber were formally exchanged on 30 January. French garrisons were withdrawn to Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, Aboukir
Abu Qir ( ar, ابو قير, ''Abu Qīr'', or , ), formerly also spelled Abukir or Aboukir, is a town on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, near the ruins of ancient Canopus and northeast of Alexandria by rail. It is located on Abu Qir Penins ...
and Rosetta
Rosetta or Rashid (; ar, رشيد ' ; french: Rosette ; cop, ϯⲣⲁϣⲓⲧ ''ti-Rashit'', Ancient Greek: Βολβιτίνη ''Bolbitinē'') is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Ro ...
to await transport.[ However Smith's commander ]Lord Keith
Baron Keith was a title that was created three times in British history, with all three creations in favour of the same person, Admiral the Honourable Sir George Keith Elphinstone. He was the fifth son of Charles Elphinstone, 10th Lord Elphinsto ...
had received orders from London, dated 15 December 1799, that he was not to allow any separate treaties to be agreed between the Ottomans and France nor "to consent to any capitulation with the French troops at least unless they lay down their arms, surrender themselves prisoners of war, and deliver up all the ships and stores of the port of Alexandria to the Allied Powers". He was further ordered to intercept any ships carrying out an evacuation of French troops from Egypt.[ Keith sent a letter conveying this information to Smith from his headquarters at ]Minorca
Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capita ...
on 8 January but this did not reach him until after the convention was signed.[
Smith communicated that the convention, as it was agreed only between the Ottomans and France, was invalid in a letter of 21 February but stated that he was hopeful that the British government would reconsider upon reading the details of the convention.][ Keith, when he heard the details was supportive of the convention but also sent a letter to Kléber with details of his orders that demanded nothing less than an ]unconditional surrender
An unconditional surrender is a surrender in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. It is often demanded with the threat of complete destruction, extermination or annihilation.
In modern times, unconditional surrenders most ofte ...
.[ This letter reached Kléber at ]Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
on 18 March, by which time Yusef had moved an army of 40,000 men to nearby Heliopolis.[ Kléber was outraged and led his troops against Yusuf. He inflicted a heavy defeat upon the Ottoman forces in the 20 March ]Battle of Heliopolis
The Battle of Heliopolis or Ayn Shams was a decisive battle between Arab Muslim armies and Byzantine forces for the control of Egypt. Though there were several major skirmishes after this battle, it effectively decided the fate of the Byzantin ...
.[
Kléber was assassinated in Cairo on 14 June by ]Suleiman al-Halabi
Suleiman al-Halabi ( ar, سليمان الحلبي), also spelled Soleyman El-Halaby (1777–1800), was a Kurds, Kurdish man who assassination, assassinated French general Jean-Baptiste Kléber, leader of the French occupation forces in Egypt. H ...
, a Syrian student supportive of the Ottoman cause.[ Kléber's successor was General ]Jacques-François Menou
Jacques-François de Menou, Baron of Boussay, later Abdallah de Menou, (3 September 1750 – 13 August 1810) was a French statesman and general of Napoleon during the French Revolutionary Wars, most noted for his role in the French campaign in Eg ...
. In the meantime the British government, led by William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ire ...
, had received a copy of the convention and agreed to its acceptance. However a British envoy, Lieutenant Wright of HMS ''Tigre'', did not reach the French troops until 22 August at which point he was refused admission to Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
- General Menou being optimistic of French fortunes in a renewed campaign. Wright endeavoured to communicate the acceptance to the French rank and file and induce them to revolt against their generals who refused to allow them to go home, but was turned away. Upon hearing of this rejection the British government decided upon a fresh offensive to evict the French from Egypt. This was successfully carried out resulting in the surrender of French forces at Alexandria in August 1801 and the subsequent repatriation of French troops on British ships.[
]
British parliamentary debates
The British government's actions in regards the convention were criticised in the House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
by MP Thomas Tyrwhitt Jones
Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt Jones, 1st Baronet (1 September 1765 – 26 November 1811) of Stanley Hall, Shropshire, was a British politician.
He was the eldest son of Captain John Tyrwhitt, RN, of Netherclay House, Bishop's Hull, Somerset and educat ...
. He put forward a motion on 2 June 1801 to discover who had initially ordered that no treaty was to be agreed to. Jones praised Smith's actions and stated that the requirement of keeping British troops tied up in Egypt to fight the French may have caused the loss of Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
to the forces of the Second League of Armed Neutrality
The Second League of Armed Neutrality or the League of the North was an alliance of the north European naval powers Denmark–Norway, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia. It existed between 1800 and 1801 during the War of the Second Coalition and was in ...
in April 1801; the loss of Portugal to Franco-Spanish forces during the War of the Oranges
The War of the Oranges ( pt, Guerra das Laranjas; french: Guerre des Oranges; es, Guerra de las Naranjas) was a brief conflict in 1801 in which Spanish forces, instigated by the government of France, and ultimately supported by the French mil ...
in June 1801; and severely weakened the defences of the British Isles. Jones' opponents said that he had unsuccessfully raised the issue on no fewer than 12 occasions and his latest motion was defeated by 138 votes to 22.
References
{{Ottoman treaties
1800 in France
1800 in Egypt
1800 in Great Britain
1800 treaties
France–Ottoman Empire relations
France–Great Britain relations
Treaties of the French First Republic
French campaign in Egypt and Syria