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Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East Paperback – May 27, 2008
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In this vivid and timely history, Juan Cole tells the story of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt. Revealing the young general's reasons for leading the expedition against Egypt in 1798 and showcasing his fascinating views of the Orient, Cole delves into the psychology of the military titan and his entourage. He paints a multi-faceted portrait of the daily travails of the soldiers in Napoleon's army, including how they imagined Egypt, how their expectations differed from what they found, and how they grappled with military challenges in a foreign land. Cole ultimately reveals how Napoleon's invasion, the first modern attempt to invade the Arab world, invented and crystallized the rhetoric of liberal imperialism.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSt. Martin's Griffin
- Publication dateMay 27, 2008
- Dimensions6 x 0.68 x 9 inches
- ISBN-100230606032
- ISBN-13978-0230606036
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“[Cole] has mined a number of rich, recently discovered memoirs and letters to bring the personal aspect of these encounters vividly to life.” ―The Nation
“[A] well-researched contribution to Middle Eastern history.” ―Publisher's Weekly
“Cole has produced an engaging and provocative book.” ―Richard Fraser, Library Journal
“Cole's sources allow for a well-rounded accounting of events.” ―The Columbus Dispatch
“Historian Cole, effectively utilizing diaries and letters of contemporaries on both sides, illustrates the confusion, hostilities, and necessary accommodations as two distinct cultures collide.” ―Jay Freeman, Booklist
“The book itself contains a lively account of the first eight months of France's invasion of Egypt in the summer 1798 followed by a bloody attempt to occupy and then to hold the country by the use of armed force. Unlike almost every previous work which highlights the presence of numerous French scientists and archaeologists among the members of what is usually presented as a civilizing mission, the aim of this work is to present the occupation as a series of vicious military encounters, of battles, skirmishes and ambushes, between the French and a population which they could not understand the members of which they could not correctly identify...It is to Cole's great credit that he does not force the parallels too far. But the shadow of contemporary Iraq is never far away.” ―Roger Owen, Dar Al-Hayat
“As the bibliography of the disaster known as the Bush administration grows, a useful early distinction will be chronicle versus analysis and context. Cole, a thoughtful and imaginative scholar, offers the latter with his account of an earlier, disastrous attempt to interfere with the Arab world.” ―Robert Birnbaum, the Morning News
“A timely and entertaining look at a previous Middle Eastern misadventure by one of America's most provocative and informed scholars.” ―Lawrence Wright, author of the Pulitzer Award-winning The Looming Tower: al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
“We are told that at the time of their invasion of Iraq the top leaders of the U.S. did not know anything about the division within Islam between Sunni and Shia -- or, for that matter, the history of Iraq, Iran, Egypt, or the other key countries of the Middle East. If any American is interested in catching up, the place to begin is with Juan Cole's Napoleon's Egypt: The Invention of the Middle East, a masterful and beautifully written account of Western imperialism's first assault on the Islamic world. It includes indispensable details on the West's contempt for Islamic peoples -- so-called Orientalism -- and the untold misery it has caused.” ―Chalmers Johnson, author of Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic
“When Napoleon invaded Egypt, many outsiders believed the Middle East was a region they could easily conquer and rule. Some still believe it. Cole's book reminds us that today's leaders are not the first to find the Islamic world far more complex than they imagined. It not only offers delicious stories about the private lives of invaders, but also teaches urgent lessons for the modern age.” ―Stephen Kinzer, bestselling author of Overthrow and All the Shah's Men
“This is a detailed account of Napoleon's brief attempt to invade and occupy Egypt. With great skill the author depicts the horrors and massacres consequent to an invasion and the evil it causes both occupier and occupied. Imperial attempts have seldom been as disastrous a fiasco as this one was and Napoleon tried to down play the brutality and cupidity of the invasion and ordered the State Papers dealing with it burnt. However thanks to the diaries and letters of the invaders we have detailed accounts of how a so-called civilized people can inflict untold horrors on an alien race in the name of imperialism, which in other words, was for greed and contempt for 'the other' masked in the guise of teaching them 'liberty', a concept which today we translate as 'democracy'.” ―Afaf Lutfi al-Sayyid Marsot, Professor Emerita of Near Eastern History, UCLA, and award-winning author of Egypt in the Reign of Muhammed Ali
“This is a remarkable book, which provides a gripping account of the first modern encounter between a western army and a Middle Eastern country, and should provide cautionary reading for those who still think that superior Western power will inevitably prevail over the resistance of a population determined not to be subjugated by outsiders.” ―Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor at Columbia and author of The Iron Cage and Resurrecting Empire
“Most books on the expedition focus on the outsize characters of Napoleon and his staff. But Juan Cole presents it through Egyptian eyes.” ―International Herald Tribune
“Cole's book presents an erudite, very readable and sometimes fascinating account of Napoleon's campaign, and adds to our knowledge of this endeavor.” ―Bustan: The Middle East Book Review
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- Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition (May 27, 2008)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0230606032
- ISBN-13 : 978-0230606036
- Item Weight : 15.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.68 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,572,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #479 in Napoleonic War History (Books)
- #682 in Egyptian History (Books)
- #2,875 in French History (Books)
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Cole's book details Napoleon's invasion of the nation of Egypt in 1798, just a few years after the French Revolution transformed French society, and specifically covers the unfolding of the event from 1798 to 1801. This is, of course, before Napoleon coronated himself Emperor in 1804, and therefore, as one reads the text, it must be remembered that this is Napoleonic "pre-history;" at least, "pre-history" to what is more commonly known about Napoleon's career.
The book describes in extensive detail virtually every major military and civilian event of the invasion, including battles, uprisings, police actions, civil ceremonies, attempts at integration, populace control, and political tactics. But the book covers substantially greater than these alone, bringing to life the feelings of local tribes and individuals who sought to come to grips with the invasion in any way they could. It is a dispassionate account, but the accuracy and insight offered by the narrative cannot but help to swell the emotions, and the text offers a view of the event in such a manner that we are forced to rethink what we thought we knew about this period in history.
The similarities of this historical event with today's Iraq War are frighteningly similar. So similar, in fact, that some of the reviewers of the text have, like myself, tagged the work as a "must read" for anyone wishing to understand today's Middle East political realities. When we read towards the very end of the book the reasons why Napoleon himself decided that torture was ineffective and should be banned (Napoleon said that those under torture would say anything to be relieved, and most likely would say exactly what they knew the torturer wanted to hear most, regardless of its truthfulness), we cannot help but wonder why today's leaders can't come to the same conclusion. And the story has many more eerie parallels -- unilateral invasion, occupation tactics, propaganda techniques, religious appeals - that make it appear to be the "prequel" of the Iraq War. By reading this in a somewhat removed, historical setting, we are able to more clearly see the issues raised by such military events, and can develop conclusions that are not always as easy to see when the event is in progress. This alone makes the book a worthwhile read for any modern reader.
Cole does a good job of communicating the details of the invasion, including generals, important local personalities and leaders, troop movements, bouts of sickness, civilian control techniques, and so on, without making the text overwhelming. The names and number of specific individuals, however, towards the end of the book can become difficult to follow. Nevertheless the book is excellently written, with an eye toward historical scholarship, thoroughly documented and judiciously annotated when needed. The book is based mainly on eyewitness testimonials and recorded memoirs from first-hand witnesses, as the topic has been largely avoided by historians of the past two centuries, making these source documents the key materials available on the subject. There is a short section at the end of the text for additional reading for both French and English readers.
A highly recommended text for the history reader, political scientist, or anyone wishing to make further sense of the Middle East as it is known today. Five stars.
Outrageous Pretexts ,i.e., we were "sent by the Ottoman Empire to save you", or we are here to remove"Weapons of mass Destruction",are mixed with persistent divide and conquer tactics.
Since these inevitably fail; all out terror against defenseless people is always the "fallback",and constant policy, of the Invaders.
But---- the superior "intelligence gathering", even between otherwise bitter rivals, against the Invaders, is also a recurring theme.The inevitable denoument is eventual "Victorious withdrawal", and a battered, robbed and humiliated people---who never forget.
Especially today, as Egypt is once again torn asunder, Prof Cole , in this brilliant ,highly readable book, showst us that Muslims never givein, or give up, their homes, families, and even their erstwhile rivals, but even more their country.
Every single attempt, by armed invaders, or in-country "Stooges", to crush Middle East Muslim peoples end in even greater disaster for the Invadind "Western" state. France, allowing Napoleon to become a dictator, lost an entire generation of brave young men; and fell back to the authoritarian despotism it had so recently thrown off.
Maybe worse, Egypt since July 1798, fully 215 years this month,has been ruled by British, and "Native Son Dictatorships..
Pray for the Egyptian people---and read this remarkable, fascinating book by Prof. Cole,
Unforgettable moments range from the ridiculous to the macabre. Napoleon lets word get out that he might convert to Islam and bring his army with him, in an attempt to curry favor among Muslim clerics, but his army quickly nixes the idea, as the French were unwilling to endure circumcision and give up wine. French officers discover the pleasures and perils of harems. And in a remote desert fortification, one third of Napoleon's soldiers contract a local disease that causes their eyelids to flip inside out and they go blind. An attack comes, and the blind soldiers are pushed to the front by their comrades and told not to fire until the enemy closes to 75 yards.
Juan Cole is a mideast expert and knows Arabic, so he well understands the Egyptian context and can show how locals perceived the French as well as the reverse. He enjoys the occasional victories of the Egyptian underdogs while at the same time retaining empathy for the French as they try to adapt to what becomes a terrible predicament.
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Néanmoins j'ai trouvé léger la description de la dernière partie de la conquête vers la Syrie
Der amerikanische Historiker Juan Cole blendet in seinem Buch über den Ägyptenfeldzug den wissenschaftlichen Teil der Expedition aus. Ihm geht es um die politischen und militärischen Dimensionen des Feldzuges, den er - im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Autoren - nicht allein aus französischer, sondern auch aus ägyptischer Perspektive untersucht. Cole greift hauptsächlich auf Memoiren und andere Selbstzeugnisse von Franzosen und Ägyptern zurück. Es gibt eine Vielzahl von arabischsprachigen Quellen, die zeigen, wie die Einheimischen die französische Invasion erlebten und deuteten. In dieser Kombination der beiden gegensätzlichen Perspektiven, in der Spiegelung der unterschiedlichen Wahrnehmungen von Eroberern und Eroberten liegt die große Stärke des Buches. Allerdings wäre es ratsam gewesen, wenn Cole gerade die französischen Quellen in einem separaten Kapitel näher charakterisiert und einer kritischen Analyse unterzogen hätte. Die vielen Memoiren von Teilnehmern und Augenzeugen der napoleonischen Kriege und Feldzüge kann man nicht "einfach so", d.h. unreflektiert benutzen. Fast alle diese Quellen sind lange nach Napoleons Sturz und nach den Ereignissen, über die sie berichten, entstanden. Daher muß man sie mit Vorsicht benutzen. Es wäre ein Trugschluss zu glauben, die von Cole verwendeten Memoiren französischer Offiziere und Soldaten könnten ohne Weiteres ein objektives und wahrheitsgetreues Bild vom Ägyptenfeldzug liefern.
Im ersten Kapitel behandelt Cole die Vorbereitung des Feldzugs und die Motive, die die französische Regierung - das sogenannte Direktorium - zu dem Entschluss bewogen, das zum Osmanischen Reich gehörende Ägypten zu erobern. Die Motivlage war komplex: Eine wichtige Rolle spielte der Wunsch, eine neue Kolonie zu erwerben, um den "überschüssigen Energien des französischen Volkes" ein neues Betätigungsfeld zu erschließen. Die Wahl fiel auf Ägypten, das aus Sicht der französischen Führung ein großes wirtschaftliches Entwicklungspotential zu besitzen schien. Ägypten, am Landweg nach Asien und Indien gelegen, wurde auch deshalb ausgewählt, weil sich das Direktorium von der Kontrolle über den Vorderen Orient und den östlichen Mittelmeerraum einen entscheidenden Vorteil im Konflikt mit Großbritannien, dem Hauptfeind der Republik, erhoffte. Napoleon selbst sprach 1797 davon, dass die Eroberung Ägyptens Voraussetzung für einen Sieg über Großbritannien sei. Weitere Motive kamen hinzu. Das Direktorium, beunruhigt über Napoleons wachsende Popularität, wollte den siegreichen Feldherrn des Italienkrieges von Paris - und von der hohen Politik - fernhalten. Napoleons lebhaftes Interesse an der Eroberung Ägyptens spielte denen in die Hände, die seinen Aufstieg mit Unbehagen verfolgten und ihm ein neues Kommando fern der Heimat geben wollten. Schon damals bemüht, seinen militärischen Unternehmungen den Anstrich einer von hehren idealen getragenen Mission zu verleihen, entwickelte Napoleon eine weitere Rechtfertigung für die Eroberung Ägyptens. Nach der Landung in Alexandria stilisierte er sich zum Befreier und Modernisierer, der gekommen sei, um die Ägypter von ihren vermeintlich "tyrannischen" Herrschern zu erlösen und an die europäische Zivilisation heranzuführen.
In den Kapiteln 2 bis 12 zeichnet Cole anschaulich und farbig nach, wie die Franzosen in Ägypten Fuß fassten, wie sie eine fragile Herrschaft errichteten und wie sie mit der einheimischen Bevölkerung umgingen. Von Anfang an stand die Expedition unter keinem guten Stern. Die logistisch schlecht vorbereitete Invasion erfolgte zur denkbar ungünstigsten Jahreszeit, nämlich im Hochsommer. Etwa 1.500 Soldaten kamen auf dem anstrengenden Marsch von Alexandria nach Kairo ums Leben. An Land konnte Napoleon einige beachtliche Siege erringen, die aber nahezu entwertet wurden, als der britische Admiral Nelson Anfang August 1798 die französische Flotte bei Abukir vernichtete. Die Franzosen beherrschten allenfalls einige größere Städte, aber nicht das flache Land, wo immer wieder Rebellionen aufflammten, deren Niederschlagung die begrenzten Ressourcen der Armee über Gebühr beanspruchten. Die Stadtbewohner, besonders die Einwohner Kairos, begegneten den selbsternannten "Befreiern" zunächst verständnislos und schließlich feindselig. Mit den revolutionären Parolen der Franzosen, die das Land am Nil in eine Republik umwandeln wollten, konnten die Ägypter überhaupt nichts anfangen. Kulturelle Missverständnisse und Verständigungsprobleme waren an der Tagesordnung. Die meisten Franzosen sahen in den Ägyptern die Verkörperung orientalischer Barbarei und Rückständigkeit. Napoleons Versuche, die französische Herrschaft durch den Aufbau einer Verwaltung nach europäischem Vorbild, die Einberufung einer Art von Parlament und die Kooperation mit der muslimischen Geistlichkeit zu stabilisieren, trugen nur bescheidene Früchte. Das Vorhaben, die Ägypter über Nacht auf eine höhere Zivilisationsstufe zu heben, war von vornherein zum Scheitern verurteilt. Verblüffend sind die Parallelen zu heutigen Versuchen, muslimischen Völkern westliche Wertvorstellungen und Institutionen aufzupfropfen.
Bald empfanden die Ägypter die französische Herrschaft als anmaßend und übergriffig. Repressionen gegen Rebellen, die drückende Steuerlast und vandalenhafte Eingriffe in das Stadtbild Kairos führten schließlich dazu, dass im Oktober 1798 ein landesweiter Aufstand losbrach. Nur mit brutaler Gewalt konnte Napoleon Kairo halten. Etwa 3.000 Aufständische fanden den Tod. Da sich Sultan Selim III. unterdessen entschlossen hatte, Ägypten zurückzuerobern, zog Napoleon mit dem Großteil seiner Truppen nordwärts nach Palästina, wo er sich bis Mai 1799 aufhielt. Im August reiste er nach Frankreich ab. Damit endet Coles Buch, obgleich die Reste der Orientarmee noch bis 1801 in Ägypten blieben. In militärischer und politischer Hinsicht erwies sich die Ägyptenexpedition als Fehlschlag. Es gehört zu den Ironien der Geschichte, dass das Debakel Napoleons Popularität keinen Abbruch tat und den weiteren Aufstieg des Korsen nicht verhinderte. Wie Cole abschließend feststellt, ist der Feldzug trotz allem historisch bedeutsam. Er war der erste neuzeitliche Versuch einer westlichen Macht, eine Teilregion des Orients zu unterwerfen und umzugestalten. Damit steht Napoleons Ägyptenexpedition am Beginn einer nunmehr zweihundertjährigen Konfliktgeschichte, die gekennzeichnet ist vom westlichen Streben nach politischer und kultureller Hegemonie über den Orient und vom Bemühen muslimischer Völker und Staaten, sich dieses Hegemoniestrebens zu erwehren.