Napoleon takes Acre?

[Vinization]

Siege of Acre (1799) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

What if the French got lucky - suppose they breach the outer wall early in the siege, before the defenders have time to build a second one - and took Acre in 1799? While the fate of his campaign was sealed the moment the fleet was destroyed at Abukir, where else could Napoleon go with Acre under his control for the time being? Would a French conquest of Jerusalem have any major religious and political consequences, however brief it may last?

A possible, nasty side effect (for Napoleon) is that he might get trapped in Palestine and Syria if he stays there too long: an Ottoman army landed on Abukir in July, and if he's still in the Holy Land by this time they might be able to retake Cairo and Alexandria before he can help the French garrisons there.

 

[Taunay]

I don't know why I thought about the Brazilian state.
I wonder, if Acre is a major or at least important Ottoman city, could Napoleon use this to force the Ottomans to be neutral or at least be able to fight them in more equal terms.

an Ottoman army landed on Abukir in July, and if he's still in the Holy Land by this time they might be able to retake Cairo and Alexandria before he can help the French garrisons there.

In this case, Napoleon is screwed, losing Cairo and Alexandria would trigger an earlier end to the French campaign in this region, probably two to one year ahead of schedule, OTOH this would make Napoleon have to focus on Europe once again, but I don't think this early defeat in the MENA is enough to prevent France from winning the War of the Second Coalition

 

[Ogrelord420]

Don’t think it would have mattered, the British domination of the Mediterranean after the Battle of the Nile made any attempt to resupply and hold Egypt almost impossible.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

@alexmilman

 

[Vinization]

I don't know why I thought about the Brazilian state.

😆 Names pop up at the weirdest places. We have our own Bethlehem (Belém) too...

Calling in @Nassirisimo to see if he has any insights to provide. Also, I wonder if Napoleon could take Damascus before he's forced to return to Egypt.

 

[Vinization]

Don’t think it would have mattered, the British domination of the Mediterranean made any attempt to resupply and hold Egypt almost impossible

A French victory at Acre probably would've led to the death of Jazzar Pasha in combat, which could affect Ottoman politics.

 

[Grey Wolf]

My understanding is that he would have carried on going North. Now, you might posit increased Ottoman resistance at various points, but HE JUST BEAT THEM. it's quite possible that his myth advances before him, and he conquers the Lebanese and Syrian coasts. What then? Well, it will depend on 2 things

1- Has he gained allies, with troops who are reliable?
2. What is the state of his army?

Say he attacks and takes Antioch (but a shadow of its former self) - can he then either strike out across Anatolia, or along the coast towards Mersin?

What is everyone else doing whilst the Ottomans are having this internal existential crisis?

 

[Vinization]

1- Has he gained allies, with troops who are reliable?

Probably not, since the big picture is unchanged. The Royal Navy still controls the seas, blocking any major assistance from France, and the native Egyptians hate him.

2. What is the state of his army?

Small, overstretched and shrinking with every garrison he's forced to leave behind to protect its supply line.

What is everyone else doing whilst the Ottomans are having this internal existential crisis?

Fighting (and probably losing, since France had no shortage of capable generals) the War of the Second Coalition.