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The Effect of Napoleon's Invasion in Egypt

On July 1st, 1798, Napoleon and French army landed at Alexandria. Some western scholars viewed the expedition as war of aggression, yet some Egyptian scholars viewed as the starting point of modernization, and appraised it positively. The relative importance between the army/weapons and scholars/science is still remained to be discussed. However, one thing for sure, the expedition marked as the fundamental turning point in the history of Egypt. This provided opportunity to structural changes in Egypt, such as, politics, economy, society, and culture. In other words, it has transformed the underdeveloped state of Egypt into an improved, modernized nation. The France weapon and printing press demonstrated the military power and the cultural advances together. It is not easy to distinguish the essential nature of the invasion between the two. Nevertheless, the one important factor that distinguishes Napoleon's invasion from other aggressions is the modernization of government administration and cultural advances. Napoleon's military expedition of Egypt was war of invasion. From a military perspective, it was absolute failure. However, the short-lived French occupation of Egypt began a long-term French effect on Egypt. The French occupation became the main catalyst for the change, yet it became the path where Egypt can never come back.