Anti-British Circular
Talleyrand issued a diplomatic circular portraying Britain as France's remaining principal enemy after peace with Austria.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1798 in France
Explore 99 historical events and records for France in 1798.
Historical records for France in 1798
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 99 unique records.
99Unique records
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34Named events on this page
12Named people on this page
17Places on this page
January
Army of England Appointment
Massena was assigned to the Army of England while French leaders considered operations against Britain.
Conscription Report
Jourdan presented a report proposing a new system for recruiting France's armies and developing the principle that became military conscription.
Birth of Auguste Comte
Auguste Comte is born in Montpellier into a conservative Catholic family.
Egypt Strategy Talks
Talleyrand met Bonaparte to discuss an expedition to Egypt as an alternative means of striking British interests.
February
Occupation of Papal States
Massena commanded troops detailed to occupy the Papal States during French intervention in central Italy.
Support for Egyptian Expedition
Talleyrand presented arguments favouring the conquest of Egypt and supported the expedition as part of a wider Mediterranean strategy.
Alliance Napoleon I and Cisalpine Republic
An alliance is concluded with the Cisalpine Republic
Army Mutiny
Massena relinquished command after a mutiny among troops serving in the Papal States.
Intervention in Papal States
Talleyrand supported French policy that contributed to the overthrow of papal government and the establishment of a republic in Rome.
March
Invasion of Egypt
Approves an expedition to Egypt
Recall by Directory
The Directory recalled Massena after the mutiny that disrupted his command in the Papal States.
Swiss Revolution Diplomacy
Talleyrand supported French diplomatic involvement in Switzerland as revolutionary change produced the Helvetic Republic.
May
Ambassador to Berlin
Sieyes was appointed French ambassador to Berlin and spent about a year representing the Directory in Prussia.
Departure from Council of Five Hundred
Tallien left the Council of Five Hundred at the end of his legislative term.
Egypt Expedition Departs Toulon Harbour
Bonaparte's fleet sailed from Toulon with the Army of the Orient. The embarkation returned the port to prominence as the starting point of an ambitious Mediterranean campaign.
Embarkation for Egypt
Napoleon embarked for Egypt with the Army of the Orient, beginning the expedition intended to challenge British influence in the eastern Mediterranean.
Theophilanthropy
La Revelliere-Lepeaux supported Theophilanthropy as a civic religious movement intended to encourage morality outside traditional Catholic institutions.
June
Capture of Malta
Napoleon captured Malta during the voyage to Egypt, removing the Knights of Saint John from control of the island.
Capture of Alexandria
A force of 5,000 land at Marabut & occupty Alexandria, left in the hands of General Kleber
Invasion of Egypt
After 6 weeks at sea 5,000 land at Marabut & quickly occupy Alexandria
July
Invasion of Egypt
Lands in Egypt
Capture of Alexandria
Napoleon captured Alexandria after landing in Egypt, establishing the first major French base for the campaign.
Battle of Pyramids
Napoleon marches south from Alexandria & is met by an army of 8,000 Marmelukes at Giza. Defeats the Marmelukes within 2 hours
Battle of the Pyramids
Napoleon defeated Mamluk forces at the Battle of the Pyramids, opening the way for French occupation of Cairo.
Entry into Cairo
Napoleon entered Cairo after the Battle of the Pyramids and began organising French administration in Egypt.
Capture of Alexandria
Napoleon leaves Alexandria in the hands of General Jean Kleber
Capture of Alexandria
Napoleon leaves Alexandria in the hands of General Jean Kleber
Egypt Expedition
Tallien joined the Egyptian expedition as a civilian intellectual and later participated in the Institut d'Egypte and its publications.
August
Battle of the Nile
Nelson destroyed much of the French fleet at Aboukir Bay, leaving Napoleon's expedition isolated from France by sea.
Battle of Pyramids
Appointed General of Brigade on the field of Battle of the Pyramids
Institute of Egypt
Napoleon helped establish the Institut d'Egypte to organise scientific study, research and technical work during the occupation.
September
Jourdan-Delbrel Law
The legislature adopted the Jourdan-Delbrel law establishing conscription and compulsory military service as a permanent basis for army recruitment.
October
Cairo Revolt
A major uprising erupted in Cairo against French rule, and Napoleon's forces suppressed the revolt after intense fighting.
Ambassador to Milan
Fouche received a diplomatic appointment to Milan after sending Barras a detailed political memorandum.
December
Commander of Army of Helvetia
Massena was appointed commander of the Army of Helvetia as France prepared for renewed campaigning in Switzerland.
Arrival at Zurich
Massena arrived at Zurich to take up his Swiss command and was placed under Jourdan's higher operational authority.
Journey to Suez
Napoleon left Cairo for Suez to inspect the region and examine strategic possibilities connected with the Red Sea.
Canal Survey
Orders surveys of the Suez Isthmus while considering a canal between the Mediterranean and Red Sea.
Other events (month unknown)
American envoys dispute French diplomatic demands
Negotiations with American representatives deteriorated into the affair later known as XYZ. Intermediaries demanded payments, damaging relations and generating fierce controversy over French diplomacy.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.