Siege of Toulon

 The Battle of Toulon, also known as the Siege of Toulon, was fought from September 18 to December 18, 1793, between the French Republic, the First Coalition, and the Royalists during the French Revolution (1789–1799). This was a significant win for the French Republic, as well as Napoleon Bonaparte's first military success as a 24-year-old artillery lieutenant.

This victory saved France from the Coalition invasion. It elevated the name of the young general Napoleon Bonaparte to prominence, kicking off a 21-year bloodbath across Europe known as the Napoleonic Wars.

Historical Background

After the execution of Louis XVI of France on January 21, 1793, Baron d'Imbert, leader of the Royalist Faction, elevated Louis XVI's son, Louis XVII of France, to the throne. However, the French Republic refused to acknowledge the new king, and the French government soon began the Reign of Terror. To gain dominance, the groups are tearing each other apart.

Meanwhile, in other sections of France, the Royalists continued to revolt. The army of the French Republic was insufficiently strong and too youthful to put down the rebellions. The financial crisis precipitated by France's financial assistance for the American Revolution was now worsened by the necessity for money to buy armaments and pay bills, emptying the French budget.

First Coalition Against France Was Established

In order to extend its territory, the French Republic declared war on the Habsburg Empire. Other European countries, however, objected fiercely to this decision. Fearing that the Revolution would spread to other feudal realms, an anti-French Coalition, subsequently known as the First Coalition, was created, consisting of the British Empire, Spain, Prussia, Austria, and Italy, among many other kingdoms.

Meanwhile, the people's outrage at the violent and cruel actions of the French Republic's rulers has triggered a wave of insurrection across the country. Over time, more and more localities rose up in revolt against the French Republic, and the participants in the uprising were known as the Royalists. This faction supported the king and the monarchy.

The importance of Toulon

In August, the French Republic received bad news when the port city of Toulon joined the rebellion.

Toulon was the largest and most important naval base of the French Navy in the south at the time, housing one-third of the French Navy. Toulon served as a gateway between France and the Mediterranean region, as well as a launchpad for Napoleon's later Egyptian campaign. As a result of Toulon's participation in the uprising, the French were unable to reach the Mediterranean.

Coalitions enters Toulon

Admiral Samuel Hood led the British army, the French arch-enemy, and the newly formed Coalition into Toulon on the warship HMS Victory. Hood successfully isolated the French Navy, seized Toulon with almost no bullets, and blockaded the southern coast of France with a far larger force. Faced with this huge threat, French forces here prepared for the siege to "rescue" Toulon.

Nominate Napoleon

Antoine Saliceti, một quan chức của Hội đồng Hội nghị Quốc gia ở Paris, đề xuất Napoléon Buonaparte, hay Bonaparte, một chỉ huy pháo binh 24 tuổi được "đào tạo" từ nơi sinh ra ở Corsican.

Bonaparte was a skilled soldier, and Saliceti saw a talent for strategy in him, even though Bonaparte, at the time, still had no combat experience.

Preparations of Both Sides for War

Forces of the Coalition

Toulon's harbor is extensively fortified with walls, trenches, and several major and small fortifications. Around 2,000 British troops, 6,000 Spaniards, 6,000 Neapolitans, and 800 Sardinians made up the coalition army. As a result, artillery is the primary weapon used by the French army to breach this formidable fortification system.

Napoleon Strengthens His Forces

Artillery

When Napoleon took leadership, he realized that his artillery force was too small, his soldiers had not been properly taught to handle artillery, and ammunition was in limited supply. But with the zeal of a young man in his twenties, Napoleon attempted to change the tide.

First, he restored the cannons that were no longer in service, then trained the soldiers to operate them properly. He created a number of gun casting and ammunition factories for the army while simultaneously asking for assistance. More than 100,000 sandbags for fortification construction supplies were shipped from Marseille. His artillery force eventually increased to 64 artillery officers, over 1,500 troops, and more than 100 cannons, mortars, and short-barreled artillery pieces.

Digging Fortifications

Within a few days, Napoleon had constructed two new forts with revolutionary names: La Montagne and Sans-Cullotes, allowing his artillery to strike opposing ships in the harbor, compelling Admiral Hood to relocate the ship.

Napoleon's Plan

Napoleon devised a strategy for the French to achieve victory as soon as possible. Napoleon calculated that if the French conquered the citadel of L'Eguilette, he could send artillery there and fire on the Coalition warships anchored there. Hood would then leave the harbor with the Coalitions, leaving Toulon's defenses "empty." The French could then start retaking Toulon.

Siege of Toulon

Attack Fortress Mont Caire

On September 22, 1793, the French launched an assault on the citadel of Mont Caire, led by Napoleon himself and 400 men from General Carteaux. However, Napoleon's plan was not easy. Not only were the French repulsed, but this attack also served as a "warning" from the Coalitions.

Learn from their mistakes; they reinforced the stronghold, enlarged the garrison, and built a formidable fortress on Mont Caire, naming it Mulgrave, and placing 20 cannons to protect it during the next 48 hours. Protect the stronghold. Mulgrave Fort was so well-built that the French dubbed it "Little Gibraltar."

The French Counterattack

Napoleon Reorganized His Forces

Finally, the French army had a man capable of commanding it: General Dugommier. Because this general saw Napoleon's strategy's efficiency, he handed him complete command of the French army in this battle. Napoleon, who had been promoted to Major.

He dug up some new artillery fortifications so that he could attack the stronghold for a long time and prepare for the decisive attack. When he saw that the soldiers panicked because they were within range of enemy artillery, Napoleon renamed the fortification La Batterie des Hommes sans Peur, which means "Fortifications of fearless soldiers." And naturally, the morale of the soldiers increased, and more and more volunteers joined Napoleon's army. From then on, Napoleon became famous for his art of encouraging the morale of the soldiers, a weapon that helped him achieve resounding success throughout his great career.

Capture O'Hara

On November 30, 1793, the Coalition's commander, British general Charles O'Hara, attempted to shift the war by destroying the French fortifications that had been built to protect the Malbousquet bastion. Initially, O'Hara's troops had the upper hand since the French artillery was crippled. However, the French army, led by Dugommier and Napoleon personally, launched a counterattack. With a stronger force, the French repulsed O'Hara and saved the fortification.

O'Hara herself was shot in the arm. When the French arrived, he was captured alive and had to surrender. Once, he surrendered to George Washington during the American Revolution 12 years ago at the Battle of Yorktown, and now he surrendered to Napoleon at the Battle of Toulon.

Capture Fort Mulgrave

Napoleon launched a decisive attack to seize the fort of Mulgrave on a gloomy morning in December. Due to the inclement weather, neither side was able to employ standard firearms; instead, they had to rely on guns with bayonets or clubs, mace, and daggers.

The French assaulted the fort, followed by Napoleon himself. The sound of weaponry combined with rain and thunder added to the chaos of the fighting scene. During the forward, Napoleon's horse was shot and collapsed at his feet, and he was stabbed in the thigh with a bayonet by an enemy sergeant. That moment nearly took his life, and world history has changed dramatically since then.

Mulgrave has effectively been seized thanks to the valiant fighting of French soldiers. Later, they took control of two significant fortresses: L'Eguilette and Tour de la Balaquier.

Coalitions Withdrawing from Toulon

In the afternoon of the same day, Napoleon placed 10 large cannons on the fortress of L'Eguilette, and the Union fleet was within range. Ambushed by Napoleon, Admiral Hood had to call for an emergency evacuation from Toulon. A number of British and Spanish battalions burned French warships and a number of stores of supplies and weapons at Toulon that they could not plunder, turning this place into a mess. Many of the French in the harbor tried to get on board the Coalition ships as fast as they could, making Toulon a battleground, literally. The rest were forced to stay.

Result

This was the French army's most brilliant victory since the foundation of the French Republic. It almost immediately triggered the collapse of the First Coalition and reinforced France's influence throughout Europe. Napoleon became a hero of the French Republic, and his ability to lead an army became widely known. Napoleon and his men' valiant fighting spirit enabled them to triumph over much stronger Coalitions.

The First Coalition's effort to invade France was broken by the Battle of Toulon. The Coalitions had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attack France, but they lost it to a 24-year-old artillery lieutenant Napoleon. Since then, they have begun to fear this general. For the Royalists, since the Battle of Toulon, this young general has slain around 200 people every day for the following two weeks. His opponents saw him as "cruel, evil, and insidious," but in the eyes of the Republic, he was a true hero.

Napoleon's victory at Toulon also laid the foundation for the later First French Empire, thereby opening a bloody war for 21 years across Europe that we often call: the Napoleonic Wars.