Nile, Battle of The

(Aug. 1, 1798) Battle between the British fleet under Horatio Nelson and French Revolutionary forces at Abū Qīr Bay, near Alexandria, Egypt. In a plan to constrict British trade routes by invading Egypt, Napoleon ordered the French fleet to sail from its port of Toulon to Alexandria.

The French eluded the British fleet to reach Abū Qīr Bay, where they anchored in a defensive line. Nelson discovered the French at twilight and ordered an immediate attack. In an all-night battle, the British destroyed or captured all but two of the 13 French ships. The decisive victory isolated Napoleon's army in Egypt and secured British control of the Mediterranean.