Battle of Mount Tabor (1799) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Mount Tabor
Part of the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria during the War of the Second Coalition
Battle of Mount Tabor by Louis-François Lejeune
Date 16 April 1799 Location Al-Fuleh, some 10 km SW of Mount Tabor, Sidon Eyalet, Ottoman Empire (present day Israel) 32°36′44.81″N 35°19′35.85″E / 32.6124472°N 35.3266250°E / 32.6124472; 35.3266250 Result French victory
Belligerents
French Republic	Ottoman Empire Mamluks Nablus Tribesman
Commanders and leaders
Napoleon Bonaparte Jean Baptiste Kléber	Abdullah Pasha al-Azm
Strength
4,000 (at the end, after Bonaparte's 2,500 men arrived)	35,000
Casualties and losses
2 killed 60 wounded	6,000 killed 500 captured

The Battle of Mount Tabor happened on April 16, 1799. It was fought between French forces and the Ottoman Army. The French were led by Napoleon Bonaparte and General Jean-Baptiste Kléber. The Ottoman Army was under Abdullah Pasha al-Azm, the ruler of Damascus.

This battle took place during the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria. It was a key event during the siege of Acre. The Ottoman forces wanted to stop the French siege of Acre.

General Kléber bravely faced a much larger Ottoman army of 35,000 men near Mount Tabor. He managed to hold them off until Napoleon arrived. Napoleon's troops surprised the Ottomans from behind. The French, though greatly outnumbered, won a big victory. They caused many casualties and scattered the Ottoman forces. This win allowed Napoleon to continue his siege of Acre.

Why the Battle Happened

Location of the battle, shown on a map from 1826

By April 1799, Napoleon was worried about his army's position. He heard that a large Ottoman force was gathering near Mount Tabor. This army planned to march to Acre to help lift the French siege.

General Kléber, a French commander, saw a chance to prove himself. He led his 2,000 men to attack the Ottoman camp. Kléber planned a surprise night raid. He aimed to march around Mount Tabor and attack at 2 AM. He sent a message to Napoleon about his plan, but it was too late for Napoleon to reply.

The Battle Unfolds

Kléber misjudged how long the march would take. His troops did not reach the plain below Mount Tabor until 6 AM. By then, the sun was up. The Ottoman forces, with 10,000 foot soldiers and 25,000 cavalry, spotted Kléber.

Kléber quickly formed his men into two infantry squares. This was a defensive formation to protect against attacks. He hoped to hold out until nightfall and then retreat. As the day went on, Kléber's men began to run out of ammunition. They were also thirsty and starving. Their situation looked hopeless.

Just when things seemed lost, some French soldiers saw bayonets in the distance. Kléber used his telescope but saw nothing. He prepared to abandon his cannons and wounded men. He thought they would have to try to escape, each man for himself.

However, Kléber's men were right. Napoleon was marching to help them with 2,000 soldiers. When Kléber looked, Napoleon's troops were hidden by tall wild wheat. This made them invisible from the battlefield.

Napoleon's forces appeared between the Ottomans and their camp. He ordered some of his men to form squares and march onto a small hill. This made them visible to both the Ottomans and Kléber's troops. Napoleon also fired his cannons to announce his arrival.

The Ottomans were briefly confused. But they soon felt confident again, seeing their Mamluk cavalry and Nablus tribesmen advancing. Napoleon then sent three of his squares to march between the Ottomans and their camp. At the same time, he sent 300 men into the Ottoman camp. Their orders were to burn tents and pretend to steal supplies and camels.

When the Ottomans saw their camp being destroyed, they panicked. Napoleon's squares blocked their way back to save their belongings. The Ottomans felt trapped and became very confused.

Kléber saw his chance. He ordered his men to charge forward. This attack, combined with Napoleon's soldiers, turned the Ottoman retreat into a full rout. Ottoman cavalry fled towards the mountains. Their foot soldiers scattered towards the Jordan River. Recent rains had made the river's water high and its banks muddy. This made it very hard for the retreating Ottoman infantry. Thousands of them died trying to cross.

After the Battle

The French had very few casualties. Only two soldiers died, and sixteen were wounded. If Napoleon had arrived just an hour later, the French losses would have been much worse.

Although the Ottomans fled before suffering huge losses, it's estimated that 6,000 soldiers from the Damascus army died. With this threat gone, Napoleon led his troops back to Acre. They continued the siege. However, a month later, many of his men became sick with the plague. Because of this, Napoleon decided to give up on Acre and retreat back to Egypt.