Capture of Toulon
- When
- 1793
- Where
- Toulon, France; Toulon naval base; Hill of Cairo overlooking Toulon's harbours; Fort Mulgrave, Toulon; Toulon dockyards and harbour; Toulon (context of the siege's aftermath)
- Episodes
- 6
The siege of Toulon (29 August–19 December 1793) was fought at the French Mediterranean naval base during the War of the First Coalition. After General Jacques François Dugommier took command, Republican troops captured Fort Mulgrave—the Allied position known to the French as "Little Gibraltar"—during the night of 17–18 December 1793.
Episodes
- Bonaparte's Plan to Cut the Harbours
Bonaparte planned to capture forts l'Éguillette and Balaguier on the hill of Cairo, severing maritime resupply to the besieged.
- Federalist Revolt and Royalist Takeover
Federalists expelled Toulon's Jacobins but were supplanted by Royalists, who proclaimed Louis XVII king.
- Surrender to the Anglo-Spanish Force
After Republican reprisals at Marseille, Royalist commander d'Imbert requested Coalition aid and surrendered the port and fleet.
- Capture of Fort Mulgrave, 17–18 December
After Dugommier took command, Republican troops captured Fort Mulgrave—'Little Gibraltar'—during the night of 17–18 December 1793.
- Allied Evacuation and Incomplete Demolitions
The Allies evacuated Toulon, sinking hulks including the Montréal and Iris, but their demolitions were incomplete, allowing France to rebuild a Mediterranean squadron in 1794.
- Bonaparte's Promotion to Brigadier General
Bonaparte's promotion to brigade general on 22 December 1793 placed him, at age 24, among the Republic's senior officers.
Background and detail
Background. After the arrest of the Girondist deputies on 2 June 1793, insurrections known as Federalist revolts broke out in Lyon, Avignon, Nîmes, and Marseille. In Toulon, Federalists evicted the local Jacobin chapter but were soon supplanted by more numerous French Royalists, who proclaimed the imprisoned child Louis XVII king.
Allied Occupation. Following the Republic's recapture of Marseille and the reprisals committed there, Royalist commander Xavier Lebret d'Imbert requested Coalition support. Opponents of the Montagnard government surrendered the port, its arsenal, and much of the French Mediterranean Fleet to an Anglo-Spanish force; Britain, Spain, Naples, and Sardinia supplied ships and troops to defend the city against the French First Republic.
Republican Planning. Both the strategic importance of the naval base and the prestige of the Revolution demanded that the French recapture Toulon. Bonaparte, present in the army since the Avignon insurrection of July 1793, conceived a plan to capture the forts of l'Éguillette and Balaguier on the hill of Cairo, which would cut maritime resupply between the port's two harbours.
Aftermath. Allied demolition efforts were incomplete: surviving warships and stores enabled the French to rebuild a Mediterranean squadron during 1794. For the First Coalition, Toulon was a missed opportunity rather than a decisive strategic defeat. Bonaparte's promotion to brigade general on 22 December 1793 placed him, at 24, among the Republic's senior officers.
People involved
- Jacques François Dugommier · Republican general commanding the recapture of Toulon
- Napoleon Bonaparte · Artillery officer who devised the plan to seize the forts cutting the harbour
- Xavier Lebret d'Imbert · Commander of the Royalist forces in Toulon who requested Coalition support
- Louis XVII · Imprisoned child proclaimed king by Toulon's Royalists
- Cotiella · Officer tasked with sinking Toulon's hulks, including the frigates Montréal and Iris
Sources
- Siege of Toulon (1793) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.