Questions about Siege of Toulon (1793)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was Napoleon Bonaparte's role at the Siege of Toulon in 1793?
Napoleon Bonaparte served as the artillery commander during the Siege of Toulon, having been appointed after the original chief of artillery was wounded at Ollioures. He assembled 100 guns for the besieging force, trained infantry in artillery practice, and devised the plan to capture the hilltop fortification the French called "Little Gibraltar." He was wounded in the thigh during the final night assault on the 16th of December and was promoted to brigade general on the 22nd of December 1793.
Why did Toulon fall to the Allies in 1793?
Toulon fell to the Allies because local Federalists and Royalists invited foreign intervention after a series of revolts against the French Republic. The Royalist commander Xavier Lebret d'Imbert handed the port to a combined Anglo-Spanish fleet on the 28th of August 1793, which arrived with 13,000 British, Spanish, Neapolitan, and Sardinian troops. The city was strategically critical as it hosted about a third of France's ships of the line.
What happened to the French fleet during the evacuation of Toulon in 1793?
British and Spanish forces attempted to destroy the French fleet before evacuating. Commodore Sidney Smith led the operation, lighting the fire ship HMS Vulcan across anchored French ships of the line and setting fire to warehouses and naval stores. Two powder hulks, Iris and Montreal, exploded unexpectedly during the operation. The Old Arsenal was captured intact by Republican soldiers before it could be burned, and a significant portion of the French fleet survived the evacuation.
How many civilians did the British fleet rescue from Toulon in 1793?
The British fleet rescued 14,877 Toulonnais civilians during the evacuation. HMS Robust, the last ship to leave, carried more than 3,000 civilians from the harbour, and a further 4,000 were recorded aboard Princess Royal in the roads. Witnesses described scenes of panic on the waterfront as soldiers fired into the fleeing crowd.
What punishment did the French Republic inflict on Toulon after recapturing it in 1793?
After Republican forces entered Toulon on the 19th of December 1793, between 700 and 800 Royalist prisoners were shot or killed by bayonet on the city's Champ de Mars. The suppression was directed by Paul Barras and Stanislas Freron. The National Convention also renamed the city Port-la-Montagne as a form of collective punishment, erasing the name Toulon from the map.
Who commanded the Allied fleet at the Siege of Toulon in 1793?
The Allied fleet was commanded by British Vice-Admiral Lord Hood. The Spanish squadron was commanded by Admiral Juan de Langara, who had arrived with Hood on the 28th of August 1793. There was no single unified land commander for the Allied forces; after British General Charles O'Hara was captured during the siege, Major General David Dundas assumed command of the Allied army.