page_title: Louis Friant
section_title: Egypt
hierarchical_section_title: Louis Friant / Napoleonic Wars / Egypt
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: General Friant (1758-1829)
context_page_description: Louis Friant was born in the village of Morlancourt, 8 km south of Albert near the river Somme.
context_section_description: Friant commanded the 2nd Brigade (61e and 88e Ligne) of General Desaix's division in Egypt, taking part in the Battle of the Pyramids (21 July 1798), and in Desaix's brilliant campaign in Upper Egypt. He was provisionally promoted to Général de Division on 4 September 1799, and succeeded Desaix as commander in Upper Egypt after Desaix departed to play his decisive but fatal part in the Marengo campaign. Friant took a lead role in the suppression of the great revolt in Cairo in March–April 1800. Confirmed in the rank of Général de Division and named Governor of Alexandria in September 1800, he fought the British at the Second Battle of Aboukir (8 March 1801), and defended Alexandria through August 1801.
  Repatriated with the remnants of the Army of the Orient, Friant served as an inspector-general of infantry in 1801–03 before joining the Corps of his brother-in-law Davout at the Camp of Bruges. There, he molded the 2ème Division, III Corps into "what arguably became the finest line division on the face of the earth" (Bowden, Napoleon and Austerlitz).
caption: General Louis Friant
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