Defeat of the French at Nicopolis and destruction of Preveza by Ali Pasha of Ioannina, which took place in October 1798
The French defeat at Nicopolis and sack of Preveza marked a key Ottoman-allied setback against French expansion into the eastern Adriatic and western Greece.
Key Facts
- Date
- 23 October 1798
- Combatants
- French-led army vs. Pashalik of Yanina
- Ottoman commander
- Ali Pasha of Yanina
- Battle site
- Ruins of ancient Nicopolis
- French territorial base
- Ionian Islands (occupied 1797)
- Aftermath
- Preveza sacked following French defeat
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
France occupied the Venetian Ionian Islands and their mainland exclaves, including Preveza and Butrint, after the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. Ali Pasha of Yanina coveted these territories and rejected French overtures to ally against Sultan Selim III. When the Ottoman Empire declared war on France, Ali seized the opportunity to attack French-held positions.
On 23 October 1798, French-led forces clashed with the autonomous Pashalik of Yanina under Ali Pasha at the site of ancient Nicopolis in western Greece. The engagement resulted in a decisive French defeat, leaving their mainland positions in the region untenable.
Following the military defeat, Ali Pasha's forces carried out a devastating sack of Preveza, effectively ending French control over the mainland exclaves of the Ionian Islands in that area and consolidating Ali Pasha's dominance over the western Greek mainland.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Ali Pasha of Yanina.