Battle of Nicopolis | |||||||
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Part of the War of the Second Coalition | |||||||
![]() French troops fighting amidst the ruins of the ancient theatre of Nicopolis, painting by Felician Myrbach | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
| Pashalik of Janina | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
![]() ![]() | Ali Pasha of Janina | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
440 French troops (other accounts: 300–600) 260 Prevezan civil guards and Souliotes (other accounts: up to 600) | 4,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry; eyewitness estimates 10,000–15,000 men | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Heavy; 157 soldiers taken prisoner, many soldiers and civilians massacred | Unknown | ||||||
Location within Greece |
The Battle of Nicopolis was fought on 23 October [O.S. 12 October] 1798[1] between the armed forces of Revolutionary France and the autonomous Ottoman-Albanian ruler, Ali Pasha of Janina. The French had seized the Venetian Ionian Islands off the western coast of Greece the previous year, after the Fall of the Republic of Venice. The islands also included a few mainland exclaves like Butrint and Preveza, which were coveted by Ali. French efforts to draw Ali into their camp against the Ottoman sultan failed, and when the Ottoman Empire turned against France, Ali attacked the French positions. The battle, which took place amidst the ruins of the ancient city of Nicopolis, resulted in a French defeat, and was followed by a devastating sack of Preveza.