A Second Coalition was formed by Great Britain,
Austria, and Russia, and, thanks to liberal sums of money supplied by
William Pitt, the British minister, they were able to put large armies
in the field.
[Sidenote: French Reverses]
During 1799 the Second Coalition won repeated victories; the French
were driven from Italy; and most of the dependent republics collapsed.
It seemed as though Bonaparte's first Italian campaign had been for
naught. Possibly the military hero of France had himself foreseen this
very situation and had intended to exploit it to his own advantage.
[Sidenote: Return of Bonaparte from Egypt: the "Man of the Hour"]
At any rate, when Bonaparte had sailed for Egypt, he had left his
country apparently prosperous, victorious, and honored. Now, when he
landed at Frejus on 9 October, 1799, he found France bankrupt,
defeated, and disgraced. It is small wonder that his journey from
Frejus to Paris was a triumphal procession. The majority of Frenchmen
were convinced that he was the man of the hour.
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