The Egyptian army reinforced the defense of Alexandria with old style Krupp guns against the British fleet. The British Mediterranean Fleet bombarded the fortified Egyptian city of Alexandria from July 11 to 13, 1882. The British fleet bombarded and blasted at the outdated fortress. A large number of Egyptian soldiers were killed inside the bombarded fortress, and many bodies were scattered. Shelling from the British fleet hit the urban area of Alexandria, killing and wounding civilians. It damaged many buildings and caused fires in the area. The fires caused chaos, looting, and arson that burned the urban area to the ground. (I documented the bombardment of Alexandria in an album of about 50 pages).
Egypt's importance to Britain increased dramatically after the Suez Canal opened between 1859 and 1869. Travel time between Britain and India was cut by about half. after 1805, Egypt was ruled by the Ottoman Empire. Egypt was in financial ruin due to its large investments, and sold its stake in the Suez Canal Company to the British in 1875. The Egyptian Minister of War, Ullah Bey, converted Egypt into a military government in a coup d'etat in January 1882. The Egyptian military government fortified Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast to counter the British fleet occupying the Suez Canal. on June 11, 1882, a dispute over donkey fares led to riots in Alexandria city. Hundreds of people, including about 50 foreigners, were killed.
British troops landed immediately after the bombardment of Alexandria on July 13. They held the Suez Canal gains and suppressed the anarchy in Alexandria caused by the Ulaby rebellion. From the landing in Alexandria to September 6, about 24,000 British troops and 7,000 Indian troops were assembled in Egypt. Fighting broke out with the Egyptian army at Tel Erbil, between Alexandria and the Suez Canal, on September 13. British troops took Cairo on September 14, and the British put down the Ullahbi revolution. Egypt became a British protectorate from 1914 to 1922; Egypt became independent in 1936, but the Suez Canal remained under British control after World War II. Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal on July 26, 1956, and took control of it after the Suez Crisis broke out.
