Battle of Mahé Louis in December 1799 had restored absolute British control. The importance of the East Indies to British trade encouraged a number of French plans to threaten the region, of which the most advanced was the invasion, in 1798, of Egypt by a French Army under General Napoleon Bonaparte. Although the campaign saw initial success, the annihilation of the French Mediterranean Fleet by Sir Horatio Nelson at the Battle of the Nile on 1 August 1798 effectively doomed the campaign to failure. Later in the year Bonaparte considered building a squadron at Suez in the Red Sea, but the plans were
Order of battle at the Battle of the Hyères Islands anchorage at Gourjean Bay to avoid destruction. In March 1795 the French had enough serviceable ships to take to sea once more, sailing in the Gulf of Genoa and capturing the damaged HMS "Berwick" at the Action of 8 March 1795. A few days later Hotham's fleet caught the French and Martin lost two ships at the ensuing Battle of Genoa. During the spring both fleets gained reinforcements from the Atlantic, and in June Martin sailed once more. Hotham was not initially concerned by French movements, but on 7 July a squadron under Captain Horatio Nelson was chased by the