The Philosopher as the Strategist. Leibniz's Consilium Aegyptiacum and its afterlife

Among the works of Leibniz, those written as a young advisor to the Prince Elector of Mainz reveal unusual political sensitivity. However, his suggestion to the Sun King to conquer Egypt instead of attacking the Netherlands went unheeded, without leaving any trace in the French archives. Actually, the British rediscovered Leibniz’s plan and used it as a tool of information warfare against France. Later, during the 1840 Oriental Crisis, the Consilium Aegyptiacum resurfaced in France in an anti-British pamphlet. The Prussian General von Minutoli and the US Navy officer Alfred T. Mahan assessed Leibniz’s paper from different strategic perspectives.