Napoleon's Egyptian expedition never arrives

What if Napoleon's Egyptian expedition were sunk or captured before it arrived?

Napoleon might never take control of France, but the political situation would probably still produce another dominant ruler.

Destroying or capturing the expedition before it reached Egypt could remove Napoleon's route to power. France would not necessarily become stable in his absence. Its political conditions are treated as likely to produce another dominant ruler. The decisive uncertainty therefore shifts from whether someone takes control to who that person would be.