Napoleonic France established a continental blockade on the British economy at the end of 1806, before expanding that blockade to maritime lanes the following year, whence ships were prevented from reaching British ports. The crisis underscored the importance of wheat as a strategic commodity. Russia, one of the most important exporters of wheat, and the Ottoman Empire joined the siege, leading to the closure of almost all ports and shipping routes for British trade. Egypt was the alternative wheat exporter on the Mediterranean. It was ruled by an ambitious ruler, Mohammad Ali Pasha, who knew how to take advantage of the strategic value of wheat, especially when the imperial forces’ demand for wheat was on the rise. Mohammad Ali approached the British forces, asking them to support his ambitions for independence from the Ottoman Empire. Egyptian wheat thus entered the imperial struggle for power and became one of the factors that tilted the balance in favor of the British Empire. Napoleon was defeated and the French Empire collapsed, changing the path of modern European history. Equally, the large profits from wheat sales played an unmistakable role in enabling Mohammed Ali’s reform and modernization plans to go forward.