The British Royal Navy and the Franco-Spanish Alliance engaged in a naval war on October 21, 1805, which is known as the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), namely as a part of the War of the Third Coalition. In the wars against Napoleon, this battle was the British Empire's most significant triumph. The French navy had planned to breach the British blockade at Toulon in order to sail to the West Indies since the spring of 1805.
On the southwest coast of Spain, west of Cape Trafalgar, 27 British ships commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated a fleet of French and Spanish ships under the leadership of French Admiral Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve. While not a single British ship was sunk, the French and Spanish fleets lost 21 ships. Despite fighting bravely, the Franco-Spanish marines were demoralized and lost many soldiers. The glorious victory in the naval battle of Trafalgar established England's hegemony over the high seas and prepared the path for the British Empire to rise to the pinnacles of glory under Queen Victoria later. Therefore, this spectacular triumph will be remembered for the rest of British history.
The great victory at Cape Trafalgar was Admiral Nelson's most outstanding victory, depicting his genius at sea. Along with his tactical brilliance, the great triumph also demonstrated his courage and sense of duty to his country. He was seriously wounded by French bullets and later died in battle. He rose to become the greatest naval commander in British history and the country's greatest wartime hero. Cuthbert Collingwood, another British admiral, also performed a ground-breaking attack to defeat the French navy in this engagement.
Emperor Napoleon was no longer able to challenge England's naval control as a result of this devastating loss, which derailed his plans to invade England. On the French and Spanish sides, French Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve was captured along with his ship Bucentaure. The Spanish admiral Federico Gravina escaped with the rest of the fleet; he died a few months later from his wounds in battle. Overall, this setback led to the destruction of the Franco-Spanish Navy. Thus, the great victory in the naval battle of Trafalgar inspired England to seethe in the midst of the dark moments of the Napoleonic Wars and also inspired generations of British people to come.
After a glorious victory, the British people honored Nelson to such an extent that the British atmosphere was filled with both joy and sorrow. It was believed that the decisive fight would change the course of history. Napoleon was unable to reverse the negative situation for France at sea even after he had defeated the Coalition of Russia and Austria in the Battle of Austerlitz on land. No French-Spanish ship was able to pose a serious threat to the British navy again after the devastating defeat. The Spanish Court started to grow weary of its association with France after this catastrophic defeat. The naval conflict at Trafalgar served as the final significant engagement between the wooden ships.
Why Did the Battle of Trafalgar Happen
While the British Royal Navy took control of the oceans in 1805, the First French Empire, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, ruled most of continental Europe. The French supply line was consistently cut off at sea by the British navy during the Third Coalition War (1803–1806). However, despite their efforts, the British were ultimately forced to concede defeat and allow the French reinforcement line to easily get inland.
When the Third Coalition engaged France after the Treaty of Amiens not long before, France first decided to attack Britain first. Napoleon had to destroy the British Navy to seize control of British waterways and simultaneously annihilate the position of the British at sea in order to carry out his plan to invade England.
The major French fleet was based in the ports of Toulon on the Mediterranean Sea and Brest in Brittany. On islands spread across the Atlantic, France has fleets of tiny ships. The Spanish fleet stationed at the ports of Cadiz and Ferrol was also engaged because Spain was then a French ally.
The 104-gun HMS Victory was one of the most potent battleships in the world at the time, and the British Navy was well-equipped with a large force, several commanders with a wealth of combat experience, and other formidable weapons. In contrast to the British leaders, some of the best French navy commanders of the time were either executed or relegated during the French Revolution (1789–1799).
The 104-gun HMS Victory was one of the most potent battleships in the world at the time, and the British Navy was well-equipped with a large force, several commanders with a wealth of combat experience, and other formidable weapons. In contrast to the British leaders, some of the best French navy commanders of the time were either executed or relegated during the French Revolution (1789–1799).
The Franco-Spanish Navy fleet (France and Spain) moved from Cadiz (Spain) and Toulon (France) and assembled in the Caribbean Sea before returning to support the French army in Brest. The French army then attacked the British to break the grip, weakening the British army and finally destroying the British fleet, both gaining the British coast and disabling the British Navy. This made it easier to invade Britain when they lacked a navy.
Chasing Villeneuve
Nelson commanded the British navy to block the French forces at Toulon at the start of 1805 in order to stop the French and Spanish convoys. But instead of personally confronting the French at sea, his fleet was struck by a severe storm, and the French left Toulon without incident. Nelson believed the French army would cross the Mediterranean Sea and travel to Egypt to receive supplies, so the fleet sailed. But he was mistaken. As anticipated, Villeneuve dispatched men into the Caribbean via the Trafalgar Strait. Nelson abandoned the pursuit in frustration after learning that the French had crossed the Atlantic.
Following the assembly's success, the Franco-Spanish fleet went back to Brest to help with the siege break as anticipated. However, on July 22, a squadron of 15 British ships under the command of General Robert Calder at Finisterre blocked the way. The conflict between the British Empire Navy and the Franco-Spanish In the end, despite the inconclusive triumph, this was a significant success for Britain from a strategic standpoint. Only 198 British soldiers were lost, compared to 647 Franco-Spanish soldiers who were lost and 1,200 captured. Two of the 20 French and Spanish ships that took part in the battle were captured.
After the battle, Villeneuve had to return to the port of Ferrol in northern Spain instead of Brest to support Admiral Gantheaume. Villeneuve then obeyed Napoleon's orders and returned to Brest as planned.
Napoleon had a sizable navy at Boulogne, France, with 59 ships total, including 33 ships under Villeneuve, 21 Gantheaume ships at Brest, and five under Captain Allemand. Regarding the Villeneuve army, he was the owner of Nuestra Senora de la Santissima Trinidad, a first-class battleship with four decks and 140 guns. It was considered a terror—literally, for the world created by Spanish engineers.
Napoleon was still pressing Villeneuve to travel to Brest to assist in releasing the siege. Villeneuve, however, dispatched troops to Cadiz on Spain's southwest coast on August 11 because of concern that the British might send spies to spy on his forces. On August 25, three "lonely" French legions from Boulogne started to enter Germany with no trace of the Franco-Spanish navy. The threat of Napoleon's British invasion came from this.
Nelson arrived back in England in the same month after spending two years at sea. He spent 25 days in his native England and was given a cordial welcome. Nelson learned that Villeneuve had arrived in Cadiz on September 2. Nelson had to wait until his ship, HMS Victory, was ready to set sail on September 17, despite the fact that the situation was critical.
On August 15, Cornwallis detached 20 ships from the British Coast Guard and sailed south to engage the enemy at Cadiz, reducing the British sea defenses to just 11 ships. Cornwallis' forces became the British center at the Battle of Trafalgar. On September 15, the fleet led by Robert Calder arrived in Cadiz. Nelson's army also gathered on the 28th of that same month to take control of the fleet.
Fleet of Britain and the Franco-Spanish Coalition
British Navy
As of October 21, the British had 27 ships of the line (3 class I ships, 4 class II ships, 16 class III 74 guns, 3 class III 64 guns, 1 class IV 50 cannon.) In addition, Britain has four more 36 and 38 cannon frigates, one 12 cannon and one 10 cannon
The British had two flagships in this battle: Nelson's HMS Victory (class I - 104 guns)
Collingwood's HMS Royal Sovereign (class I - 100 guns)
The main weapon of the British army was the 24-pound cannon, which had high damage.
Franco-Spanish Navy
Against Nelson, Vice-Admiral Villeneuve, sailing on his flagship Bucentaure, fielded 33 ships of the line, including some of the largest in the world at the time. The Spanish contributed four first-rate ships to the fleet; three of these ships, one at 130 guns (Santísima Trinidad) and two at 112 guns (Príncipe de Asturias, Santa Ana), were much larger than anything under Nelson's command. The fourth-rate carried 100 guns. The fleet had six 80-gun third-rates, (four French and two Spanish), and one Spanish 64-gun third-rate.
The remaining 22 third-rate vessels were 74-gun vessels, of which 14 were French and eight Spanish. In total, the Spanish contributed 15 ships of the line and the French 18, along with some 30,000 men and marines manning 2,632 cannon. The fleet also included five 40-gun frigates and two 18-gun brigs, all French.
Battle of Trafalgar Summary
Nelson's plan
Nelson deployed his troops in two straight lines:
The left wing, commanded by himself and led by HMS Victory, with 15 ships following him, penetrated the center of the enemy lines and attacked the rear. The right wing, commanded by Collingwood and led by HMS Royal Sovereign, with 13 ships following him, passed through the right side of the enemy formation and attacked the rear.
The result of this strategy was that the adversary formation was split up and dispersed. From there, the British Navy can take out each ship individually. The British employed this strategy and prevailed in both the Battle of Camperdown (1797) and the Battle of St. Vincent's Bay (1797). But historians claim that this tactic worked the best at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Collingwood's Attack
At 11:45, Nelson commanded the ships with his pennant: "England expects that every man will do his duty."
Near noon, Villeneuve gave the order to attack, and Fougueux fired the first salvo at the Royal Sovereign. Because of the strong winds at the moment, Collingwood's ranks moved more quickly than Nelson's. The Royal Sovereign was within range of Fougueux, Indomptable, San Justo, and San Leandro when it neared the opposing ship. At 12:00, the Royal Sovereign approached Santa Anna and opened fire with a barrage of bullets, seriously wounding her. The Belisle was located behind the Royal Sovereign. Four ships, the L'Aigle, the Achilles, the Neptune, and the Fougueux, encircled it. It was immobile for 45 minutes before his teammates arrived to save it. The Beliesle's crew fought valiantly to maintain the flag.
Nelson's Fleet Turns Bucentaure into "Rubbish"
Nelson's HMS Victory was currently in the range of the Heros, Santissima Trinidad, Neptune, and Redoutable, five adversary ships. HMS Victory took several bullets over the course of 40 minutes, resulting in the deaths and serious injuries of several sailors. HMS Victory went past Bucentaure and Redoutable around 12:45, fifteen minutes after Royal Sovereign began firing on Santa Anna, and shelled Villeneuve's ship (Bucentaure), killing numerous sailors and commanders on board and critically wounding many more. The Bucentaure itself, once the pride of France, is now little more than a scrap of garbage. It was ineffective during the war, or rather, it just stood stationary like a scarecrow.
Nelson Closes on Redoutable
After a fatal strike on Villeneuve, Nelson's HMS Victory closed in on the French Redoutable. Captain Jean Jacques Etienne Lucas commands Redoutable. Numerous seasoned officers and sailors were on board, serving as the secret weapon in the conflict. Nelson was aware of this and made a determined effort to capsize the 74-gun ship.Nelson approached Redoutable at 13:05. Captain Lucas gathered his gunners on the ship's mast and port side to find and kill Nelson at all costs. Because the officers who followed Nelson were anxious, they advised him to change into a different uniform (the enemy would immediately recognize him as an admiral if he wore too many decorations on his shirt).
But Nelson didn't want to and he said that if he died, he had to die in his best uniform, so his officers had to let it go. However, it was his suit that caused his own disaster. At 13:15, a gunner aboard the Redoutable spotted a man in military uniform with a bright medallion on his chest. "That's Nelson!! Kill him!!" Without missing an opportunity, the unknown gunner fired a shot through the Admiral's shoulder. Nelson collapsed on the spot. The officers panicked, not knowing what to do. Nelson said calmly, "I can't let the soldiers see me hurt like this. If they do, they'll lose their fighting spirit. Cover my face." Officers and some sailors nearby covered his face with a towel and carried him to the supply depot on the ship.
HMS Victory and Redoutable fought fiercely until Temeraire (98 guns) neared Redoutable's starboard side and fired repeatedly at it, inflicting serious losses. Lucas and his crew held out until 13:55, when he and the remaining 99 crew members, for a total of 643, surrendered. She was the ship with the most casualties during the conflict, with 543 sailors lost.
Progress from 14:30 to the End of the Battle
Many British ships entered the war as of 14:30, and each Franco-Spanish battleship was captured or sunk. There was a tremendous storm in the early evening. The British forces sank a number of Franco-Spanish ships because they could not weather a fierce storm.
The Franco-Spanish navy had lost 21 ships during the battle and in the storm that followed. Two ships were burned (Intrepid and San Augustin), two were destroyed (Santissima Trinidad and Argonauta), one was blown up (Achilles), four were destroyed in the storm (L'Aigle, Berwick, Fougueux, and Monarca), and one sank during the British departure (Redoutable). The total number of Allied casualties was 13,781, with the French accounting for 2,218 killed, 1,155 wounded, and 4,000 prisoners, and Spain accounting for 1,025 killed, 1,333 wounded, and 4,000 captured. 3,000 of the 8,000 Franco-Spanish prisoners drowned in the storm.
The British suffered no ship losses and only 1,666 casualties, with 458 killed and 1,208 injured.
Nelson's Death
Officers and sailors took Nelson's body inside the supply store onboard HMS Victory after he was shot at 13:15. The ship's physicians tried everything they could to save him and prolong his life. Every hour and minute, Nelson inquired about the outside war. After hearing that Villeneuve and his men had surrendered and the British had won the battle, Nelson was both happy and sad that he was about to die. "Kiss me, Hardy!" Nelson said this to Hardy, his courtier, and Hardy kissed him lightly on the cheek. The dying Nelson then delivered his final words:
"Thank God! I've fulfilled...my duty....Now I can...rest in peace...."
Nelson, the one-time naval hero of Britain, England, and the entire British Empire died at 16:30, 3 hours and 15 minutes after being hit. His departure has left a significant void for the entire country of England. His magnificent victory at Trafalgar prevented Napoleon's ambition to seize England, and England was at peace for the next few decades as a result. Ten years later, in 1815, the Anglo-Prussian victory at Waterloo ended the expansion of Napoleon and the First French Empire. Nelson is considered a national hero in the United Kingdom.
His national funeral was held in London, England, on January 9, 1806. His body was later interred in St. Paul's Basilica, where his casket is still visible today.
What Was One Important Consequence of the Battle of Trafalgar?
British Empire
After the illustrious victory at Trafalgar, England still dominated its monopoly on European waters. Furthermore, this victory helped Britain avoid an invasion by France and its allies, bankrupted Napoleon's plot to attack Britain, and provided Britain with "100 years of peace." The loss of Admiral Nelson, the genius of British naval warfare, was, however, too tremendous. No one can replace him in the entire United Kingdom.
France Empire
The crushing defeat at Trafalgar gave France a slew of problems. This already depleted French treasury has become much more depleted. In addition, France lost a key ally in Spain. After the disaster at Trafalgar, Spain got bored with its alliance with France and broke with Napoleon. Furthermore, this setback effectively ended the French Empire's attempt to conquer Britain. Although Napoleon won the subsequent battle of Austerlitz on December 2, 1805, it was insufficient to reverse France's catastrophic situation in England. And the defeat by the Anglo-Prussian Alliance at the Battle of Waterloo (1815) ended the First French Empire's 12-year reign.
As for Villeneuve, after his defeat, he was dismissed from office by Napoleon and had to live in exile at an inn on the outskirts of Paris, France, for the last months of his life. He grabbed a knife and committed suicide at the inn where he lived on April 22, 1806, after writing a note to his daughter. He was only 42 years old at the time.
Spain
Spain's defeat at Trafalgar discouraged them from allying with France, so they abandoned the alliance. In 1808, Spain permitted France to cross the border and invade Portugal, but France was unsuccessful. Napoleon responded by sending troops to attack Spain. However, he made a mistake, and 250,000 Frenchmen left their bodies in Spain, severely deteriorating relations between the two countries. Furthermore, Spain was unable to recreate a fleet as strong as before the Battle of Trafalgar, leaving the country's navy severely weak throughout the first part of the nineteenth century.
Gravina died on March 9, 1806, at the age of 49, from wounds sustained during the conflict.
Trafalgar Battle Facts
There was no naval battle in contemporary history greater than the Battle of Trafalgar. It is a historic event that will be passed down and remembered for future generations. It is possible that we would not know what "England, England, or Queen Elizabeth II" is without Trafalgar. Without that crucial October 21, 1805 battle, Nelson would have been allowed to continue on for a few more years and six more battles, and without that battle, Napoleon's ambition of a French Empire controlling Europe would have been a reality.
The Battle of Trafalgar was the greatest naval battle of modern times until the Battles of Tsushima (1905) and Jutland (1916) superseded it. Strictly speaking, it was that battle that transformed the course of the European war in an instant. Since then, however, world history has evolved.
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