Battle at Trafalgar

A detailed Summary of Battle at Trafalgar

One of the greatest sea battles ever to occur took place off the Spanish coast of Trafalgar. On October 21,1805 Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson of the English Royal Navy, with twenty-seven ships of the line crushed the combined forces of the French and Spanish fleets. Had the outcome of this great battle been different, Napoleon may have realized his dream of ruling an empire that never saw the setting sun. The purpose of this paper is to explain the events that led to this great battle, to discuss the ships of the line, and the men who worked them. It will also expose the lack of commitment the French had in regards to naval warfare.

Bonaparte wanted to rule the world. The largest obstacle in his way was that of the Royal Navy of England. Bonapart's idea was to cross the English Channel, moving his vast army onto British soil. If the English mainland could be penetrated, and London occupied, Napoleon felt that the Royal Navy would collapse under the French army and its allied forces.

The peace Treaty of Amiens afforded Napoleon eighteen months of opportunity to put the plan of crossing the English Channel into place. Napoleon's plan was to build a fleet of landing craft, flat bottom boats, powered by sail and oar that could out

It was in the Indies that things began to fall apart for the French Fleet. Uncertainty of Ganteaumes where abouts and knowing that Nelson had arrived worried Villeneuve. Napoleon had new orders for Villeneuve to attack Barbados but to do so he risked a fight with Nelson. A battle so far from friendly ports would leave the French unable to repair and refit. Rations for the fleet were also running low. Villeneuve rightly chose to sail back to Europe.

maneuver the great English Men of war.

Not all of the crew working the ships came to the job of their own accord. Life of the sailor was hard. Discipline was the order, and every man was responsible for his job. The pay was low, and the time of servitude kept the men away from family for extended periods. For this reason, voluntary enlistment was rare. To satisfy the requirements of manpower the English as well as French used a method of forced enlistment. Press-gangs were used to recruit new sailors into service. These gangs of seasoned shipmen, under orders of the captain the ship, would row into port under the cover of night armed with clubs and sabers. The press-gangs would seek out the local tavern or pub, burst through the doors and apprehend any person that look healthy enough to serve in his majesties fleet. Arguments of the party apprehended went unheard as the victim was carried away to the ship. The length of this service could and often lasted for over eight years.

The battle at Trafalgar is significant in several ways. It was the last great naval fight between sailing ships, as steam power would soon replace ships of the line. It also thwarted Napoleons attempts to gain a land battle on English soil. Had the French better trained their officers and crews, the results may have very well turned in favor of the French. Also consider Villeneuve's fear of punishment as it relates to his decision to sail from Cadiz on that fatal October day. Napoleon knew little of naval warfare and should have left the navy alone, allowing the Admirals to act on there on accord.

Villenuve was forced to port in Vigo Bay, contradictive to Napoleons orders to sail for Ferrol. After taking on fresh water and rations Villenuve set sail determined to complete the trip.

The critical part of the plan was the actual crossing of the channel. To do this Napoleon would need the assistance of the French and Spanish Navy battle ships. For a short period of time, French and Spanish Men-of War or sips of the line were to take control of the North Sea, blockade the striates of Dover, and allow the flat bottom boats a chance to cross the channel.

was the lack of training on the open sea. The blockades of the English fleets were so successful at keeping the French in port that gaining the experience of combat was impossible. Even had the French been able to break through, the lack of officers available to properly administer command and train the crews virtually made the fleet ineffective in times of engagement with the Royal Fleets. Villeneuve recognized these deficiencies and was reluctant to fight. In effect, his orders as well as the other admirals were not to voluntarily engage the English.

Napoleon considered it treason for the bulk of the French fleet to anchor at the port of Cadiz. He needed them in the channel and he needed them there now. Time was running out. The Russian forces were building in Italy and the Austrians were increasingly becoming more defiant. With the decision By Villeneuve to go to Cadiz Napoleons land battle across the channel was over. Napoleon was outraged. A letter from General Lauriston to Napoleon, critical of Villeneuves performance through out the campaign, would ultimately lead to his fall.

of Spanish ships off Martinique. Also in route to the Indies were Admiral Magon sailing from Rochefort and Admiral Ganteaume sailing from Brest. The combined forces were then to cause disturbances to the English colonies and then with all speed return to Bres

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Approximate Word count = 2950
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English