"Oh, why could not this man (admiral Suffren, 1726-88) have lived in my time! Or why could I not find someone of his mold? I would have made him our Nelson, and things would have had a different turn . But I spent all my time looking for the man the navy needed without ever finding him. There is in the naval profession a specialized, technical mentality which blocked all my plans. ......According to them, one has to be born in the navy to understand anything about it."

The preceding quote illuminates the fact that the only impediment to Napoleon's quest for world domination was his inability to win the battle between the elephant and the whale. Though some might argue that the Royal Navy's control on European waters was so strong that Napoleon would never be given the opportunity to even tarnish the British Empire directly, Napoleon could have used indirect tactics to help control and even diminish the power of Britain. In fact, if Napoleon had simply implemented the Continental System correctly by developing a structured naval institution, consolidating his empire, and industrializing, than he might have gained an advantag

Lastly, it is improbable that Napoleon could have consolidated his empire, because he was driven by tactical victories that affected the goals for his kingdom. Due to the fact that Napoleon's drive to continuously conquer kept his troops fighting, it is unlikely that Napoleon would have been able to put forth the resources to truly keep a strong hold of the three key ports of Gibraltar, Swedish Pomeranian, and Lisbon. A perfect example of this is Napoleon's loss of the important coast of Portugal as a result of his attempt to conquer Spain. In addition, it is questionable whether or not Napoleon would have the patience to follow through on a strategy that would take years to implement and even more to benefit from. This is because throughout his career Napoleon was well noted and praised for his ability to make swift decisive attacks, which were over within a few days. However, the battle between the elephant and the whale was a slow-paced process that required consistent focus and effort on making sure that the Continental System was being enforced. As a result of Napoleon's lack of experience in long-term strategy, it is doubtful that Napoleon would have been well suited in implementing a successful blockade against Britain, which was necessary in winning the battle between the elephant and the whale.

In essence, if Napoleon would have realized that the Continental System was a long term strategy that necessitated industrialization, naval development, and empire consolidation, then his indirect attack on Britain would be effective in spite of short term circumstances. As a result, if these three measures were focused on and developed over time, than the Continental System would truly begin to take its toll on Britain. This would eventually bring about the opportunity to successfully launch a direct attack on a vulnerable Britain, which would have no choice but to give into the Napoleonic Empire.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Continental System, French Revolution, Pomeranian Lisbon, French Stronghold, Napoleonic Empire, Empire Oh, Portugal French, Due British, Britain Europe, continental system, System Napoleon, french navy, battle elephant whale, elephant whale, battle elephant, napoleonic empire, british trade, naval commanders, royal navy, mediterranean sea, development french, naval culture france, access mediterranean sea, skilled naval commanders, development french navy,
Approximate Word count = 2047
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)