Who do you think of when you think of the great men of British history? I believe that the first name that comes to mind of many people is the Duke of Wellington who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, or the Prime Minister Churchill who led the British advance in the artillery fire of World War II. But what we're going to talk about today is General Nelson, a famous British admiral who has seen his face, even if you haven't heard of his name.
Why do you say that everyone must have seen his face? Although his name may not be as loud as Wellington and Churchill, his traces can be seen everywhere in Britain. Everyone is most familiar with the eye-catching column on Trafalgar Square in front of the National Gallery of Britain. This is a one-eyed and one-armed general, and the statue in such a representative place must have played a pivotal role in the hearts of the British. Not only is he regarded as a national hero, but even Trafalgar Square is named after his exploits, so let's tell you more about it.
The battle that determined maritime supremacy: the Battle of Trafalgar
Britain and France are famous for their centuries-old feud, especially during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Since Nelson's uncle was a British naval officer, Nelson was influenced by his desire to go to sea from an early age and joined the Navy at the age of 12. He fought in the Battle of the Nile and the Battle of Copenhagen against Napoleon, and in just over 30 years of his maritime career, he led the LinkedIn navy to victory.
At that time, Napoleon of France dominated the European continent, while Britain held the dominant sea power. During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain blockaded the sea, the French were difficult to mobilize naval resources, Napoleon in order to seize the English Channel route, in order to invade Britain, in order to conquer all of Europe, Napoleon had ordered the construction of warships throughout the country, when every port in France could hear the voice of shipyards, he joined forces with Spain to launch a fierce attack on the English Channel, and the decisive battle related to the power of Britain and France was inevitably launched.
Among the many maritime battles, the most beautiful and famous was the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It was not only the largest naval battle of the 19th century, but also the legendary Battle of the British "Strike More with Less".
In terms of numbers, the Franco-Spanish coalition army was relatively large, the Coalition had 41 warships, and the British only had 33, so Nelson divided his warships into two parts, north and south, and sailed vertically towards the coalition army in a T-shape, trying to destroy the iron wall formation of the coalition army. At the time of the battle, the two sides were only five kilometers apart, and the first-line teams in the south were initially outnumbered, and after only 2 hours or so, they were almost completely destroyed, while Nelson's northern troops, led by victory, slowly advanced towards the enemy in the slow wind sea.
When the battleships were 5 kilometers apart, Nelson issued his famous order:
England expects everyone to do their part.
General Nelson had already made everything ready for war, but he knew that this was a crucial battle and that it was absolutely necessary to inspire the British army, so he sent this signal with his flag.
When Nelson ordered it, it was represented by the maritime signal flag invented in 1800. On the left is the battleship Victory painted by the representative British painter William Turner, and the content of the flag flying on the flagpole is this famous quote that deeply shook the British. If you refer to the decoding below and compare it to the flag on the ship, you will find that the flag is written with the last three letters of "DUTY". He originally wanted to convey that "Nelson expected everyone to do their part", but it sounded too personal, so he changed it to "England" and became more atmospheric.
Nelson ordered a fake maneuver to misjudge the British Navy's use of a horizontal formation. Although his warships were damaged by enemy salvos, he personally led Victory into the middle of the French Busenthauer and the smaller Awe, allowing the guns on the left and right to inflict the most direct and absolute damage on the French.
This unconventional tactic allowed the plan to run smoothly, and the British Navy won a beautiful victory and took down seventeen enemy ships. However, as Nelson approached the French vessel, he was hit in the left shoulder by a gunman aboard the French Awe, and the bullet passed through the lungs and remained in the body, causing irreparable fatal wounds.
Nelson was carried to the cabin, but still issued instructions from time to time, knowing that he was bound to die, and asked to meet with the flagship captain Thomas. Hardy meets and confesses the aftermath of his life. Hardy was his old companion who had traveled many times together, and according to oral accounts at the time, Nelson told Hardy to "take care of poor Lady Hamilton", he paused for a moment and then spoke weakly, "Kiss me, Hardy", Hardy kissed his cheek, and Nelson continued: "I am satisfied, thank God, I have done my duty".
When Nelson heard the news of Britain's victory, he swallowed his last breath, and at the same time, it meant that Britain had lost a beloved admiral. Although the British were victorious, they also broke down and wept when their crew learned that he was killed. The success of the Battle of Trafalgar determined Britain's hegemonic position at sea and directly laid the foundation for the future "Empire where the Sun Never Sets".
On Trafalgar Day, on 21 October each year, the flag "England expects everyone to do their duty" is still raised aboard victory, which is still parked in port for everyone to see. And this sentence is so famous that in the future, whenever the United Kingdom encounters a major national event, it will begin with this sentence.
After Nelson's death, there were no coffins on board, and in order to embalm his body, the crew soaked him in spirits, and the Royal Navy's wine was provided by a company called Rum, which has since been known as Nelson's Blood.
The Battle of Trafalgar devastated the French navy, Napoleon was forced to abandon his plan to attack the British mainland, Nelson became the British god of naval war, many things named after him, such as the HMS Nelson battleship in World War I, etc., and in the twenty-first century, he was still voted "the most popular historical hero" by the British. Many of his related objects are kept in the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, so if you're visiting the UK, don't forget to take a second look at this fascinating maritime legend!
Today, you can say that the Air Force forged the world, but in the past, it was the Navy that forged the world, and the Navy still plays an important role that is not inferior to the Air Force. The navy not only defends a sovereign state, but also shapes a whole new world.
Seeing an endless and choppy sea, Chinese is completely different from the feelings and choices of the British.
There is a saying that is not good but may be true: our navy today is much stronger than the Nelson navy of that year, but in the mind and spirit, it is not as far as the other side, which is the real gap.
Chinese is fear, conservatism, regression, and the British are excited, adventurous, and forward. In Britain, all places are no more than 80 miles from the sea, and more importantly, the British are much closer mentally than this distance. Nelson was the most adventurous general in British naval history. Britain once known as the "Empire of the Sun Never Sets", this grand occasion has long gone, but English has become the language of the world, which is an important trace and cultural heritage left by the British Royal Navy.
Napoleon once said that as long as the French Navy put his foot on the British Isles, Britain would be finished. But Nelson shattered Napoleon's dreams. The author of "Maritime Empire: How the Navy Forged the "Modern World"" devotes a chapter to "Nelson and His New Tactics", and uses four parts to correspond to the rise, development, prosperity and decline of the Royal Navy. It is perfect for military fans who want to understand the history of the Royal Navy, explore the naval establishment, the art of combat, and review the classic naval battle legends ↓↓↓
Sea Power Maritime Empire: How the Navy "Forged" the Modern World (2nd Edition) ¥44.2 Purchase