6) Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar
Task 11. Find answers to the following questions. Use the key words in brackets.
Why was Napoleon’s France* determined to win the Battle of Trafalgar?* (to dominate all of Europe, to get the British fleet away from the English Channel)
Describe Admiral Nelson and his plan*(greatest naval hero, hugely charismatic, fought to fight under smb., to take smb. as mistress, to adore one-eyed, one-armed hero, to suffer from sea-sickness, look smb’s best for the battle, to fight alongside smb. in battle).
Describe the battle of Trafalgar ( HMS Victory – Nelson’s flagship, fleet of 27 battle ships against a combined French-and-Spanish fleet of 33, the finest fighting force in the world, the Royal Navy had been virtually undefeated for a 100 years, a famous flag signal “England expects that every man will do his duty”, not just to beat the French navy but to annihilate (=destroy completely) them completely, to plan a revolutionary new strategy, to engage with the enemy in parallel lines, to cut the lines in two, havoc among the enemy, crushing victory against the French).
Describe Nelson’s death (a glittering target for French snipers, to be mortally wounded, to be taken below deck, to instruct to look after his mistress, “At least I’ve done my duty”, to pass away)
Why was the victory in the battle of Trafalgar important?* (to end the possibility of Napoleon ever invading Britain, to truly rule the waves, to bring unimaginable wealth, riches and power)
Cultural Commentary
*Napoleon’s France. In 1805, the First French Empire, under Napoleon Bonaparte, was the dominant military land power on the European continent, while the British Royal Navy controlled the seas. During the course of the war, the British imposed a naval blockade on France, which affected trade and kept the French from fully mobilising their own naval resources. Despite several successful evasions of the blockade by the French navy, it failed to inflict a major defeat upon the British. Napoleon's naval plan in 1805 was for the French and Spanish fleets in the Mediterranean and Cadiz to break through the blockade and join forces in the Caribbean. They would then return, assist the fleet in Brest to emerge from the blockade, and together clear the English Channel of Royal Navy ships, ensuring a safe passage for the invasion barges.
*Nelson's plan. The prevailing tactical orthodoxy at the time involved manoeuvring to approach the enemy fleet in a single line of battle and then engaging in parallel lines. Before this time the fleets had usually been involved in a mêlée with the fleets becoming mixed together. One of the reasons for the development of the line of battle was to help the admiral control the fleet. If all the ships were in line, signalling in battle became possible. The line also had defensive properties, allowing either side to disengage by breaking away in formation. If the attacker chose to continue combat their line would be broken as well. Often this latter tactic led to inconclusive battles or allowed the losing side to reduce its losses. Nelson wished to see a conclusive battle.
His solution to the problem was to deliberately cut the opposing line in three. Approaching in two columns sailing perpendicular to the enemy's line, one towards the centre of the opposing line and one towards the trailing end, his ships would break the enemy formation into three, surround one third, and force them to fight to the end. Nelson hoped specifically to cut the line just in front of the flagship; the isolated ships in front of the break would not be able to see the flagship's signals, hopefully taking them out of combat while they reformed.
* Following the battle, the Royal Navy was never again seriously challenged by the French fleet in a large-scale engagement. Napoleon had already abandoned his plans of invasion before the battle and they were never revived. For almost 10 years after Trafalgar the Royal Navy maintained a close blockade of French bases and anxiously observed the growth of the French fleet. In the end, Napoleon's Empire was destroyed before the ambitious buildup could be completed.
Nelson became – and remains – Britain's greatest naval war hero, and an inspiration to the Royal Navy, yet his unorthodox tactics were seldom emulated by later generations. The first monument to be erected in Britain to commemorate Nelson may be that raised on Glasgow Green in 1806. Nelson's Monument in Edinburgh was built between 1807 and 1815 in the form of an upturned telescope, and in 1853 a time ball was added which still drops at noon GMT to give a time signal to ships in Leith and the Firth of Forth. London's famous Trafalgar Square was named in honour of his victory, and Nelson's statue on Nelson's Column, finished in 1843, towers triumphantly over it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle of Trafalgar
Nelson’s Column in Nelson’s Monument Nelson’s Monument in
Trafalgar Square Edinburgh Glasgow Green