what if Horatio Nelson is not killed at the battle of Trafalgar
- Thread starter jabberwoky
- Start date
When we discussed this here previously, the consensus was that he would crash and burn. Not necessarily immediately - he'd be in line for lavish rewards and maybe another lucrative command - but from where he stood, the only way was into politics or honourable retirement. Nelson's character makes retirement very unlikely, and he was an outrageous person with a penchant for ticking off people, which means he had already scandalised large parts of the establishment who generally agreed it was much easier to venerate dead Nelson than to get along with him alive. They might have been willing to tolerate that in the CINCMED, but not in anyone of importance nearer home. So unless the king of Sicily installs him in some puppet lordship, he is going to find the rest of his professional life less than agreeable.
Had he not be killed in Trafalgar what are the odds of Nelson entering politics? Could he had become Prime Minister maybe?
He'd still be in demand as a naval officer till the end of the war, and with Trafalgar under his belt, there's hardly any position he can't get. Given the disastrous state of his finances, my guess is he would (informally) request a lucrative command. West Indies is likeliest, since the Channel fleet can't use an impulsive adventurer to lead it and the other stations don't carry the same prestige. If he really wants the Channel fleet, he may get that, too. It would be a bad fit for his temperament, though.
Assuming he survives that, it's most likely the Admiralty. From there - he could easily be elected to Parliament in many of the less rotten urban boroughs, but as to how he would perform once elected is open to serious question. A charismatic, arrogant leader with no sense of diplomacy (or self-preservation), a known dislike of corruption and a catastrophically scandalous private life... even worse a fit that the Channel fleet. I can't see him being PM. Or lasting long as Sea Lord, though the Admiralty was good at working around people who got in its way.
Well Wellington was more or less the same character but he managed to become a Prime Minister... Why not Nelson?
Nelson was a peer, he couldn't be elected to the Commons. He might be brought into the Cabinet for prestige purposes. He was, you understand, very popular with the "common folk".
More likely, he'd make a pile in Jamaica, go home to Merton, and be somewhere between ignored and scandalous until he died.
You don't think they would keep him in command after all his successes? It seems a bit wasteful to just send him off to Jamaica to sit there.
As Carlton said above he might have asked for a commision in West Indies etc.
Or perhaps he is offert the Admiralty...
3 Questions: Was not Wellington a Prime Minister? Was he not a Duke? Is a Duke not a peer?
If i remeber correclty Wellington wasnt a representative in House of Commons... But i guess he must have had a seat in the House of Lords to become a PM...
Major Major said Nelson could not be PM because he was a Peer, I am pointing out that The Iron Duke was a Peer and a PM.
No. I said he could not be elected to the Commons because he was a peer. He could be in the cabinet, but that was a different matter.
It is worth remembering that Nelson had suffered bouts of ill-health since contracting malaria in 1776, and losing an arm and receiving treatment while in the service of the Royal Navy had also not been conducive to good health, so it's quite possibly that he would not have lived a long and full life.
In previous bouts at home Nelson had attended the House of Lords when able, and had spoken in favour of Henry Addington's government. This would seemingly identify Nelson as a Tory, but whether Nelson would have got into front-line politics depends on how the Hamilton scandal continues to affect his standing among the elite, or if he stays in the navy.
In previous bouts at home Nelson had attended the House of Lords when able, and had spoken in favour of Henry Addington's government. This would seemingly identify Nelson as a Tory, but whether Nelson would have got into front-line politics depends on how the Hamilton scandal continues to affect his standing among the elite, or if he stays in the navy.
There is the sad little fact that people tend to prefer their heroes safely dead and buried where they do not cause trouble with little things like personal scandal or inconvenient ambitions. Nelson did well so long as he could spend his time doing what he did best, turning French ships into rapidly expanding clouds of wood chips. Once he's out of his element its only a matter time before he gets himself in trouble and/or ruins his reputation.
So its just as well that he checked out at the top of his game. Had he lived he probably would not be lionized to the extent that he is.
So its just as well that he checked out at the top of his game. Had he lived he probably would not be lionized to the extent that he is.
Wellington was involved in politics fairly early in his career. He sat in the Irish Parliament (this was before it was folded into Westminster) in the 1790's IIRC. He was later elected to Parliament in 1806 and served as Chief Secretary for Ireland, so he had political experience, which Nelson always lacked.
That said, he was not a real success as PM - I think that he once said that his first cabinet meeting had been quite extraordinary - he'd given them their orders and they'd then sat around and argued about them!
That said, he was not a real success as PM - I think that he once said that his first cabinet meeting had been quite extraordinary - he'd given them their orders and they'd then sat around and argued about them!
I've always suspected that Nelson was murdered by his own government. He was in charge of the most powerful navy in the world and his men had no political voice or wealth. Nelson had the power to convince his men to return home hostile to England in exchange for political reform that gave them more political influence.
Would he have done it? Not sure. But the threat was there.
