Of course Trafalgar did not end the Napoleonic Wars directly, certainly not on land ... not even at sea.
Trafalgar cost the French only 10 battleships directly (the Spanish actually suffered more), though 5 more were lost in its aftermath
Good points made here but missing the several areas where Trafalgar WAS crucial
Firstly, the crushing victory at sea in 1805 strengthened British resolve enough that their morale survived Bonaparte's successes on land later in 1805, 6 & 7
Pitt himself may have despaired after Austerlitz but his famous quote "Roll up that map of Europe, it will not be wanted these twenty years" proved to be too pessimistic. A fact that other Britons recognised after his death. (It was only 3 years before the wheels came off Bonaparte's dream, though it took another five for them to be crushed and another year before the "Corsican Ogre" was properly caged).
Secondly, the loss of the core of French Battlefleet was something Bonaparte spent treasure and diplomatic credit trying to repair. Even in 1814, with the Prussians and Russians approaching the Rhine he was writing to his Minister of Marine urging expenditure to complete a program that aimed at getting 104 modern battleships in Europe. (At that date the RN had ~ 100 with world wide commitments)
Thirdly, and most importantly, the reduction in the Ships of the Line available to their enemy allowed the RN to concentrate their resources in smaller cruisers and escorts.
The RN had in active commission
In 1794 14 3 deckers, 71 2 deck battleships, 20 smaller 2 deckers, 88 Frigates, 10 Sloops, 76 smaller escorts
In 1814 12 3 deckers, 87 2 deck battleships, 10 smaller 2 deckers, 121 Frigates, 25 Sloops, 360 smaller escorts
Of course, the numbers in active commission don't tell the whole story.
Most of the ships available in 1814 were new, larger more powerful designs, replacing vessels lost to the sea or simply worn out.
(In 1814 there were more than 80 other battleships still theoretically afloat but "relegated" i.e. storeships or prison hulks)
That enormous growth in protection ships would not have been possible without Trafalgar
and those ships made possible the final defeat of Bonaparte.
Trafalgar cost the French only 10 battleships directly (the Spanish actually suffered more), though 5 more were lost in its aftermath
Good points made here but missing the several areas where Trafalgar WAS crucial
Firstly, the crushing victory at sea in 1805 strengthened British resolve enough that their morale survived Bonaparte's successes on land later in 1805, 6 & 7
Pitt himself may have despaired after Austerlitz but his famous quote "Roll up that map of Europe, it will not be wanted these twenty years" proved to be too pessimistic. A fact that other Britons recognised after his death. (It was only 3 years before the wheels came off Bonaparte's dream, though it took another five for them to be crushed and another year before the "Corsican Ogre" was properly caged).
Secondly, the loss of the core of French Battlefleet was something Bonaparte spent treasure and diplomatic credit trying to repair. Even in 1814, with the Prussians and Russians approaching the Rhine he was writing to his Minister of Marine urging expenditure to complete a program that aimed at getting 104 modern battleships in Europe. (At that date the RN had ~ 100 with world wide commitments)
Thirdly, and most importantly, the reduction in the Ships of the Line available to their enemy allowed the RN to concentrate their resources in smaller cruisers and escorts.
The RN had in active commission
In 1794 14 3 deckers, 71 2 deck battleships, 20 smaller 2 deckers, 88 Frigates, 10 Sloops, 76 smaller escorts
In 1814 12 3 deckers, 87 2 deck battleships, 10 smaller 2 deckers, 121 Frigates, 25 Sloops, 360 smaller escorts
Of course, the numbers in active commission don't tell the whole story.
Most of the ships available in 1814 were new, larger more powerful designs, replacing vessels lost to the sea or simply worn out.
(In 1814 there were more than 80 other battleships still theoretically afloat but "relegated" i.e. storeships or prison hulks)
That enormous growth in protection ships would not have been possible without Trafalgar
and those ships made possible the final defeat of Bonaparte.
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