The Battle of Trafalgar, which took place on October 21, 1805, off the coast of Spain, was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy and the allied fleets of France and Spain, during the Napoleonic Wars of the Third Coalition. The battle was so legendary that its name has entered common language.
Even today, people speak of a “coup de Trafalgar” to describe a disastrous defeat or an unexpected accident with serious consequences, according to the two meanings given by the CNRTL. “Wait,” he said, pointing at his opponent [during a card game], “I’m preparing him a coup de Trafalgar,” wrote Marcel Proust in Sodom and Gomorrah (1922).
The expression originates from this decisive naval battle, which took place on October 21, 1805, when the Franco-Spanish fleet, under Vice Admiral Villeneuve, faced off against the British fleet, led by Vice Admiral Nelson, near Cape Trafalgar, in Spanish waters.
Despite being outnumbered, the British secured a resounding victory, ensuring their naval supremacy, which would last for nearly a century.
Who Would Dominate the Seas?
After the Peace of Amiens in 1802, France, allied with the Batavian Republic (the Netherlands) and Spain, enjoyed a dominant position in Europe. Napoleon saw in this a unique opportunity to establish naval superiority in the English Channel over the British fleet. His strategy began with an attempt to unite the French fleets of Brest and Toulon. The Toulon fleet, the smaller of the two, was commanded by Vice Admiral Villeneuve, who set out to cross the Mediterranean, bypass Spain, and reach the Atlantic coast.
However, to achieve this, Villeneuve had to evade Vice Admiral Nelson, who commanded the British Mediterranean fleet. Nelson had already made a name for himself during the Napoleonic Wars, particularly by destroying a French squadron at Aboukir in 1798 and defeating the Danish-Norwegian fleet at Copenhagen in 1801.
After five months of pursuit and skirmishes at sea, Villeneuve managed to join a significant Spanish fleet in Cádiz, but Nelson remained close on his heels.
When war officially broke out in 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered Villeneuve’s fleet to return to the Mediterranean to support military operations in Austria. As Villeneuve’s fleet reached the southeast of Cape Trafalgar, he realized that the British were in pursuit. He then ordered his fleet to turn around and form a battle line, preparing for the historic clash that would determine the future of naval supremacy.
An Epic Battle
Numerical superiority was on the Franco-Spanish side, with 33 ships of the line and 7 frigates against the British fleet of 27 ships of the line and 4 frigates. To inspire his men, Admiral Nelson ordered a now-famous message to be hoisted in signal flags: “England expects that every man will do his duty”
Contrary to the prevailing naval tactics of the late 18th century—where fleets engaged in parallel lines of cannon fire—Nelson devised a bold strategy. He ordered his fleet to form two columns to break through the Franco-Spanish line.
The course of the battle is well known, extensively analyzed, and taught in naval strategy manuals. The British columns pounded the Franco-Spanish line, cutting off the vanguard and isolating the center and rear. Despite being outnumbered, the British compensated with superior strategy and firepower, swiftly overwhelming the opposing fleet.
A counterattack from the Franco-Spanish rear failed to turn the tide. By 5:30 PM, the battle was over. The British had not lost a single ship but had sunk four from Villeneuve’s fleet—and captured 17 more. At Trafalgar and during the ensuing pursuit, 4,400 French and Spanish sailors perished, either killed or drowned. British casualties were ten times fewer, yet among the fallen was Admiral Nelson.
The Franco-Spanish fleet was annihilated, and the threat of a seaborne invasion of Britain was eliminated. The Royal Navy could now rule the seas unchallenged.