The Royal Navy and the Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought between the British and French navies in 1805. Like Napoleon's grand army, Britain's Royal Navy had evolved into one of the most powerful military institutions of all time. Many accounts of British veterans describe an eagerness for battle; a decisive battle would mean an end to their labors. It was a very different story in the combined fleet: France and Spain were uneasy allies,. In fact, they were getting along worse than the Austrians and Russians on the eve of Austerlitz.