Français  Contact Us  Help  Search  Canada Site Volume 1 (1000–1754) Volume 2 (1755-1871) Volume 3 (1872–2000) CHAPTER 1 The Conquest CHAPTER 2 The Revolt of Pontiac and the American Invasion CHAPTER 3 The Coveted Pacific Coast CHAPTER 4 The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 A Relatively Peaceful Decade The Militias of the New Provinces The French Revolution Canada at War with France Tensions with the United States The Royal Canadian Volunteers Newfoundland Threatened The 1802 Peace The Battle of Trafalgar New Tensions in America Mobilization in Lower Canada The British and Canadian Forces The War of 1812 Canada's Defence Strategy American Fiascos New Invasions in the West The Americans Attack Upper Canada Laura Secord and Beaver Dams Objective: Montreal! The Battle of Chateauguay The Battle of Crysler's Farm The British Take Fort Niagara The 1814 Invasion of Canada The Battle for the Northwest The Race to Build Ships The British Defeat at Plattsburgh The War at Sea The Legacy of the War of 1812 CHAPTER 5 Demobilization CHAPTER 6 The Royal Navy, Ruler of the Seas CHAPTER 7 A Decade of Turbulence APPENDIX A The British Armed Forces APPENDIX B Daily Life of Soldiers and Officers APPENDIX C Uniforms and Arms APPENDIX D Reference      CHAPTER 4 The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812           The Battle of Trafalgar ( 1 page )                     The battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805. (Click image to enlarge) The short peace of Amiens had made it possible for the French fleet to rebuild its strength.  Together with its Spanish ally, it now constituted a serious threat.  The invasion of England by an army crossing the Channel was possible if the Franco-Spanish fleet were able to control this stretch of sea for a few days.  Napoleon had clearly understood this strategic move and during the summer of 1805 found himself at Boulogne leading the Grande Armée, waiting for the Franco-Spanish fleet of Admiral Pierre-Charles de Villeneuve. The future of England and its empire was directly at stake.  The British fleet of Admiral Horatio Nelson, in attempting to cut off the French-Spanish fleet, intercepted it off Cape Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.  By coincidence, war had grouped together, on the Spanish side, several officers who had explored the Canadian Pacific coast in their youth, including Dionisio Alcalâ-Galiano, who was killed on board the Bahama, and Cayetano Valdés, who was injured on the Neptuno.  A fierce battle ensued between Villeneuve's 33 vessels, 15 of which were Spanish, and the 27 British ships.  Nelson was mortally wounded but the Franco-Spanish fleet was virtually wiped out.  Admiral Nelson's victory gave the British navy unquestioned supremacy over all the seas of the globe for almost a century. In Canada the news of the victory at Trafalgar was greeted with immense relief.  Any serious naval threats had been eliminated and communications with Great Britain were assured.  Wood exports could continue in safety.  Montreal merchants were so happy that they erected a monument in Nelson's honour even before the people of London did!           Additional Images           Click image to enlarge   Last Updated: 2004-06-20 Important Notices