Being an American, I didn't learn a lot about the Napoleonic Wars in school. It's strange to say, but most of what I know about it now, I gleaned from Naomi Novik's Temeraire books, a fantasy alternate history series, where dragons are real and are used as part of fighting battles in Europe and around the world. (It's really great.. check it out!)
Anyway, thanks to Novik, I had just a bit of awareness when I saw that today is the 220th anniversary of the day Lord Nelson spotted the French and Spanish fleets off Cape Trafalgar. According to the BlueSky post that described it,
At first light on 21st October, Nelson led his fleet into a pell-mell battle, rewriting the rules of engagement, and securing the greatest naval victory in history.
His uniform remains blood-splattered and shows the hole which was created when a musket ball from a sniper aboard the French ship Redoutable found its target and shattered his spine, leading to his death in glory several hours later. His final words, “God, and my country.”
My eyes glaze over when I try to read the details of the battle of 27 British ships vs. 33 French and Spanish ships (as on the battle's Wikipedia page), reminding me why I don't read about these types of things in general. But still, for an American, it's useful to have some understanding of why there's a Trafalgar Square in London, and a Lord Nelson's column.
Even if it's all a bit more interesting when dragons are involved.
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