I found this lecture illuminating and engaging. I think we've passed the point where we expect our heroes to be flawless human beings. Indeed, in many cases, their flaws and weaknesses contribute to the stature of their heroism. I believe this to be the case with Churchill, a man wracked with doubts and suffering from depression who yet managed to lead and inspire his nation at an even darker time in its history than that of Trafalgar. I didn't hear anything in this lecture that diminished Nelson's status as a great naval commander. If some of his success was due to luck, well, even Napoleon would not have begrudged him that. I look forward to seeing other lectures by Evan Wilson. Thanks to the U.S. Naval War College for posting this video.
Well from what i have learnt about him he was a great man, loyal to god and country until the end and a very brave man who led from the front. Not many of those around today...
No mention of Britain's greatest fighting admiral since Nelson, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet during WW2, until 1943, defeating the Italian Fleet and fighting in every major naval engagement that his flagship, HMS Warspite, was involved in. From 1943 until the end of WW2 he was Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord.
Fantastic lecture. But... Nelson didn’t ask Hardy to kiss him! Nelson is reported to have said ‘‘tis kismet Hardy’ in other words ‘that’s life’. Where did I get this from - HMS Victory tour in Portsmouth UK!
I agree that Nelson has been done an injustice here. The fellow captains, seamen, army officers, politicians and others in power that all talked of Nelson in glowing terms as a heroic leader of men...can’t be ignored! No other leader had such almost universal love and acclaim.
If you ask the British public to vote on something they will name Diana as a greater Briton than Darwin, Shakespeare and Newton, and they will name ships Boaty McBoatface.
Total rubbish. Does the speaker really think that when napoleon moved away from the channel to face the Austrian and Russian forces, once napolean presumably in napoleon's mind had defeated those enemies wouldn't then after that point turned his army back around and returned back to the northern French coast? Of course napoleon would have done. Napoleon turned away, would have defeated the enemies in the east, then returned his thoughts to invading Britain. It was nelsons victory at trafalgar that deprived napoleon of the necessary ships to transport any French invasionary force over to British shores in the immediate aftermath of trafalgar. The rebuilding of the French fleet in the aftermath of trafalgar would have taken such significant time that like during ww2, hitlers plans for invasion of the UK was hampered by a huge lack of transport vessels to move an invasionary army across the English Channel.
The speaker isn't trying to bring down Nelson - he's highlighting the sheer number of truly extraordinary sailors that the Royal Navy produced.
I found this lecture illuminating and engaging. I think we've passed the point where we expect our heroes to be flawless human beings. Indeed, in many cases, their flaws and weaknesses contribute to the stature of their heroism. I believe this to be the case with Churchill, a man wracked with doubts and suffering from depression who yet managed to lead and inspire his nation at an even darker time in its history than that of Trafalgar. I didn't hear anything in this lecture that diminished Nelson's status as a great naval commander. If some of his success was due to luck, well, even Napoleon would not have begrudged him that. I look forward to seeing other lectures by Evan Wilson. Thanks to the U.S. Naval War College for posting this video.
Well from what i have learnt about him he was a great man, loyal to god and country until the end and a very brave man who led from the front. Not many of those around today...
No mention of Britain's greatest fighting admiral since Nelson, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet during WW2, until 1943, defeating the Italian Fleet and fighting in every major naval engagement that his flagship, HMS Warspite, was involved in. From 1943 until the end of WW2 he was Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord.
Thomas Cochrane should of been top 10.
You do Nelson a great injustice here. Trafalgar did end the war at sea as no one would dare take on the Royal Navy afterwards.
Fantastic lecture. But... Nelson didn’t ask Hardy to kiss him! Nelson is reported to have said ‘‘tis kismet Hardy’ in other words ‘that’s life’. Where did I get this from - HMS Victory tour in Portsmouth UK!
Yes I heard the same thing at the same place
I agree that Nelson has been done an injustice here. The fellow captains, seamen, army officers, politicians and others in power that all talked of Nelson in glowing terms as a heroic leader of men...can’t be ignored! No other leader had such almost universal love and acclaim.
If you ask the British public to vote on something they will name Diana as a greater Briton than Darwin, Shakespeare and Newton, and they will name ships Boaty McBoatface.
Amazing lecture! It would have been great if earlier admirals such as Robert Blake were mentioned but we'll take what we can get!
Trafalgar locked the French out of the sea, in bought a massive amount of time for Britain.
Total rubbish.
Does the speaker really think that when napoleon moved away from the channel to face the Austrian and Russian forces, once napolean presumably in napoleon's mind had defeated those enemies wouldn't then after that point turned his army back around and returned back to the northern French coast? Of course napoleon would have done.
Napoleon turned away, would have defeated the enemies in the east, then returned his thoughts to invading Britain.
It was nelsons victory at trafalgar that deprived napoleon of the necessary ships to transport any French invasionary force over to British shores in the immediate aftermath of trafalgar.
The rebuilding of the French fleet in the aftermath of trafalgar would have taken such significant time that like during ww2, hitlers plans for invasion of the UK was hampered by a huge lack of transport vessels to move an invasionary army across the English Channel.