Brief History of the Royal Navy: Pre-1900

Pre-1900

The Royal Navy is the Naval Warfare branch of the British Armed Forces. It was founded in the 16th century and has been a prominent example since the 17th century. For over 300 years it was considered the most powerful navy in the world, providing dominant world power through the English Empire. It is still considered today as one of the most powerful Navy's only second to US Navy.

Many important battles were fought and won to maintain British interest, whether that was to stop invasion or to keep her empire safe. Towards the end of the 1700's, the Royal Navy's power came to a peak winning a succession of large battles.

• 1794 - Third Battle of Ushant
• 1797 - Battle of Camperdown
• 1798 - Battle of the Nile
• 1801 - Battle of Copenhagen
• 1805 - Battle of Trafalgar

The most memorable battle was in 1805 where a ruling Napoleon had mustered up Spanish and French ships to invade Britain.

21 October 1805 - Battle of Trafalgar

27 ships were led in to battle by Admiral Lord Nelson who defeated 33 Spanish & French ships in the Battle of Trafalgar without a single British ship being lost. This confirmed the naval supremacy that Britain had established over the previous century.