Page 16 - History of War - Issue 18-15

Frontline
HEROESOFTHEAGEOFSAIL

The admirals and strategists who conquered the seas

THEMISTOCLES(C.524-459BCE) “England Expects That
Every Man Shall Do His
YEARSACTIVE:493-472BCE Duty”: Nelson, by Lemuel
Francis Abbott, 1799
FORCE:GREEKALLIANCE
COUNTRY:ATHENS

The Athenian politician and soldier,
Themistocles was the first leader to
recognise the importance of a navy, and
themastermindoftheGreekdefeatof
Persia at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE.
Themistocles was not an aristocrat, but rose
to political office as a populist. Following
the first Persian invasion of Greece, he
fought at Marathon in 490 BCE. Afterwards,
he persuaded the Athenians to build a fleet
of 200 triremes.
In 480 BCE, Xerxes of Persia invaded
Greece again. After the Spartans’ rearguard
action at Thermopylae and defeat at
seaatArtemisium,Themistoclesturned
the tide. He withdrew his fleet into the
StraitsofSalamisandtrappedthemuch
larger Persian fleet in the narrow straits.
The consequences of the Greek victory
were immense, both for the history of
naval warfare and for the development of
democracy.Defeated,Xerxeswithdrewhis
land army. Meanwhile, the Athenian victory
accelerated the unification of the Greek city
states and the development of democracy.

VICE-ADMIRALLORDHORATIO NELSON was nearly killed in hand-to-hand fi ghting off
(1758-1805) Cádiz, and ended up losing his right arm in an
amphibious landing at Tenerife.
YEARSACTIVE:1771-1805 tracked Napoleon’s fl eet to Aboukir Bay, off
After recovering his health, in 1798 Nelson
FORCE:ROYALNAVY Alexandria. Surrounding the French fl eet by
COUNTRY:GREATBRITAIN slipping half of his force between their ships
and the shore, his comprehensive victory ended
Horatio Nelson’s victories in the French Napoleon’s dream of an eastern empire. At
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars make him Copenhagen in 1801, Nelson again disobeyed
the greatest naval commander in European orders, and led the defeat of the Danish navy.
history. A brilliant tactician and brave leader Nelson was now a national hero, and
famedforthe‘Nelsontouch’,heexemplified notorious for his love affair with the ex-model
the Royal Navy’s tradition of aggressive Emma Hamilton, wife of William Hamilton,
engagement, and was wounded several times ambassador to Naples. In 1803, Nelson took
beforehisdeathatTrafalgar. to sea for the last time on HMS Victory. When
Entering the service aged 12 with help the French escaped his blockade at Toulon,
from his uncle Horace Suckling, Nelson’s he chased them to the West Indies and back,
earlycareertookhimtotheWestIndies, before heading them off at Cape Trafalgar.
the American coast during the War of As Victory advanced towards the French line,
Independence, India, and to within ten degrees Nelson refused to remove the decorations
of the North Pole. Commanding a frigate at the on his coat, which would make him a target
Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797, he disobeyed for sharpshooters. Shot by a musket at short
Themistocles, the ‘Glory of the Law’, orders and captured the Spanish warships range, he died in the closing stages of his
and the father of naval warfare
San Josef and San Nicolas. Later that year he greatest triumph.

16