How did Britain defeat France during the Napoleonic wars?

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WHY DID BRITAIN DEFEAT FRANCE DURING THE NAPOLEONIC WARS?

        The British victory over the French in the 1793-1815 wars in mainly accredited to the strength of the Royal Navy and the various strategies she put into place during her encounters with the enemy. Other factors that also contributed to this victory include economic and financial factors, the peninsular war, the Russian campaign and the British led coalition against Napoleon and France.

        The graphical location of Britain as an island makes her resources limited and the need of a strong navy in order to protect her trade routes and most significantly her security from external aggression inevitable. The leaders fully aware of this fact took great strides towards ensuring the continuous effectiveness of this formidable force charged with the country’s defence and survival. This decision by Britain was to prove useful during the era in question other wise known as the era of the Napoleonic wars. The royal navy under the leadership of Admiral Nelson saw a great and drastic change from just a normal strong navy to an outstanding and the greatest of its kind during this period. The strength of this force saw the blockading of European ports that allied itself to France, the protection of Britain’s trade routes and also saw to the acquisition of new territories formerly part of the French empire in the West Indies and the battle of the Nile which Napoleon threatened to exterminate British influence in the Mediterranean. The most notable contribution of the royal navy was during the battle of Trafalgar when it dealt a great blow to the French and Spanish navy and completely eradicated Napoleon’s ambition of invading Britain, this war was to unfortunately cause Nelson his life. Another great contribution of the royal navy can be seen during the peninsular war when it deployed troops and also made supplies to British troops along the coasts of Spain and Portugal.

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        The acquisition of new colonies in the West Indies immensely opened up new frontiers to British economic activities and also trade routes to British merchants and this boosted her economy. With the French no longer having these territories under her and limiting her economic activities to Europe this made her economy decline into recession. Napoleon lost territories and the possibility of attacking Britain took on a new strategy known as the Continental system in which all nations which he had influence on will seize economic activities with Britain and close her ports to British merchant ships. This new strategy proved ...

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