Who Was Horatio Nelson?

Horartio Nelson was a valiantly great British war hero, who was also a naval officer. He was born in Burnham Norfolk, England. His father was the rector of that parish. His mother, whose name was nee Suckling, had close family ties with Sir Robert Walpole, who was a British statesman and the Prime Minister. Nelson got his early education from his hometown, the county of Norfolk located by the North Sea.

It was Nelson's uncle Captain Maurice Suckling who introduced him (Nelson) to the mechanics and matters of sea life. His uncle was also the Comptroller of the Navy. In 1770, Nelson was entered on the ship for the very first time and in the same year war broke off with Spain. But the defeat with Spain was quickly settled, marking the beginning of Nelson's war experience in the sea. It was in 1805, when he defeated the French at Trafalgar in one of the most memorable of sea battles history has ever seen, entrenching his name in the history of his country as one of the greatest war heroes.

Add Comment

Report

Admiral Horatio Nelson spent his military career fighting the French and Spanish during the glory days of the British Navy, the late-18th and early 19th century. He is credited for preventing Napoleon from ever invading Britain.

He is revered for his derring-do in battle, often to the dismay of his superiors. But, Nelson believed "Much risque must be run to achieve great & Brilliant actions," as he wrote to a friend. Because of this philosophy, Nelson became a wildly popular hero -- and lost the sight of his right eye and had his right arm amputated.

He annihilated almost the entire French fleet at Aboukir Bay off the coast of Egypt, leaving Napoleon's army stranded. For this, he was named Baron Nelson of the Nile.
His best-known battle, of course, was in Cape Trafalgar, off of Spain, where his outnumbered ships defeated a combined fleet of French and Spanish vessels. Nelson was fatally wounded, and died just having received news of the victory, saying "Thank God I have done my duty."

No discussion of Britain's greatest war hero is complete without mention of his affair with Lady Emma Hamilton, the wife of the British representative to Naples. Nelson left his wife to live in a ménage-à-trois with the Hamiltons, and the couple's public displays of affection scandalized polite society. But the love affair served to further endeared Nelson to his adoring public.

Add Comment

Report