The Life Of Nelson Part 2: His Forgotten First Battle

THIS IS PART 2 OF OUR SERIES ON ADMIRAL NELSON, PART ONE HERE:    • Britain's Greatest Ever Hero: The Mak...   PLAYLIST HERE:    • The Life And Battles Of Lord Nelson   Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @restishistorypod   It is 1793 and France has declared war on Britain, meaning that the British navy must serve as both sword and shield to Europe. Horatio Nelson is at this time a slim and sickly 34 year old captain who nevertheless burns with the zeal to serve his king and country, and has recently taken over command of the impressive Agamemnon. Meanwhile, the British navy has taken Toulon by the summer of 1793 through diplomatic means - its foothold in the Mediterranean - but is struggling to hold it. Upon arriving in the city Nelson is shocked to find it besieged by the French, under the leadership of one Napoleon Bonaparte - the first time that these two titanic rivals of history will brush shoulders, but not the last. At last the city falls to the French, and the British must go in search of another Mediterranean base. They settle upon Corsica - Bonaparte’s homeland. It is there, on the morning of the 12th of July that during the siege of Calvi that Nelson is struck in the face by a spray of stone and shrapnel, severely blinding his left eye forever more. Will this critical injury prematurely end his promising career? Just as a great armada of Spanish and French ships gathers on the horizon, heralding the coming one of history's bloodiest naval battles... Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the Siege of Toulon, Nelson’s heroic early forays into the Mediterranean, and the dramatic aftermath of his first near fatal injury. 00:00 Nelson and the French Revolution 02:33 Career of Nelson recap 03:44 The logistics of naval warfare 05:17 Putting together his first crew 08:20 Joining Admiral Hood’s squadron 10:34 Toulon 12:45 Naples 13:20 Sir William Hamilton, Britain’s most famous cuckold 14:10 Emma Hamilton 14:50 The French take Toulon 16:15 Nelson vs Napoleon 19:00 The fall of Corsica 21:20 How he lost his eye 22:11 Blockading Livorno 23:49 The French appear… 28:28 John Jervis 30:00 Napoleon reappears 31:12 The Mediterranean is lost 32:22 Nelson, meet Hardy 33:35 The Spanish fleet appears… 34:50 HMS Victory appears… Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Video Editor: Alice Horrell Social Producer: Harry Balden Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor