The French defense had no naval force left to oppose Cochrane's squadron. Napoleon regarded the available general as one of his worst, and the defenders lacked a comparable group of senior commanders around him. British troops could therefore hold the defenders' attention while the Royal Navy shifted position and struck elsewhere. The imbalance explains why sea control and joint command mattered as much as the quality of the troops fighting ashore.
Notable Point · 36:23-38:43
A French army left without naval support
The defending general faces a joint British expedition without a French naval force, leaving the island's army unable to contest British movement from the sea.