Mahan treats Trafalgar as the culmination of a strategic contest between Napoleon and Nelson. Its significance depends on how the fleets reached that position and what preparation, pursuit, and concentration made the encounter possible. Earlier strategic work brought the fleets to a point where a defeat would close off an opponent's options. Reading battles this way extends the category of decisive engagements beyond the familiar examples of Trafalgar and Tsushima.
Chapter · 1:47:27-1:50:07
Why Mahan treated Trafalgar as decisive
Trafalgar's decisiveness depends on the campaign that brought the fleets together and the strategic choices its outcome closed.