Napoleon's political and battlefield strengths did not extend to a sound grasp of naval warfare. British planners did not assume he was foolish, yet they did not expect him to see maritime risks through the same framework they used. That distinction matters because the campaign depended on orders issued by a ruler who underestimated the practical consequences of moving and sustaining fleets. Trafalgar therefore offers a lesson in assessing an opponent's actual mental model without projecting one's own assumptions onto it.
Notable Point · 8:33-9:46
Napoleon's naval blind spot
Napoleon's skill in politics and land warfare did not mean that he understood naval constraints or interpreted risk as British leaders did.