The War of the Second Coalition found France successful on land and increasingly constrained at sea. Britain, Austria, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Naples, and several German monarchies opposed France, while Spain fought alongside the French and Prussia stayed outside this coalition. Earlier defeats and blockade had already eroded French training and experience before Trafalgar. Losses among lieutenants, midshipmen, petty officers, and pursers damaged navigation, seamanship, administration, and fleet logistics. Pursers were especially important to outfitting ships and getting a fleet to sea. Revolutionary political removals compounded the loss of skilled personnel in battle. Slower preparation then made blockade easier, while tighter blockade denied replacement crews the sea time needed to become effective sailors.
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The Second Coalition and cumulative naval losses
Repeated defeats, blockade, and personnel losses steadily stripped the French Navy of the experience needed to challenge Britain at sea.