Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Epic card · No. 6308

Vice-Admiral of the White Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics led to multiple decisive naval victories during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is widely regarded as the greatest admiral in history. Nelson was born into a moderately prosperous Norfolk family and joined the British navy in 1771 through the influence of his uncle Maurice Suckling, a post-captain in the Royal Navy. Developing a reputation for valour and a firm grasp of tactics, Nelson obtained his first command in 1778 but suffered from bouts of illness and following the end of the American War of Independence in 1783 was put on half-pay. Britain's entry into the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793 allowed him to return to active service and participate in the siege of Toulon and invasion of Corsica, the latter of which resulted in Nelson partially losing sight in his right eye. Rising...

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