Today in 1798. Aboukir Bay, Egypt. Rear Admiral Horation Nelson, commander of the British fleet in the Mediterranean, defeats the French Republic fleet commanded by François-Paul Brueys d’Aigalliers, who will die at his post on the Orient. A major blow to Napoleon’s ambitions in Egypt, the battle reversed the strategic situation in the Mediterranean, and allowed the Royal Navy to assume a dominant position which it would retain for the rest of the war.
The painting is “The Destruction of ‘L’Orient’ at the Battle of the Nile”, 1827, by George Arnald.
(via yourfutureleader)
