Trafalgar and the Decisive Naval Battles of the 21st Century

This year is the 200th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar, the archetype of the traditional naval campaign. This article analyses the evolution of naval thinking about the decisive battle, explores its role in the world of the 21st century and identifies several other crucial battles that today's navies need to fight and win. It concludes that despite the differences brought about by technological transformation there is a surprising degree of continuity between the naval past and the naval present.