Britain's naval superiority is its principal advantage…

Britain's naval superiority is its principal advantage over France at the beginning of 1801.

The Royal Navy searches neutral ships trading with French ports, seizing their cargoes if they are deemed to be trading with France.

The eccentric Russian Tsar Paul, after having been a British ally, had arranged a League of Armed Neutrality comprising Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Prussia, and Russia, to enforce free trade with France.

The British views the League to be very much in the French interest and a serious threat.

The League is hostile to the British blockade, and its existence threatens the supply of timber and naval stores from Scandinavia.

Isolated once again by Austria’s withdrawal from the field, Britain preemptively strikes the new maritime combination in its April 2 bombardment of the Danish fleet at Copenhagen.

The British Royal Navy, under Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, forces the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy to accept an armistice.

Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson leads the main attack, deliberately disregarding his commander's signal to withdraw.

He will be created a Viscount on May 19; Denmark will be forced to withdraw from the Second League of Armed Neutrality.