A Confident Napoleon Challenges British Naval Superiority: “I will send a division of vessels, which will make me master of the Adriatic…”

He issues orders to his son: "Send down to that point the Mont-Saint-Bernard, and, as soon as you can, the Castiglione and the Princess-de-Bologne.  Have another pair of holdings constructed, so that we can allow two vessels to depart at the same time."

British dominance on the seas, epitomized by the legendary Lord Nelson and his victory over the French at Trafalgar, was a thorn in the side of Napoleon and a boundary on his territorial expansion.  Being unable to supply his growing empire by sea was an significant and unenviable challenge.  This was especially the case as, while France pushed East in its reach, Great Britain was still able to send ships to interrupt communications, shipments of men, and supplies in the Mediterranean and Adriatic.  

The Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, the result of Napoleon’s victories, had resulted in a Russian withdrawal from the Adriatic Sea and the French takeover of the strategic island of Corfu. The Treaty of Schönbrunn with the Austrian Empire in 1809 had further solidified French influence in the area by formalizing their control of the Illyrian Provinces on the eastern shore of the Adriatic.  To protect these gains, the French and Italian governments (the Italians under the control of Napoleon’s step-son, Eugene de Beauharnais) had instigated a shipbuilding program in Venice and other Italian ports in an effort to rebuild their Mediterranean and Adriatic fleets and challenge British hegemony.

This was no easy task, and action in 1811 produced several setbacks for the French, including the capture in November of several French ships transporting supplies around the Adriatic Sea. Napoleon placed his hopes of regaining supremacy in the Adriatic on the Rivoli, a ship of the line under construction at Venice. Along with the Rivoli would be constructed other vessels, and joining her as the first to be completed in Napoleon’s Adriatic scheme were the Regeneratore and Mont-Saint-Bernard.  Although the Rivoli’s completion had been delayed by almost two years, she would be the strongest vessel then stationed in the Adriatic, and British intelligence was aware of her condition and had periodically supplied ships of the line to observe her movements and engage her if the opportunity should arise. On February 21, 1812, the Rivoli departed Venice for the first time, destined farther south on her maiden voyage. Waiting for Rivoli, however, was the HMS Victorious, sent from the West, commanded by Adm. John Talbot, who chased Rivoli and captured her in a four-hour battle in which both sides suffered heavy casualties.  Thus the Battle of Pirano ended in devastating fashion for Napoleon.  

On March 3, Napoleon, seeing his naval plan in ruins, furiously wrote his son, in charge of the Rivoli’s preparations (or lack of same), and of that region of his empire, “I have learned of the catastrophe of the Rivoli.  You have not justified my expectations of you….  If you had sent one frigate out with the vessel, you would have been victor…. Re-read the letters I have written you and you will see that I can only attribute the loss of the Rivoli to the small amount of care you have taken…”

That same day, perhaps reflecting on the harsh tone of his letter, and desiring to advance his plans of domination in the Adriatic, Napoleon wrote Eugene again in this letter, which tempered his criticism with optimism and offering concrete plans.

Letter signed, Paris, March 3, 1812, to Eugene Napoleon, Viceroy of Italy.  “My son, you have made a grave mistake in allowing the Rivoli to leave without a frigate and without clearing the seas.  It is not however necessary to allow this loss to discourage.  Do not allow the Regeneratore to leave, but hold it at Malamocco [off Venice].  Send down to that point the Mont-Saint-Bernard, and, as soon as you can, the Castiglione and the Princess-de-Bologne.  Have another pair of holdings constructed, so that we can allow two vessels to depart at the same time.  When the moment is favorable, I will send a division of vessels, which will make me master of the Adriatic when the vessels depart to go to Ancone.  In the meanwhile, the English will be forced to keep many vessels in the Adriatic.”

Napoleon was never able to effectively counter British naval hegemony, and it is said that it was his change of focus away from the Adriatic that led him to Russia and the events that would soon mire him in that country.