The British-French Naval Rivalry in the Ionian and Adriatic Basins 1807-1814 from an insular perspective

Abstract

The war in the Mediterranean was among the major European battlefields during the long period of the Napoleonic Wars. Although geographically not a peripheral part of the Mediterranean basin, the Ionian and Adriatic Seas remained a secondary battleground during this period. Islands, especially Vis and Zakynthos, were crucial for the success of the British campaigns, especially after 1809. They also allowed the British navy to adopt more privateer tactics to disrupt French activities in both seas. Apart from unpublished sources from the National Archives in London, memories and literature have been used to analyse why the British remained superior despite having fewer warships for most of this period.